Business services roles affected as firm continues post-merger integration
A&O Shearman is cutting a number of business services roles in London, becoming the latest City law firm to reduce support staff headcount amid growing investment in technology and operational restructuring.
The firm confirmed this week that a limited number of positions across finance, marketing and IT teams are being affected. Reports suggest around 20 roles are involved, although the firm has not publicly confirmed an exact figure. Partners and fee earners are not understood to be included in the cuts. The move follows continued integration work after the 2024 merger between Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling, which created one of the world’s largest law firms.
In a statement, the firm said: “Over the past two years, we have been investing significantly in our central business teams, as well as in technology and data, to deliver smarter and more consistent ways of working across a firm of our scale and ambition.”
It added that the process had “created new roles and reshaped others” and that, in some areas, this resulted in “limited and localised headcount reductions”. The firm said it was supporting affected staff through the process.
Several international firms have undertaken similar exercises over the past year. Baker McKenzie announced plans earlier this year to reduce business services roles following a review linked in part to AI adoption, while Clifford Chance and Freshfields have also implemented restructuring measures affecting support operations.
The announcement comes during a broader period of post-merger consolidation at A&O Shearman. The firm previously confirmed partnership reductions following the transatlantic merger, while continuing to integrate technology systems and business operations across its international offices.
Despite the restructuring, A&O Shearman remains one of the largest firms in the global legal market, employing nearly 4,000 lawyers across 29 countries following the merger. The firm characterised the latest changes as limited in scope and linked to longer-term operational modernisation rather than wider legal workforce reductions.