Around 200 former King & Wood Mallesons Europe and Middle East staff have been offered a financial settlement over how their redundancies were dealt with when the firm collapsed.

Ex-KWM staff, including lawyers, brought a claim earlier this year on the basis that the firm failed to follow a formal 45 day consultation process before making the redundancies, as required under the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992. KWM's administrator Quantuma told RollOnFriday that there was a "technical breach" as the firm's consultation had "concluded early" due to the onset of administration.

Ex-KWM partners who shafted the firm won't have to dip into their pockets to contribute to the payout. If the settlement is agreed, it will be made out of the government's coffers via the Insolvency Service Redundancy Payments Service. Under the rules, claims will be capped at £3,382 per claimant on the basis of eight weeks' wages capped at £479 per week. 

   An ex-KWM partner gets to keep all of his money. Again.
 

The payout is likely to be small beer for disgruntled ex-staffers at the firm, who were left jobless as the firm cratered. Plenty of partners at the firm had been too willing to shaft the firm and its employees as the wheels came off, the minions had their pay cancelled, and a very public blame game ensued. A hardship fund was set up by the miniature, resurrected KWM in Europe to help shafted staff, but it was closed last week with a suspiciously muted fanfare.
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