Despite Latham & Watkins’ work with homelessness charity Centrepoint, the firm’s office has spikes outside to keep away rough sleepers.
The anti-homelessness spikes controversy has reached the legal profession, with Legal Cheek spotting these uncomfortable-looking metal studs outside the London office of top international law firm Latham & Watkins.
The presence of the crude anti-homelessness device is especially embarrassing for the firm given its work with homelessness charity Centrepoint. Recently some Latham & Watkins solicitors — whose salaries begin at £98,000 upon completion of their training contracts — slept rough for a night to raise funds for the charity, with the firm also providing employment and mentoring opportunities to homeless people through a Centrepoint programme.
The furore over anti-homelessness spikes began over the weekend after a picture of them adorning the porch of a London block of flats appeared on Twitter and was then picked up by the mainstream media.
Anti homeless floor studs. So much for community spirit 🙁 pic.twitter.com/Yz8VF7Ryid
— Ethical Pioneer (@ethicalpioneer) June 6, 2014
Since then measures to deter homeless people have been spotted outside the Labour Party headquarters and Tesco, amongst other organisations, and drawn condemnation from Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
Legal Cheek understands that Latham & Watkins shares its 99 Bishopsgate building in the City with 12 other tenants. The firm declined to comment.