Ashurst is set to outsource a portion its London-based overnight document production function , with 17 of its support staff at risk of redundancy.

Of the 34 staff who currently provide fee-earners support with overnight work, half are set to remain as a London 'hub' but will send work to an outsourced facility when necessary.

An Ashurst spokesperson said: "In common with many law firms, we are planning to move to a model where an onsite central hub based in London receives work which is then undertaken onsite or via an offshore outsourced provider. Our Australian offices have already been successfully using this model for more than a year."

The firm added that the new system has been introduced as an efficiency measure to provide "more flexibility", as the fluctuating work load given to the support team meant a larger in-house support team was unsustainable. 

The consultation has already begun and the firm is in the process of locating a suitable outsourcing centre.

The move is part of the firm's continuing review of operational activities, following the opening of its Glasgow support office last year which now assists a number of the firm's offices worldwide.

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