LG has entered redundancy consultation with 21 support staff, blaming “overcapacity” rather than wider market conditions.

9 real estate secretaries, 8 evening telephone receptionists and 4 other receptionist are being consulted.

LG are claiming the redundancies are not directly related to wider market conditions.

“The redundancies are due to a change in business practices over time, which have been managed elsewhere in the firm through natural turnover,” said a spokesperson.

Head of real estate Rabinder Chaggar told The Lawyer :

“There are no proposals to make any of the real estate fee-earners redundant.”

The downturn means “there will be a more constant review of the business. We will have to be more competitive on pricing and partners will have to be more proactive.”

Real estate accounted for 27 % of LG’s £18.23Mn turnover [2007].

Whereas London firm Finers Stephens Innocent will cull a fifth of jobs in its real estate practice.

Finer is looking to axe a maximum of six fee-earners from its 25-strong property team.

Managing partner Paul Millett confirmed to The Lawyer that some support staff jobs would also go in the consultation, but would not confirm how many.

Millett said: “Basically we had a very good run to the end of May and June, and parts of the property practice are still performing well, but you can’t ignore what’s going on in the wider market.”

“Obviously we are very, very sorry to have to do this, ” he added.

The axe falls once again on the poor legal property departments.

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