Freshfields is poised to move its back office staff to the Arndale Centre shopping mall in Manchester.
The firm is proposing to transfer up to 800 non-legal jobs from London to Manchester to create a new northern hub, but appears to be struggling to find a suitable location. As a temporary measure it is understood to be on the verge of signing a three year lease of Arndale House, which sits in the middle of the much-maligned and once-bombed Arndale Centre.
The estate agent's advert describes the 1970s mall as the source of "a huge array of on-site amenties to serve your staff". Others have been less kind on the Centre, with a Guardian review suggesting that the "vomit-coloured" tiling made it look like the "longest lavatory wall in Europe". When it was unveiled in 1978 the Mayor of Manchester said, "I didn't think it would look like that when I saw the balsa wood models".
However the Centre has recently undergone a refurbishment and, since the entrance to the tower is reached through the mall, employees will be able to pick up consolation gifts from the Disney store on their way to work. And because the mall was built without windows against the advice of architects, they can also pop out for Ann Summers lingerie, choose between PoundWorld and PoundLand and enjoy BoBo Tea's authentic Taiwanese bubble tea without ever seeing daylight.
The Lawyer reports that Freshfields has agreed terms for the letting, although the firm declined to comment as it was picking up a bargain in Duffer Menswear.
Tip Off ROF
The firm is proposing to transfer up to 800 non-legal jobs from London to Manchester to create a new northern hub, but appears to be struggling to find a suitable location. As a temporary measure it is understood to be on the verge of signing a three year lease of Arndale House, which sits in the middle of the much-maligned and once-bombed Arndale Centre.
The estate agent's advert describes the 1970s mall as the source of "a huge array of on-site amenties to serve your staff". Others have been less kind on the Centre, with a Guardian review suggesting that the "vomit-coloured" tiling made it look like the "longest lavatory wall in Europe". When it was unveiled in 1978 the Mayor of Manchester said, "I didn't think it would look like that when I saw the balsa wood models".
At least staff will finally be able to work out who actually shops at WHSmith |
However the Centre has recently undergone a refurbishment and, since the entrance to the tower is reached through the mall, employees will be able to pick up consolation gifts from the Disney store on their way to work. And because the mall was built without windows against the advice of architects, they can also pop out for Ann Summers lingerie, choose between PoundWorld and PoundLand and enjoy BoBo Tea's authentic Taiwanese bubble tea without ever seeing daylight.
The Lawyer reports that Freshfields has agreed terms for the letting, although the firm declined to comment as it was picking up a bargain in Duffer Menswear.
Comments
104
111
112
95
101
100
96
108
100
81
94
103
93
103
98
100
Still a sizeable step down from 65 Fleet Street though!
96
107
105
94
91
102
The unspoken in many cases of outsourcing is that many support staff, often after having been in post for years, have become complacent and even arrogant. Of course this is by no means universal but it is true for a lot of them and a lot of IT departments. If you are receiving excellent service you're far less likely to consider change but if your documnts come back ovrr deadline and full of mistakes, your IT systems are unreliable, support staff are condescending and rude to junior fee earners, etc etc. why not pay less for the service.
Of course it's about the money, but it's not just about the money. In many cases the best performing staff will not be outsourced but will be kept on yo liaise with outsourced workers and deal with urgent on-site issues.
102
92
115
98
106
104
Well said. Devastating critique. You win.
105
74
I can't see the Bank of England dispensing with Freshfields services because they're relocating some IT staff to Manchester.
FYI the rest of the MC do this. Clifford Chance & Slaughters both outsource legal/admin work to India - which is hardly a more salubrious location than Manchester. Linklaters have outsourced to Colchester since the 90s. A&O to Belfast since 2010.
102
95
94
92
There will always be a need for magic circle lawyers in London, as that's where their clients are - with modern technology, however, even that need is diminishing and most savvy in house procurers would rather have most of the work done elsewhere and bring the partner down on the train once in a while. However, people who are not in client facing roles virtually never need to see anyone other than the partnership, so why house them in the most expensive bit of Britain?
90
98
If you are setting up any professional services firm of medium or large size in London you would no longer have unnecessary support staff in the expensive offices commanding inflated salaries. Technology allows you to move some tasks to lower cost locations.
The previous comments refer to outsourcing - FF AO and links have not outsourced - they have moved to regional lower cost centres owned and managed by each firm. It should be noted however that as you have migrated work, skills & knowledge to another location and set of people, you can easily do it again to an offshore centre OR throw it to an Accenture or IBM or BPO outfit you choose.
Yes this is about money - clients aren't demanding it, the owners of these firms wish to maintain their income, it attracts talent and who wants second rate legal advice and saving marginal amounts of money.
I suspect that more roles will be moved out of london across many financial services & sectors supporting them over the next decade.
96
90
KNOW YOUR CLIENT, we know clients better than perhaps the Solicitors working on the matters do.
Your money does go towards Legal Minds, we are the minions who do all the background work and work away to get everything perfect.
Id rather pay extra for quality, why go to Asda when you can go to M&S ......
106
107
100
107
98
102
Absolutely spot-on.