Law firm axes 28 jobs after signing 10-year lease for Liverpool office space

A law firm that recently signed a long-term lease for offices in Liverpool has made 28 staff redundant.

Taylor Wessing announced last week that it had signed a 10-year lease for office space at the Royal Albert Dock.

The London-based firm said it capped off a highly successful year which had seen it create 100 jobs in the space of two years.

However, The Law Society Gazette reports the international law firm has axed 28 jobs following the conclusion of a redundancy consultation.

It said originally, 34 jobs were believed to be at risk, but some staff have been given new roles in London.

Taylor Wessing opened its Liverpool operation in November 2018, and has just signed its 10-year lease at the Royal Albert Dock’s Edward Pavilion.

The Liverpool site has a team of 17 lawyers and paralegals, and more than 60 business service professionals. It predicts a headcount of over 100 by the end of the financial year.

The firm originally warned of job losses in January 2019.

Taylor Wessing partner and head of the firm’s Liverpool office, Saleem Fazal, said: “It’s been a highly successful year for the firm as a whole with fantastic achievements in terms of our strategy, the modernisation of our work practices, and our profitability.

“The stunning location of our new Liverpool home is the icing on the cake, and we are thrilled to be able to commit our future to this vibrant, enterprising city.

“Our team in Liverpool can’t wait to move into the stunning Edward Pavilion refurbishment, and we believe the new office will be a huge asset for us in attracting the very best legal and professional services talent in the North West.”

The Law Society Gazette said the firm thanked those who had been made redundant for their “outstanding professionalism”.