There were shambolic scenes at MacLay Murray & Spens' London office last week when refugees from defunct rival McClure Naismith turned up unannounced.
McClures finally went under a couple of weeks ago, after months of denying that it was in any difficulty whatsoever. The appointment of liquidators was announced on Sunday 30th August. And on two days later, after the bank holiday Monday, a raft of McClures' staff who had been snapped up by MMS arrived at their new London Wall office.
However an insider says that most of MMS had no idea that anyone was coming. One senior MMS partner arrived at the office completely unaware that he was now working with a new partner, McClure's former head of litigation. The insider claims the office resembled casualty on a Saturday night - there initially weren't enough desks and phones, and none of the new intake (which included a bemused trainee in his first seat) was introduced for days.
On the upside, the word is that the McClure's staff are chuffed to bits about joining a much larger firm. Although our source says that the MMS staff are rather less delighted at having to find out what's happening within their own firm from the legal press.
A spokesman for MMS said that "ten former McClure Naismith staff members joined our London office. Each had a desk and access to all the facilities they required on arrival."
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McClures finally went under a couple of weeks ago, after months of denying that it was in any difficulty whatsoever. The appointment of liquidators was announced on Sunday 30th August. And on two days later, after the bank holiday Monday, a raft of McClures' staff who had been snapped up by MMS arrived at their new London Wall office.
However an insider says that most of MMS had no idea that anyone was coming. One senior MMS partner arrived at the office completely unaware that he was now working with a new partner, McClure's former head of litigation. The insider claims the office resembled casualty on a Saturday night - there initially weren't enough desks and phones, and none of the new intake (which included a bemused trainee in his first seat) was introduced for days.
How it might have looked |
On the upside, the word is that the McClure's staff are chuffed to bits about joining a much larger firm. Although our source says that the MMS staff are rather less delighted at having to find out what's happening within their own firm from the legal press.
A spokesman for MMS said that "ten former McClure Naismith staff members joined our London office. Each had a desk and access to all the facilities they required on arrival."
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