Global
megafirm
Baker
McKenzie
is
continuing
its
push
to
streamline
operations
—
and
this
time,
the
cuts
are
hitting
bricks
and
mortar.
According
to
a
report
from
the
American
Lawyer,
the
firm
is
shutting
down
its
Tampa,
Florida
back-office
facility
as
part
of
a
broader
restructuring
effort
that
shifts
more
business
services
work
to
remote
operations.
“Baker
McKenzie
will
no
longer
maintain
a
traditional
office
footprint
in
Tampa
beginning
later
this
year
and
will
transition
to
a
remote
working
environment,”
a
firm
spokesperson
said.
“The
firm
will
leverage
flexible
collaboration
spaces
as
needed
to
support
in-person
connection
and
teamwork.”The
spokesperson
said
Tampa-based
employees
will
continue
to
partner
with
colleagues
across
the
globe
to
provide
full-service
support
to
its
business
and
clients.
The
move
follows
a
wider
shakeup
within
the
firm’s
professional
staff
ranks.
Just
last
month,
Baker
McKenzie
announced
that
it
was
planning
sweeping
cuts
to
its
global
business
services
teams
—
potentially
affecting
more
than
700
employees
across
functions
like
IT,
marketing,
admin,
and
knowledge
management
—
as
the
firm
reviewed
how
it
delivers
internal
services
and
leaned
more
heavily
on
technology
and
AI-driven
efficiencies.
The
Tampa
closure
now
looks
less
like
an
isolated
real
estate
decision
and
more
like
another
piece
of
a
much
larger
restructuring
puzzle.
As
firms
experiment
with
automation,
remote
work,
and
centralized
operations,
support
staff
—
and
the
offices
they
once
worked
in
—
may
increasingly
find
themselves
on
the
chopping
block.
If
the
firm’s
latest
move
is
any
indication,
the
changes
we
flagged
earlier
may
only
be
the
beginning.
If
your
firm
or
organization
is
reducing
the
ranks
of
its
lawyers
or
staff,
whether
through
deferrals,
open
layoffs,
stealth
layoffs,
or
voluntary
buyouts,
please
don’t
hesitate
to
let
us
know.
Our
vast
network
of
tipsters
is
part
of
what
makes
Above
the
Law
thrive.
You
can email
us or
text
us
(646-820-8477).
Thank
you
for
your
assistance.
If
you’d
like
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ATL’s
Layoff
Alerts,
please
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enter
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below
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post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
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alerts,
you
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receive
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notification
within
minutes
of
each
layoff
announcement
that
we
publish.
Baker
McKenzie
Shutters
Tampa
Back
Office
as
Part
of
Restructuring
Push
[American
Lawyer]
Earlier:
Top
10
Biglaw
Firm
To
Conduct
‘Massive’
Layoff,
Leaving
Hundreds
Jobless
Thanks
To
AI
Staci
Zaretsky is
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Above
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2011.
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