Business services staff face redundancies at City law firm

City-based law firm Clyde & Co has launched a restructuring consultation for its business service staff as part of its ongoing strategy to centralise support operations into regional hubs.

The firm is proposing to move certain services currently performed by teams within legal support, purchase-to-pay, and IT to its service centres in Glasgow and its third-party partner facility, Accenture’s service centre in Manila.

The move, first reported by the legal publication Rollonfriday, affected around 200 staff.

Chief executive, Matthew Kelsall, said this move “builds on similar changes already implemented in the Americas, Middle East and Asia-Pacific.”

“These centres are a common feature of modern global professional services firms and are designed to deliver services through standardised processes and enhanced technology, enabling a more efficient, scalable and resilient support model as our business continues to grow and client needs evolve,” he explained.

Kelsall added the firm recognises “that these proposals will be unsettling for colleagues affected, and we are committed to supporting them throughout this process”.

Clyde & Co, known for its work defending the insurance sector, recorded a global revenue of £854m for the financial year ending 30 April 2025.

Business services roles on the line

This consultation comes as it was reported earlier this month that A&O Shearman was set to cut roles in its business services team in its London office.

These are not the only firms, as business services jobs are on the chopping block across the sector, with investment in Tech and AI cited as the common reason.

In November, magic circle Clifford Chance was reported to be cutting 10 per cent of its back-office roles in its City office. Mishcon de Raya, BCLP, and Baker McKenzie have all made similar cuts over the last year.

Meanwhile, magic circle law firm Freshfields kicked off a round of redundancies in September, targeting paralegals in its Manchester office.