Top British law firm Freshfields has kicked off a round of redundancies targeting paralegals in its Manchester office.
According to a legal trade publication, Roll on Friday, paralegals in the Manchester office were summoned to a meeting last week titled “Important Update.” According to sources, the firm plans to axe about half of its junior paralegals in Manchester.
It is understood that this means 20 people in the office are set to lose their jobs.
Paralegals are legal professionals who provide support to lawyers by researching legal issues, preparing legal documents, managing client cases, and handling administrative tasks.
Like many firms, Freshfields opened its Manchester base in 2015 to act as a low-cost services hub.
A spokesperson for the firm said: “We’re proposing to continue evolving our business to keep pace with a fast-changing legal market—investing in technology, building key skills in-house, and adapting our model to meet future client needs.”
“We’ve spoken to the colleagues caught up in this and, apparently, are focused on supporting teams through it all,” they added.
In 2025, it was reported that DWF placed over 100 staff members at risk of redundancy, BCLP cut jobs in its business support team, and CMS was considering cutting around 15 roles in its real estate transactions practice.
While Big Four firm EY was making cuts at the senior level, the firm was focusing on its legal arm.
The news on Freshfields comes as law firms, like many businesses, have been jumping on the AI bandwagon for fear of being left behind.
Speaking to City AM in May as part of Eyes on the Law, Danielle Crawford, counsel at Forsters, claimed “the number of junior lawyer positions may reduce as a result of efficient AI utilisation”.
While Greg Nieuwenhuys, senior partner at Generative AI Strategy, added, “AI will transform the job landscape. Some roles will change or disappear, but the majority will remain.”