Herbert Smith concludes consultation with 43.5 jobs axed
Herbert Smith has completed its redundancy consultation in London, with all lawyers and staff affected taking voluntary redundancy.
David Willis
The firm today announced that 43.5 full-time equivalent jobs would be cut in London following the consultation. When the firm first announced it was making redundancies in April (30 April 2012) it said that up to 51 jobs were at risk – including 23 fee-earners in corporate and five in real estate – but internal moves and resignations meant it could make fewer cuts.
According to Herbert Smith, all affected fee-earners and staff took voluntary redundancy - which also happened when the firm made 84 redundancies in 2009 (1 June 2009) - and will begin to leave later this month.
Redundancy payments were based on 3.5 weeks’ pay per year of service. A spokesperson for the firm said: “The package reflects the terms offered in 2009. However, we’ve capped the total payment at a higher point this time.”
A firm spokesperson added that managing partner David Willis had sent round an internal note thanking “staff working in affected areas for their professionalism, in what he acknowledged had been an unsettling period for them. He also thanked employee representatives for their positive contribution and their commitment to ensuring affected staff were fairly represented during the process.”
In May, Herbert Smith announced that it was making five support staff redundant in Dubai in a bid to align the number of back office workers in the office with the number of fee-earners (22 May 2012).
Readers' comments (9)
Anonymous | 12-Jun-2012 4:03 pm
I know when they say .5 they are probably talking about EFT numbers but hilarious nonetheless. Have an image of the top half of a lawyer slowly toplling out of its chair as it tries to type :) Either that or the bottom half of a trainee designed to carry around coffees.
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Dragonfly | 13-Jun-2012 1:43 am
This is clearly the accountants at work. Must be precise of the numbers won't add up. ergggh.
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Anon | 13-Jun-2012 12:46 pm
And how many by "stealth"?
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Anonymous | 13-Jun-2012 2:15 pm
by stealth: 13.8
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Urchin | 13-Jun-2012 6:13 pm
bloodbath
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Jal Cooper | 14-Jun-2012 5:27 am
The Indian Corporate legal is still recruiting.
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Anonymous | 14-Jun-2012 2:40 pm
Definitely many others being canned by stealth. Had a good friend in their Hong Kong office who was just given three months notice.
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Nostradamus | 14-Jun-2012 3:13 pm
The next Dewey Lebouf. I predict a massive drop in profits when they announce for the year just ended. The pace of partner defections will increase.
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MW | 14-Jun-2012 3:19 pm
heard Singapore office letting people go too
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