Managing the mechanics, logistics and cultural issues of a merger is one of the key skill sets for any law firm IT director. And many if not most people who manage legal IT departments have been in the job long enough to have experienced the turmoil and the processes that are set in place when two large partnerships consider joining forces.
However, a merger can leave the firm’s IT director – and a number of their staff – looking for a new job, as the newly-merged entity moves to rationalise its support functions in the inevitable post-merger restructuring. Mergers are expensive exercises and their cost has to be met from budgets and revenues across the entire firm. Support departments are perhaps more vulnerable to cutbacks than fee earning practice areas because they are seen as cost centres rather than revenue generators.
