The Chicago based multinational law firm Baker McKenzie is laying off up to a thousand employees as part of its pivot to embracing AI, the legal hub RollOnFriday reports.
In what might be an augury of how further AI related cuts could sweep other industries, it’s not the lawyers getting the axe, but instead hundreds of their support staff. These include “dozens of roles in London and Belfast,” and hundreds across functions including know-how, research, marketing, and secretarial, according to the reporting.
The cuts, which could affect up to ten percent of its global workforce, or between 600 to 1,000 people, were conducted after the company “undertook a careful review” of its “business professionals functions,” a spokesperson told ROF, with AI explicitly mentioned as a factor in the decision.
“This review was aimed at rethinking the ways in which we work, including through our use of AI, introducing efficiencies, and investing in those roles that best serve our clients’ needs,” the spokesperson added.
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