On one hand so bold, on the other, so familiar. Here we are two years on, with Allen & Overy (A&O) announcing another restructuring that borrows ideas from rivals – with booster rockets attached.
Consider the history. In February 2009, A&O unveils a comprehensive restructuring of its business pulling together measures that rivals were deploying piecemeal, including partner exits, firmwide job cuts, a capital injection and a freeze in billing rates. Then in February 2011 A&O unveils a comprehensive initiative to offshore swathes of its back-office and legal support work to become an outpost in Belfast set to grow to 300 members of staff by 2014.
