Barlow Lyde & Gilbert ("BLG") today announced that it has launched a staff consultation exercise over proposed redundancies.

The process will consider all areas of the firm: fee-earning (excluding trainees), secretarial, and business services staff. In total, we are proposing approximately 49 redundancies.

CEO Clint Evans said:

"It is with regret that we enter this consultation programme.

There are fundamental changes in the legal sector and all firms must adapt. One consequence is that, despite a rise in turnover, our profitability has fallen, partly due to increased overheads.

This is not only a response to current market conditions in which many of our clients are themselves facing costs pressures, but also part of a wider project of modernisation intended to safeguard the firm’s future prosperity as an employer.

The steps we are taking are designed to ensure that the business is in the right shape to continue to meet the specific needs of our clients, both now and in the future.

This has been a very difficult decision for the firm. Our priorities now are to move effectively through this process and offer full guidance and support to all of our staff."

-ENDS-