No plans to offer TCs just yet
National heavyweight Irwin Mitchell is launching two new offices in Liverpool and Cardiff.
The move comes amidst uncertainty in the market over the future of office space with many firms opting for more hybrid working models, including Irwin Mitchell itself.
As of last April, the Sheffield-headquartered outfit allows employees to choose where and when they work in an approach it calls ‘Flexible by Choice’.
But the firm says that the new offices, set to open mid-May, are to “enhance the client experience by providing more flexible options for them to meet and work with the firm’s specialist teams”.
Irwin Mitchell says it is actively recruiting into the new offices but a question mark remains over whether, in the future, this will include an addition to the 48 training contracts currently on offer each year. The firm told Legal Cheek there are currently no plans to offer TCs within the new offices, but stressed it is early days and this will be reviewed regularly.
Commenting on the move, Irwin Mitchell CEO Andrew Tucker said:
“Opening in these two new locations is a natural move for us. For our existing clients and contacts in these regions we’re providing a better experience by moving even closer to them. It also allows us to accelerate our growth around both Cardiff and Liverpool and work with even more people and businesses in these areas.
He added: “While our colleagues have successfully embraced our approach to hybrid or flexible working, we recognise the importance of office space, particularly in providing opportunities to meet with our clients and expand our commitment to the local community.”
Prior to the launch, the Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows that the firm had 15 offices across city locations including London, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Sheffield.
IM also recently moved office in Southampton where its new premises are said to be “specifically for hybrid working” with half the space devoted to collaborative working.