Jones Day Gouldens, Cable & Wireless face jobs cull

REDUNDANCIES: newly merged firm to axe 10% of fee-earners

Redundancies hit the City again last week as newly merged Jones Day Gouldens prepared to sack around 10% of its London fee-earners and the Gazette was told that up to ten Cable & Wireless (C&W) lawyers' jobs are threatened after the telecoms company instituted a redundancy programme.

Jones Day Gouldens will part company with up to 25 lawyers and paralegals - but no partners - and possibly a proportionate number of secretaries.

London managing partner Russell Carmedy said the move was 'highly regrettable' but emphasised it was a 'one-time adjustment'.

Gouldens merged with the Cleveland-based US firm Jones Day earlier this year.

A C&W spokesman refused to rebut reliable sources who told the Gazette that legal and other corporate staff at Cable & Wireless's London-based head office have been told that up to half of them will be made redundant.

The director of legal services at C&W, Dan Fitz, is leaving the company separately, but up to 20 other lawyers are based at the company's London office.

The move comes as C&W prepares for a key strategy statement next week from its newly appointed chief executive, Francesco Caio.

The spokesman confirmed that of the company's 40 lawyers, half work in the London head office.

He did not deny the redundancies, saying: 'A review is ongoing and we will not comment on anything until 4 June.'

Mr Fitz will be replaced by Andrew Garard, the former deputy general counsel with Reuters in London.

Jeremy Fleming