Liverpool

Taylor Wessing is set to cut up to 34 London support roles, as the firm looks to make more use of its new Liverpool base following a review of its business services operations.

The consultation on the proposed redundancies is due to start next month (6 February) and will last for about four to six weeks. The firm currently has 270 business services roles in London, and up to 34 of these roles could be made redundant by 2020.

Anyone who occupies the City roles that are cut will have the option to move to the firm's new operation in Liverpool, which was launched last October. Those moves will be staggered across the next two years.

The firm said it would now create approximately 35 new business services roles in Liverpool to carry out tasks previously handled out of London. Such services are typically described as back-office or support functions, but managing partner Shane Gleghorn said the Liverpool operation "is not a back-office function".

He commented: "It's a combination of business and legal services, and we spent time deciding on what the best location would be. We considered Manchester and Belfast among others, and chose Liverpool for its proximity to local universities and because it is a fast-growing technology hub."

The move follows a review of the firm's legal and business services operating model, a move the firm said had been taken to "adapt to changing client needs".

In a statement, Taylor Wessing said: "The firm is proposing to perform certain existing business services tasks from its Liverpool office and to cease undertaking these tasks from its London office."

The Liverpool office, which is led by real estate disputes partner Saleem Fazal currently consists of 20 roles, the majority of which are business service positions. The office also has one real estate associate and is aiming to recruit another associate imminently.

The office is also recruiting for 10 paralegal roles in the city, which it aims to fill by the end of April.

The creation of new roles and roles proposed to be moved would potentially bring the total number of positions based in Liverpool to approximately 150 by the end of next year.