The firm declined to comment further on the process or number of staff involved in the UK consultation, with central IT teams in Poland and Australia also understood to be impacted. It is understood that not everyone in IT is impacted by the proposals.
A DLA Piper spokesperson said: ‘the firm is constantly looking at ways in which we can evolve and remain at the forefront of change and innovation. Our IT function plays a central role in such change.’
They further explained: ‘this will require a shift in how we structure our IT teams in order to drive innovation and prioritise a flexible and customer-focused approach. We are therefore entering into a period of formal, collective consultation with our IT teams in the UK to discuss the proposals that this change would entail.’
News of the consultation was first broken by RollonFriday, which said that dozens of IT staff were involved.
The discussions come at a time of leadership change at DLA Piper, as Charles Severs begins his first term as managing partner, while his predecessor, Simon Levine, takes on a new post as chief strategic innovation officer.
Reflecting on his tenure as managing partner, Levine previously told Legal Business that the firm’s 2017 cyber-attack was ‘no doubt the hardest thing’ he had to manage. He went on to praise the firm’s response, stating: ‘our people were fantastic; the loyalty and dedication to the cause were incredible.’
