Job losses confirmed at major law firm

LAW firm DLA Piper has confirmed the extent of job cuts to business services roles across its UK operations, with more than 20 jobs to go in Birmingham.

In May, DLA announced that around 200 UK jobs were to be cut as part of a restructuring of its support services teams, with more of those operations being handled by its Warsaw centre in Poland.

That figure has now been reduced to 175, with of those 59 staff taking voluntary redundancy.

The firm will cut 23 jobs in Birmingham, although its Yorkshire offices will bear the brunt with 83 jobs going in Leeds and Sheffield.

Andrew Darwin, chief operating officer at DLA Piper, said: “Our collective consultation has now concluded and we can confirm that we will be going ahead with our proposals to reduce the size of our IT, finance, HR, marketing & BD, and secretarial teams in the UK as part of our plans to operate more effectively on a global basis and improve the quality, consistency and efficiency of the way we deliver our services to our clients.”

The firm said it has engaged an external supplier, Renovo, to provide outplacement support to employees that are being made redundant and for three months employees will be given unlimited access to a personal career coach. Employees will also have six months’ access to emotional and wellbeing support.