DLA Piper Makes Second Round of Layoffs in Middle East Offices

Sofia Lind

Legal Week

06-22-2009

DLA Piper has launched a second round of job cuts in the Middle East, with the firm cutting 9 percent of staff in the region, including one partner.

In total, 22 staff will lose their jobs in the region, including nine fee earners. Staff were informed this month, with the cuts taking effect immediately.

Dubai is the most heavily hit -- seeing more than one-third of the total departures, with corporate, real estate, finance and projects affected.

The news comes just two months after DLA Piper laid off eight associates in Dubai -- the equivalent of about 8 percent of total staff in the office.

Regional managing partner David Church said, "Unfortunately, staffing adjustments across the Middle East are unavoidable as the market is still impacted by the global downturn. We have conducted a review to realign resources with current demand and have reduced our staff levels across the region by 9 percent."

"This is a difficult decision and we regret the impact it will have on our people, who will be given support and assistance to help them through this transition."

Following the April redundancy round, it emerged that the firm had also placed almost 20 percent of the remaining lawyers either on secondment or a six-month sabbatical with no guarantee of a job when it is over.

Legal Week also reported that the staffing issues in Dubai came amid claims that the firm had been in discussions with a local client about alleged late payment of fees. The company is a substantial client of DLA Piper in the region, which has since received state aid.

DLA Piper has offices in Abu Dhabi, Doha and Muscat in addition to Dubai, as well as associations in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

See which firms are on The Layoff List.

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