Firm shake-up axes top jobs in Bristol

FIVE senior lawyers are among 27 people due to lose their jobs following a streamlining exercise at a Bristol law firm.

Three partners, two fee-earners and 22 support staff were made redundant following a management shake-up at JW Ward & Son.

Some of the other partners have taken up new roles as consultants and a small office in the city is being wound down with staff moving to headquarters.

David Sheridan, newly-appointed managing partner, says the lawyers who left were older members of staff, and five associate partners have been appointed. The changes would be announced in the near future.

The previous hierarchy of a ruling executive committee with a chair had been replaced with a more conventional managing partner/ partner structure.

Former chair Michael Thompson will now work as a consultant.

Sheridan says: "It has all been a very amicable change and long overdue. We are quite confident that we are going to remain a great force in Bristol."

He says the changes were made following an analysis of optimum practice size.