Simmons to cut up to 69 in latest redundancy talks
Simmons & Simmons is undertaking a fresh redundancy consultation that is likely to see around 20 associates and up to 49 secretarial and support staff lose their jobs.
The lawyer redundancies will be in capital markets, banking, projects and real estate.
The firm is also reviewing the positions of 35 secretaries and 12 to 14 professional support staff.
Managing partner Mark Dawkins (pictured) said: "We think our business is changing, particularly in the transactional area.
"We've made the decision to adjust to a changing market."
Dawkins added that, while the firm was reviewing the performance of its partners on an ongoing basis, there were no plans for partner cuts.
This is the second round of job cuts at Simmons, following the loss of eight associates last year. The firm had just completed a three-year review of its wage bill, which saw it invest £25m in its systems and led to the departure of 12 secretaries and nine IT employees (20 October 2008).
This year, Simmons has announced that it will close its Rotterdam office, moving all Dutch lawyers to Amsterdam, and will split with its two-office Portuguese practice.
To subscribe to our free Lawyer News Daily news and comment email, click here. Or get the latest news, features and comment as it's published with our free RSS feed.
Readers' comments (4)
Jabberwocky | 17-Feb-2009 5:47 pm
Take two
Two rounds of redundancies?
Simmons is rapidly losing its reputation as a 'considerate' employer - especially if you are a secretary.
This magic circle-lite ruthlessness doesn't suit them.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
secret secretary | 17-Feb-2009 11:18 pm
no surprises
just read the papers or watch the telly to see that the economy is nose diving fast. fact is that simmons is only making a very small number redundant compared to every other law firm- still its not much fun at the moment
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 18-Feb-2009 6:32 pm
Considerate?
Simmons ceased to be a caring employer a long time ago. Those days are gone. Partner profits are the only concern now.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 2-Mar-2009 5:40 pm
Simmons to cut up to 69 in latest redundancy talks
It was a nice to place to work pre the appointment of the former HR director.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment