Camerons considers whether to close Washington office

City firm CMS Cameron McKenna might decide to close its Washington office altogether, the firm said this week, after announcing that 15 staff in the office would be leaving.

A statement said that Washington-based partners Greg Williams and Joel Zipp gave notice earlier this year to leave the 22-strong Washington office, which focuses on electricity work, and that the firm had reviewed the future of the office.

Managing partner Dick Tyler said: 'The office will refocus to meet the needs of a client involved in major projects in the US.'

Asked whether the future of the office was assured or if the measure was temporary pending ultimate closure, Mr Tyler said: 'We haven't closed our mind to either option.'

The 15 departing staff are not expected to relocate to other Camerons offices, but to look elsewhere for work.

The office will now be run by London-based partner Fiona Woolf, supported by Bridget Shahan, the only remaining partner in Washington.

Earlier this year Camerons drastically scaled back its Asia practice, closing its Beijing branch and reducing its Hong Kong arm to an insurance capability.

Mr Tyler said the office depletions were not part of a rolling strategy but that that each office was assessed on an independent and separate basis.

Jeremy Fleming