DLA: 140 more jobs to go, trainees asked to defer
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DLA Piper has launched a fresh redundancy consultation which will see the loss of 30 lawyers and 110 support staff in the UK.
An internal email announcement, seen by The Lawyer, told staff: “There has been a downturn in economic activity since we last reviewed resource and when we budgeted for our 2009 business year. We expect the current market conditions to continue for some time.
“As part of our response to the current business environment and after considerable thought, we are unfortunately, proposing a number of redundancies, which will affect lawyer and support staff communities.”
No trainees will be affected, although the firm is inviting a number of those due to start in 2009 to defer their start dates until 2010.
Those affected by the consultation would be contacted shortly about specific details, the announcement said.
The news follows the completion of December’s redundancy consultation, which led to the loss of 31 jobs across the UK (2 Dec 2008).
The December review led to the loss of 15 fee-earning lawyers and 16 support staff in practice groups linked to real estate and finance.
In addition, five technology, media and communication lawyers were made redundant in August, including an associate, a legal director and three assistants.
The latest consultation was announced in an email to staff from UK regional managing partner David Bradley, who ended the message: “At this time can I ask that we keep at the forefront of our minds, the need to be considerate, understanding and respectful of each other.”
In a statement sent to The Lawyer this afternoon Sir Nigel Knowles, joint CEO at DLA Piper, said: "Having carefully considered current volumes of business activity and the predicted impact of the ongoing downturn we are conducting a formal redundancy consultation process in the UK which is likely to result in up to 140 redundancies. This is a difficult but necessary decision based on our reassessment of resource levels following the continuing deterioration of the market. This prudent action will align our capacity levels with existing client demands."
For more on redundancies and job prospects, see our Legal Job Watch page.
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Readers' comments (30)
Anonymous | 10-Feb-2009 4:33 pm
Niloc.......
is coming home.
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Lionel Hutz | 10-Feb-2009 5:06 pm
Yawn
This is so predictable. DLA Piper waited until the magic circle had made unveiled big redundancy programmes before announcing what we all knew it was doing anyway.
Of all the global firms, DLA is in the worst shape to handle a recession.
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Big Jim | 10-Feb-2009 6:40 pm
Lionel Hutz
How is DLA in the worst shape to handle a recession? They have one of the best spread legal practices in the world. They do not rely on one or two core areas but instead aim to provide clients with a thorough service in all areas.
They have also expanded into the Middle East where their profit margins are predicted to quadruple, thus mitigating the effect of the recession in Europe and North America.
Can you provide any logical argument to support your statement?
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Ex-Dibber | 10-Feb-2009 6:40 pm
DLA Piper: 140 more jobs to go
DLA has papered over the cracks for years. Now that those cracks are getting too large to paper over the truth is at long last coming out. I feel sorry for those people that have worked bloody hard for the firm and get rewarded with unemployment.
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Anonymous | 10-Feb-2009 10:55 pm
We knew more would follow the exit door ...
All of us are worried, things really 'ain't what they use to be' albeit ... only two years ago when everything was going so well.
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AA | 11-Feb-2009 3:11 am
Yawn
"Of all the global firms, DLA is in the worst shape to handle a recession."
What makes you think you are qualified to make this statement? And what do you mean by "global firms"?
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Anonymous | 11-Feb-2009 10:33 am
Profits in Middle East ??
It is well known that many of DLA's lawyers are sitting on their hands in the middle east. Dubai lawyers doing less than 1 hour a day chargeable.
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John | 11-Feb-2009 10:59 am
JOhn Grisham
DLA Piper lawyers had big mouth last year they thought they owned everything in terms of clients. Im a lawyer having my own practice and all i can say is GOOD FOR YOU GUYS. Now, welcome to the real world no more big pay checks no more clubbing down fulham !!!
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Anonymous | 11-Feb-2009 1:13 pm
Deferrals?
Just for the record - I'm a prospective trainee at the firm and I have not been asked to defer. Neither have any of my friends who are also due to start at DLA.
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Anonymous | 11-Feb-2009 1:53 pm
JOhn Grisham
Who are you to comment on any of us? Have you ever done a day's work in your pathetic life?
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