Have law firms become over-managed? Do solicitors actually need that much managing? Or can they, like barristers, be left to get on with advising their clients and promoting their own careers?

According to new figures from the Office for National Statistics, the number of people in management roles has increased by a third in the past five years.

What the hell are they all managing? There is only so much checking of time sheets required. Yet they now swarm all over most law firms, armed with their PowerPoint presentations and flowcharts, with little idea of what it is like on the frontline actually dealing with clients, rather than counting the beans.

There is a danger that law firms are adopting the BBC business model – 19,999 managers plus John Simpson.

Christopher Digby-Bell, London W1

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