The three largest UK accountancy firms have announced 120 new partner appointments between them over the last month.

E&Y has appointed 25 new partners. Of those to be based in London, seven are in tax, five in audit, four in corporate finance, one in global employment solutions and one in sales. Of the seven regional appointments, five will be based in the Midlands and East Anglia, one in the North of England, and one in the South.

KPMG has appointed 49 partners with effect from October: 17 are in financial advisory, 15 in assurance, 11 in tax, two in pensions and one each in global markets, information communications technology, human resources and KLegal, the firm's associated legal firm.

PwC welcomed 46 new partners to the fold, strengthening its assurance and business advisory, management consulting, tax and legal, corporate finance and recovery, business process outsourcing and global human resource solutions departments.

The total number of partners at E&Y in the UK now rises to 422, compared with 1,054 at number one firm PwC and 689 at number two firm KPMG.