Advocatenkantoor Allen & Overy in Londen gaat 250 man ondersteunend personeel overplaatsen naar Belfast. De maatregel levert over een periode van vijf jaar 10 miljoen pond aan besparingen op, maar managing partner Wim Dejonghe zegt dat besparingen niet het primaire doel zijn van de operatie. “If the costs were the driver then we could’ve done something else, but we never wanted to compromise on quality. It’s one of the reasons we went for onshoring not offshoring, and why we’re launching as an A&O office. We weren’t going to take any risks with quality.”
Allen & Overy wil ontslagen zoveel mogelijk tegengaan. Het kantoor in Belfast zal de IT, HRM, financiën en bibliotheek verzorgen. In eerste instantie zullen 180 mensen vanuit Belfast gaan werken, later worden er dat 300, inclusief fee-earners. Volgens Dejonghe is overigens weinig aannemelijk dat veel werknemers zullen verhuizen van Londen naar Belfast. “I doubt many people will take us up on that.”
Allen & Overy ontvangt overigens 2.5 miljoen pond voor het openen van het kantoor. Dat geld wordt betaald door de overheidorganisatie Invest Northern Ireland, en is gebaseerd op het aantal banen dat in de Ierse stad wordt gecreëerd. Eerder kreeg advocatenkantoor Herbert Smith 208.000 pond voor het creëren van 26 banen in Belfast.
Andere advocatenkantoren hebben inmiddels gereageerd op het besluit van Allen & Overy:
“This is a good move and it is the way that all large law firms need to think in order to re-engineer their cost bases.”
Mark Dawkins van Simmons & Simmons
“It is a smart idea to go to Belfast as clients have expressed to us that they prefer ‘near shoring’ compared to off-shoring to places that are very far away and where clients have reservations about the ability of the firm to manage and protect confidentiality. That is why we are pleased to have the capability in our various locations, from Milton Keynes to Walnut Creek, to meet the wide variety of client needs. In addition, we have been told that places like India are ceasing to be as competitive on costs as they once were. If you are a large firm like Allen & Overy (A&O) and have the scale to do something like this then it is a good move, but for a smaller firm it is more of a challenge.”
Howard Morris, co-CEO, SNR Denton
“This is a big subject and, to be quite honest, a very sensitive subject which is difficult to discuss in the press. I think you will find it hard to get an honest answer from all firms as you can’t really talk about these things before you announce them; it is dynamite to staff. The truth is that any business must look at these things and keep an open mind.”
Managing partner, City firm
“It is part of a general trend out there. More and more businesses are offshoring. The upside is cost efficiency and I think it is what every sensible multinational business should do.”
Partner, A&O
“It seems a very sensible business move for a firm with their business model. Comparing it to Camerons’ move to outsource its support function to Integreon in London? Clearly, as a business it makes more sense to offshore to another jurisdiction. If you outsource in London you will not get any wage arbitrage. In Belfast there is a wage cost saving to be made and, I imagine, a wealth of quality people available.”
Senior manager van concurrerende Britse firma