Clifford Chance, one of the world’s leading law firms, is reducing its London business services workforce by around 10 percent. The cuts affect roughly 50 roles in departments like finance, HR, and IT, with up to 35 other positions being restructured. The firm has pointed to increased adoption of artificial intelligence as a key factor in its decision.
When announcing the cuts, the firm said that as AI takes over more routine tasks, it needs to rethink its London-based support operations. This transition is also paired with a shift of certain business-service work to lower-cost locations, including its hubs in Poland and India.
While Clifford Chance claims it is “proposing changes” rather than simply cutting roles — including creating new ones, modifying job scopes, and redefining team structures — many employees reacted with surprise and concern. Some staff question whether current AI tools are advanced enough to fully replace human back-office work, raising doubts about how much real automation is actually happening.
This development is part of a broader trend in the legal industry. As law firms increasingly use AI to drive efficiency, traditional support functions are coming under pressure. The transition highlights how AI’s growing role in professional services is not only changing how work is done — but also who does it.
