Dickinson Dees launches third redundancy round
Dickinson Dees launches third redundancy round" class="inline_image inline_image_left" src="/pictures/web/images/16172_newcastle90.gif" />Newcastle firm Dickinson Dees has begun redundancy talks with a view to laying off up to 90 of its workforce.
It is expected that around 15 qualified lawyers will be affected, mostly in the property departments.
A statement from the firm said: “The global economic conditions which are impacting on the UK economy mean that it’s appropriate for Dickinson Dees to reduce staffing levels across the firm and particularly in its property department.
“Where possible we’ll explore alternatives, short of redundancy, aimed at retaining staff and where redundancies are necessary we’ll seek volunteers where possible.”
The cuts will hit the firm’s Newcastle and York offices. London will be unaffected and no offices will be closed, said the firm.
The firm added that the recent sale of Dickinson Dees’ volume operation D3 Legal increased the need to make a “proportionate reduction in headcount”.
Dickinson Dees sold its commoditised business to volume firm Optima last year, after D3, which dealt with residential conveyancing and home information packs work, ran into problems (The Lawyer, 3 November 2008).
Before selling the volume arm the firm made a total of 64 redundancies in the business. The initial cuts were made after major D3 client Northern Rock first ran into trouble.
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Readers' comments (2)
Gavin | 12-Feb-2009 11:50 am
Redundancies
If all of the redundancies are in the property departments would it not make more sense to retrain staff in areas that are still performing well to try and hold on to as many as possible? It just seems that redundancy has now become the preferred option rather than anything slightly more original like Mills and Reeve have done.
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Anonymous | 31-Mar-2010 9:06 pm
The first wave of redundancies targetted assistants but spared the underperforming associates and partners.
The second wave of redundancies targetted assistants but spared the underperforming associates and partners.
The third wave of redundancies targetted assistants but spared the underperforming associates and partners.
The management of this firm is absurd. Are the under performing partners in the majority?
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