Barlows to cut up to 49 jobs in redundancy round

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert has embarked on a redundancy consultation with 49 jobs under threat at the firm.

The process will cover all fee earners excluding trainees, secretarial and business services staff. Details of which practice areas will be hardest hit are as yet unclear.

Barlows CEO Clint Evans commented: "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."

Evans also said that the round of cuts is not solely a reaction to the downturn, but also part of a strategic project to ensure the business remains in good shape in the future.

This year the firm announced a launch in Manchester with the hires of DLA Piper personal injury partner duo Rob Muttock and Mark Hemsted, with the office set to target local insurance work

However, the firm also lost a trio of insurance partners in May when Roger Doulton, Neil Beresford and Toby Rogers - along with legal director Elliott Bromley - joined Clyde & Co.

The firm is the latest of many to cut jobs in response to the downturn. Herbert Smith's redundancy consultation came to a close toward the end of last month (26 May) with 84 members of staff laid off in London.