Simmons & Simmons is joining the outsourcing race by opening an office in Bristol. The new outpost will be restricted to real estate, projects and dispute resolution work, and will initially have between 15 and 20 lawyers on the ground as workflow demands.
According to reports, the firm will be sending a couple of partners and a bunch of senior associates to Bristol to launch the new practice. And the verdant countryside, cheaper cost of living and extra-strong cider will probably be enough to attract a few away from the City. However in the long term the development seems bad news for those doing low key real estate, projects or dispute resolution work and who want to remain in London. Jeremy Hoyland, Simmons' Managing Partner, no doubt calmed nerves enormously when he said he "didn't think" there would be redundancies in London.
It's easy to see the attraction for the firm. For non-client facing work, there's not much need to house large numbers of lawyers in an expensive glass palace in the City of London, when they can just as easily do their jobs in Bristol which is already a strong centre for legal services. Plus, of course, the firm should be able to pay local recruits a lot less money. However Hoyland commented "This is part of trying to win more work and recruiting people rather than cost saving...Our lawyers in Bristol will service complex legal work where they have relevant experience and where location is not an issue for our clients".
There's been a big rush to the regions recently, as firms look to prop up their bottom lines. Most notable amongst the outsourcers has been CMS Cameron McKenna, which sent a third of its back office staff to Bristol and, err, Bangalore and Bevan Brittan, which has recently put half of its previously outsourced staff under threat of redundancy.
Belfast too has proved to be a popular location for commoditised work, with Herbert Smith and Allen & Overy the two biggest names opening up there. And it's thought Simmons also had a look at Belfast before deciding on Bristol. Of course that's nothing to do with the fact that firms can get away with paying legal staff £10 an hour there.
Tip Off ROF
According to reports, the firm will be sending a couple of partners and a bunch of senior associates to Bristol to launch the new practice. And the verdant countryside, cheaper cost of living and extra-strong cider will probably be enough to attract a few away from the City. However in the long term the development seems bad news for those doing low key real estate, projects or dispute resolution work and who want to remain in London. Jeremy Hoyland, Simmons' Managing Partner, no doubt calmed nerves enormously when he said he "didn't think" there would be redundancies in London.
It's easy to see the attraction for the firm. For non-client facing work, there's not much need to house large numbers of lawyers in an expensive glass palace in the City of London, when they can just as easily do their jobs in Bristol which is already a strong centre for legal services. Plus, of course, the firm should be able to pay local recruits a lot less money. However Hoyland commented "This is part of trying to win more work and recruiting people rather than cost saving...Our lawyers in Bristol will service complex legal work where they have relevant experience and where location is not an issue for our clients".
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Simmons in Bristol. How it may look. |
There's been a big rush to the regions recently, as firms look to prop up their bottom lines. Most notable amongst the outsourcers has been CMS Cameron McKenna, which sent a third of its back office staff to Bristol and, err, Bangalore and Bevan Brittan, which has recently put half of its previously outsourced staff under threat of redundancy.
Belfast too has proved to be a popular location for commoditised work, with Herbert Smith and Allen & Overy the two biggest names opening up there. And it's thought Simmons also had a look at Belfast before deciding on Bristol. Of course that's nothing to do with the fact that firms can get away with paying legal staff £10 an hour there.