The firm also dismissed 47 business services professionals globally last May
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP), a transatlantic law firm, has reduced its workforce for the second time in less than a year, letting go of around 50 employees, Reuters reported.
BCLP's decision is part of a broader strategy to realign the firm's structure with current market demands and operational efficiencies. "Like many firms in recent months, BCLP is conducting a targeted restructuring in selected areas of the firm to manage costs and shape our size and capabilities to practice demand," the firm’s spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters. This round of layoffs predominantly impacts business services roles across the firm's operations in the United States and the United Kingdom. However, specific details regarding the scope and timing of the reductions were not disclosed.
The firm emphasized that this strategic adjustment is intended to "maintain our strong footing and further focus on investing in priority growth opportunities." This approach aligns with BCLP's strategic expansion, notably its April 2023 launch in Seattle. Globally, BCLP operates 31 offices with approximately 1,275 lawyers.
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Reuters reported that the legal industry, particularly in the US, has seen a series of layoffs among large firms over the past year, attributed mainly to a softening demand for legal services, especially within transactional practices. Although the pace of publicly confirmed layoffs seemed to have slowed in recent months, the sector remains in a state of flux, as evidenced by the nearly 10 percent workforce reduction at Silicon Valley-based Fenwick & West last month, a move reported by various media outlets.
Despite these industry adjustments, the broader US legal services sector appears resilient, adding 2,700 jobs in February and nearing its all-time employment high from December, per the latest US Labor Department data. This data encompasses various legal workers employed across law firms, companies, and other organizations.
This series of layoffs at BCLP follows the dismissal of 47 business services professionals globally last May. The previous round of layoffs was said to mainly affect secretarial and administrative positions in the US, attributed to "excess capacity following a comprehensive review of support ratios."
