RollOnFriday can reveal that students who were set to become trainees at KWM Europe until it went bust have been invited to apply for jobs with the new KWM. As paralegals.
When KWM collapsed earlier this year its future trainees were left high and dry. As one told RollOnFriday, "The only help we received was an email telling us to apply to firms. Which really helped a lot. One partner came to reassure us he would do whatever he could to help. The following week he had jumped ship to a fancy US firm and we haven't heard from him since".
But they have finally received a new email from KWM Mk II, delivering the wonderful news that they may apply to be "considered for a paralegal position" at the new incarnation of the firm's London operation. Instead of becoming a trainee, they can now work for less money, less job security and worse prospects for the rump of the firm which kneecapped their careers.
The obliteration of KWM was particularly harsh on its future trainees. With many firms recruiting trainees with a lead time of at least two years, students due to start at KWM this year or next faced an uphill struggle to find contracts commencing before 2019. So even those who have found one may be looking for a stop-gap job.
And KWM Mk II's bid for quality labour at a knockdown price appears to have paid off. A KWM Mk II spokeswoman confirmed that it has received a number of applications from candidates, all of whom they are interviewing. She said, "we wanted to first reach out to those impacted by the administration". When asked why the firm was offering paralegal positions to its ex-future trainees rather than training contracts, she said that she could not comment because "being a new firm, it is only right and proper that we assess how best to meet our own and potential future trainee needs".
Tip Off ROF
When KWM collapsed earlier this year its future trainees were left high and dry. As one told RollOnFriday, "The only help we received was an email telling us to apply to firms. Which really helped a lot. One partner came to reassure us he would do whatever he could to help. The following week he had jumped ship to a fancy US firm and we haven't heard from him since".
But they have finally received a new email from KWM Mk II, delivering the wonderful news that they may apply to be "considered for a paralegal position" at the new incarnation of the firm's London operation. Instead of becoming a trainee, they can now work for less money, less job security and worse prospects for the rump of the firm which kneecapped their careers.
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"Same questions as last time, but with more humiliation." |
The obliteration of KWM was particularly harsh on its future trainees. With many firms recruiting trainees with a lead time of at least two years, students due to start at KWM this year or next faced an uphill struggle to find contracts commencing before 2019. So even those who have found one may be looking for a stop-gap job.
And KWM Mk II's bid for quality labour at a knockdown price appears to have paid off. A KWM Mk II spokeswoman confirmed that it has received a number of applications from candidates, all of whom they are interviewing. She said, "we wanted to first reach out to those impacted by the administration". When asked why the firm was offering paralegal positions to its ex-future trainees rather than training contracts, she said that she could not comment because "being a new firm, it is only right and proper that we assess how best to meet our own and potential future trainee needs".