Member Article

Liverpool law firm confirms 83 jobs to go

One of Liverpool’s biggest law firms, Hill Dickinson, has confirmed that 83 jobs are to go as a result of a restructure of the business.

Blaming “difficult trading conditions”, the firm is to make 14 redundancies at partner level and 69 job cuts among other employees. It says that thirty-nine employees will be subject to compulsory redundancy, with the remainder accepting a voluntary settlement.

The decision follows an announcement in April that the firm was reviewing its range of services and business model in response to market conditions.

The firm posted a 2.5% increase in turnover in 2012/13 but crucially profit per equity partner fell 15%, from £312,000 to £264,000.

Earlier this week, Hill Dickinson announced that it had sold its Chester office to private equity-backed firm Knights Solicitors.

Senior partner David Wareing said the decision was essential to ensure the future of the business in a tough market.

‘We have a strong and sustainable business and indeed many of our teams recorded revenue growth in the last financial year,’ he said.

‘Inevitably however we have been affected like all our competitors by the difficult trading conditions which presently exist in our regional centres and accordingly it has been necessary for us to proactively manage the business to ensure the stability of the firm as a whole and to enable us to continue to further invest in the business in the future.’

Wareing said the firm will press ahead with expansion both in the UK and internationally in line with areas of growth.

He added: ‘Hill Dickinson is – and will continue to be – a major force in the provision of legal services both in the UK and internationally and we are committed to our plans for the further development of the business.’

The firm has offices in London, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, and overseas in Monaco, Singapore and Greece. The firm has not confirmed which offices will be affected by redundancies. The firm retains 1,080 staff in the North West.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .