Dozens of solicitors, trainees and other staff are to be made redundant with one day's notice today as top-200 US firm Armstrong Teasdale closes its London office. The Gazette has been shown a 'career clinic' message sent yesterday notifying staff of their entitlement to statutory redundancy. 

'Everyone will be paid their contractual entitlements up to and including Friday 13 September,' the message states. It concludes with advice about Universal Credit and New Style Job Seekers Allowance - and contact details of charities Samaritans and LawCare.

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Urgent call to place trainees as top US firm closes London office

Armstrong Teasdale, which reported profit per equity partner of $634,000 last year, has not responded to repeated requests for comment from the Gazette.

News of the imminent closure emerged last month when the City of London Law Society said it had been approached for help in placing 10 trainees and future trainees with other firms. The society said today that it had been pleased by the number of organisations that had come forward and was 'hopeful of good outcomes'.  

Armstrong Teasdale, founded in 1901, landed in London three years ago with the acquisition of Kerman & Co, The London office, employing some 50 people, moved into prestige new premises, in the refurbished Royal College of Surgeons building by Lincoln’s Inn Fields (pictured above), in 2022. 

At the time, it said the move would put the firm in a position to take advantage of ‘tremendous growth opportunities in London’.