Simmons announces job cuts in Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices
Simmons & Simmons is set to make lawyer and support staff redundancies in the Middle East, with the firm's Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices affected due to tough market conditions. The firm declined to confirm how many people will be affected but said all were notified this week. The cuts will not affect the firm's Doha base or any of the staff in its Saudi affiliation office.
January 20, 2012 at 06:56 AM
2 minute read
Simmons & Simmons is set to make lawyer and support staff redundancies in the Middle East, with the firm's Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices affected due to tough market conditions.
The firm declined to confirm how many people will be affected but said all were notified this week. The cuts, news of which was first reported on RollOnFriday today (20 January) will not affect the firm's Doha base or any of the staff in its Saudi affiliation office.
Simmons' Abu Dhabi office currently has 11 lawyers, including four partners, while the Dubai base has 18 lawyers, of which five are partners.
The firm said it would attempt to find new roles for the affected people in other offices where possible.
A spokesperson said: "Due to ongoing market conditions in the Middle East, we, in common with a number of other international law firms, have reviewed the needs of our clients and our business in the region. A small number of lawyers and business services staff have been affected in Dubai and Abu Dhabi."
Simmons' total lawyer headcount in the Middle East currently stands at 38, including 10 partners.
The firm's offices in the region saw a number of high-profile exits last year, including Doha-based Middle East financial markets head Samer Eido, who left for Allen & Overy's Qatar office in August, and Middle East real estate chief David Nunn, who joined BLP to take up a newly-created role as real estate head for the Middle East and North Africa in January.
Nunn's exit prompted Simmons to appoint Dubai partner Duane Keighran to succeed him as real estate head; however, he also left at the end of last year in a lateral move to Jones Day. Qatar-based associate Ian Arnott is now leading the practice on the ground.
A number of other law firms have cut back their Middle East operations in recent months as a result of difficult trading conditions, including Norton Rose and Trowers & Hamlins.
For more, see Norton Rose partner quits Abu Dhabi base for Standard Chartered amid spate of exits.
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