DWF is to make further job cuts after placing around 80 roles at risk, as the firm continues to restructure its business following its recent rapid growth.

Fee-earners and support staff across the firm's bases in Manchester, Coventry, Teesside and London are all under threat of redundancy, while a consultation affecting five members of its banking and finance and corporate teams in Birmingham has been completed, with two people leaving the firm.

In London, 35 secretarial support roles have been placed in consultation; however, the firm anticipates only two jobs will be lost. In addition, three further City roles within its London employment team are also at risk.

Elsewhere, around 23 roles within DWF's Manchester banking and finance team have been identified as surplus to requirements. Those affected have been encouraged to apply for alternative positions within the firm in the hope of keeping job losses to a minimum.

Meanwhile, the firm has also decided to scale back its operations in Coventry and Teesside, with 11 employees currently under consultation across both locations. Staff have been offered the option of relocating to Birmingham or Newcastle.

The news follows on from a redundancy round launched on 13 May affecting 12 staff across its two Scottish bases in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The firm has said it expects 11 jobs could be lost, including seven fee-earners across its banking and finance, corporate, real estate, infrastructure, environment and transport and litigation practices, as well as three secretarial roles in real estate and pensions and one IT position.

The news comes after the firm also cut 38 support staff from its central services team in March following a redundancy consultation affecting more than 140 people.

Commenting on job cuts earlier this month, DWF managing partner Andrew Leitherland said: "As a growing business we have done well to continue to increase the number of people we employ despite the challenging economic conditions. With over 2,500 people in the business it is inevitable that there will be reviews from time to time to try to align headcount levels with levels of activity, both anticipated and actual, within the business.

"This unfortunately does affect our people but we want to ensure that they are supported throughout these difficult times as much as possible."

DWF has experienced dramatic growth over the past 18 months, with its pre-pack purchase of Cobbetts in February coming on the back of the acquisitions of northeast outfit Crutes, Midlands firm Buller Jeffries, Scots business Biggart Baillie and London professional indemnity specialists Fishburns.

The deals have effectively doubled the size of its business, with turnover now standing at roughly £200m, while the firm has confirmed that it is also considering further merger options in the City.