Birmingham giant Wragge & Co has launched an internal secondment programme in response to the economic downturn.
Wragges has moved 20 assistants, including up to eight from the corporate group, from less busy departments to ones where more resources are needed. A number of assistants, for example, have joined the litigation team.
Additionally, a couple of assistants are now involved in non-fee-earning roles, including one who has been seconded to the client care team and another who is now working with senior partner Quentin Poole.
Poole admitted that secondments were being used to manage the downturn, but argued that they fitted with the firm’s training culture. He said Wragges believes that, in order to be a good lawyer, it is crucial to receive broad training.
The secondments typically last between three and six months.
Secondment programmes are proving an increasingly popular way of managing headcount, with Linklaters among the other firms to have relocated assistants from its corporate department.