Board member quits Radcliffes for Wilsons

Clara Trounson's departure comes after the firm made eight redundancies last month in a cost-cutting exercise, but it is understood that Trounson's departure to Salisbury firm Wilsons is not related.

So far the redundancies have only included one fee-earner, a senior associate, with the rest being support staff, but The Lawyer understands that there may be more to come. The redundancies are part of a cost-cutting measure following the merger and the firm's drive to improve profits. The process will be "ongoing", said a spokesperson.

One source said that the management was "keeping a close eye" on fee-earners in a bid to cut costs further. The source added that a number of other cost-cutting measures had been implemented, including the removal of biscuits in meetings and a lack of Christmas cards this year.

Trounson's is the second management departure in the last six months, following the shock exit of chief executive Vincent Denham in August. The firm is being run by the management board under the watch of senior partner Robert Vallings until a new chief executive is found.

Trounson joined Radcliffes in 1999 from Linklaters as one of the new department heads to help take the firm forward after the merger. She will be replaced by the current head of the charities group Guy Greenhous, who was made a partner at Radcliffes in 1976.