Two big City firms have today announced another raft of redundancies, with a combined total of up to 50 lawyers and up to 115 support staff facing the axe.

Berwin Leighton Paisner will cut up to 30 lawyers and up to 55 support staff, while CMS Cameron McKenna will cut up to 20 lawyers and up to 60 support staff in London.

In an email to staff, CMS managing partner Duncan Weston said he wants partners, who will not be made redundant, ‘to be working a six-day week’. He does not anticipate any salary increases for the year ahead.

In a statement, Berwin Leighton Paisner managing partner Neville Eisenberg said: ‘We have avoided making redundancies in the face of short-term pressures and have waited until we have had a clearer view of the longer term effects of the recession on the economy and our business. We now need to take these difficult decisions to align our resources with the future requirements of the markets.’

No partners are affected by either consultation.

CMS will offer alternative working hours to associates and support staff in a bid to cut costs. Staff can volunteer to work a four-day week and be paid 85% of their current salary, take a four to 12-week sabbatical while receiving 30% of their salary, or take two extra weeks’ leave, during which they will receive 4% of their salary.

Staff are also being offered six-month sabbaticals at 20% pay, during which they can choose to go on expeditions to developing countries or take an executive development course. They can also go on a six-month secondment to a CMS alliance firm at 50% pay.

Weston said: ‘The world economy, our firm and our clients are operating in the midst of a deep recession. Our clients drive our business and for them our revenue is their cost. They are under increasing pressure to reduce their costs and all of our financial indicators show that this will continue into next year and beyond. We must therefore respond to our market and the uncertain environment we now face.’