Seven seek support
The chair of the City of London Law Society (CLLS) has appealed to law firms and lawyers across the country to help seven aspiring solicitors left in limbo following the collapse of formerly listed law firm RBG Holdings.
Passmore, a former partner at Simmons & Simmons, shared that a trainee approached him seeking a new firm after the high-profile winding down of RBG. At the same time, the trainee explained they were also reaching out on behalf of six future trainees, set to start in 2025 and 2026, who are now without a training spot.
RGB owned two law firms, Rosenblatt and Memery Crystal. The former was mostly bought out, while the latter was wound down, with its partners moving to other firms.
Addressing his LinkedIn connections, Passmore said:
“These people are inevitably worried about rebuilding their futures in this hugely competitive market. I can remember the thrill of getting that magic letter telling me I had secured my articles/training contract, but I cannot imagine what it must be like to have that opportunity taken away before it has even begun.”
“So dare I ask: are there any law firms out there — whether or not CLLS members — who might just somehow be able to look to see if you can do something to help?” he continues. “Please let me know at the CLLS if you think you can.”
In addition to seeking new homes for the trainees, Passmore also appeared to question whether others could be doing more. “It surprises me that our regulators don’t get involved in these situations to pressure the businesses concerned to do more,” he wrote in the comments section below his original post.
This point was echoed by former Clifford Chance managing partner and SRA board member, Tony Williams. “One downside of the LLP and ABS is that no lawyer in the business feels that they have a personal responsibility to sort their staff out,” he responded.
Law firms able to offer assistance to trainees are encouraged to contact the CLLS directly.
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