A&O Shearman Cuts More Roles Amid Post-Merger Integration
A&O Shearman is cutting approximately 20 business services roles in London after its merger.
Why it matters: The ongoing layoffs highlight the pressures of BigLaw consolidation and the shifting structure of global firms. These changes affect legal talent, career stability, and the economics of major law firms as they adapt to post-merger realities.
- About 20 business services roles are being cut in the London office, spanning finance, marketing, and IT.
- The reductions follow a prior announcement to trim the global partnership by 10% and close the Johannesburg office by end of 2024.
- A&O Shearman, formed May 2024, now has around 4,000 lawyers and $3.5B in revenue.
- The firm has spent the past two years investing in technology and central business functions to drive efficiency.
A&O Shearman announced new staffing cuts on May 7, 2026, eliminating approximately 20 business services roles in London across finance, marketing, and IT teams. The firm said this move comes as part of wider post-merger integration efforts, following the combination of Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling earlier in May 2024.
- An A&O Shearman spokesperson explained the firm has been investing in central business teams and technology "to deliver smarter and more consistent ways of working across a firm of our scale and ambition."
- Managing Partner Hervé Ekué acknowledged the human cost, stating, "We never take decisions like this lightly, particularly when they affect our people."
The London reductions come on the heels of significant actions last September, when the firm announced a 10% cut to its global partnership and the closure of its Johannesburg office by the end of 2024.
The A&O Shearman merger, completed May 1, 2024, created a legal powerhouse with nearly 4,000 lawyers and about $3.5 billion in combined revenue. The integration process has required streamlining overlapping roles and investing in technology for greater operational efficiency. Full merger details.
This restructuring trend underscores the challenges—and opportunities—faced by firms navigating large-scale consolidation in the evolving legal market landscape.
By the numbers:
- 20 — Approximate business services jobs cut in London in May 2026
- 10% — Size of global partnership reduction announced September 2024
- $3.5B — Combined revenue for the post-merger firm