In what’s being referred to as one of the largest mass layoffs since the Great Lathaming of 2009, a global Biglaw firm expects to cut 180 jobs thanks to redundancies in its business operations.
Which firm could it be?
Following the conclusion of a two-year review process, DLA Piper has decided to slash jobs across all of its business support roles in the United Kingdom, in order to shift jobs to its new back-office hub in Warsaw, Poland, a haven for low wages. Andrew Darwin, the chief operating officer of the firm, gave this statement to the ABA Journal:
Our collective consultation has now concluded and we can confirm that we will be going ahead with our proposals to reduce the size of our IT, Finance, HR, Marketing & BD, and Secretarial teams in the U.K. as part of our plans to operate more effectively on a global basis and improve the quality, consistency and efficiency of the way we deliver our services to our clients.
At the beginning of its review process, DLA Piper sought to eliminate 200 jobs, but now it looks like only 175 are being truly cut (with four employees having been reassigned, and one employee having resigned). The firm previously laid off 250 U.K. staff members back in 2013 when its Glasgow office closed. DLA Piper is still reassessing its workforce, and more layoffs could perhaps come before the end of 2016.
Here’s some additional information from Legal Business:
The move is arguably another sign of a slowdown in the legal market, with King & Wood Mallesons axing 45 business services staff in London in March and Reed Smith cutting 45 lawyer roles across the US, UK and Middle East in January.
More recently, Simmons & Simmons laid off lawyers in London following the Brexit vote. While the firm has refused to comment on the number of redundancies, banking and real estate are two practices known to be affected.
Will DLA Piper, the largest law firm in the U.K., be forced to start laying off attorneys? We certainly hope not, but if we hear anything of the sort, we’ll let you know.
We wish all of the legal professionals and affected individuals at DLA Piper the best of luck while they seek new job opportunities in the legal industry and beyond.
If your firm or organization is closing its doors or reducing the ranks of its lawyers or staff, whether through open layoffs, stealth layoffs, or voluntary buyouts, please don’t hesitate to let us know. Our vast network of tipsters is part of what makes Above the Law thrive — we’ll never ignore you. You can email us or text us (646-820-8477). Thank you!
Redundancy update: DLA to cut 180 jobs in UK as consultation closes [Legal Business]
DLA Piper to lay off 180 in the UK [ABA Journal]
Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.