Merger Makeover; Heads Start Rolling in DLAPH’s “Alignment” with DLA Piper

The team at the Firm Spy have watched with anticipation as DLA Phillips Fox and DLA Piper walk hand in hand down the aisle toward a happy marriage. You’ll recall in early September we published a rumour that the DLA Piper brand would arrive in Australia as early as 1 January 2011.

In September, The Australian also hinted at the prospect of a DLA wedding through its analysis of the DLA Phillips Fox decision to agree to sever ties with its Adelaide office. The Australian reported:

youre all cold!

DLA Phillips Fox chief executive Tony Holland said there was no doubt the Australian firm was aligning itself more closely with the global giant, DLA.

“There is a lot of work going between the two firms and the lawyers here like being involved in the cross-border deals,” Mr Holland said. “The firm has certainly changed and we have invested in areas where we wanted to grow and we are continuing to develop the firm.”

But while DLAPH and DLA Piper might be striding headlong into a corporate matrimony, a far less ambrosial waltz is apparently currently being walked by non-fee-earner DLAPH staff…

toward the firm’s guillotine.

The information Mr Holland conveniently excluded from his comments to The Australian is how the “alignment” of DLA Phillips Fox with DLA Piper doesn’t just mean the severing of its Adelaide office, but also (according to repeated rumours we’re hearing from within the firm) the knifing of workers within the firm. And decades of service and commitment to the firm is apparently a non-issue.

We received the following excellent tip-off from an anonymous DLA Phillips Fox spy a few days ago:

DLA Phillips Fox Brisbane Office and HR Manager #### ########, on 22 September 2010, was advised of her redundancy, effective immediately and 2 months shy of her 18 year anniversary at the firm. Apparently the partners did not know, and were advised only upon being called into a meeting with Jan Roberts, National HR Director, shortly after she advised ####, who herself had no idea that this was coming.

While one has to appreciate the irony of this occurring less than 18 months’ after #### herself emotionlessly handed out the redundancy news to some of our former colleagues, as a supporter of ####’s, the way that they handled this was disgraceful and has been VERY demoralising on the Brisbane partners and staff. Like her or not, there would not be anyone in the firm who could honestly deny that #### gave 150% to the firm – the place had been her entire life for 17 years and 10 months… And as for the firm’s [DLA Piper] inspired motto – “Everything Matters” – apparently not so. This move proves that notwithstanding hard work and dedication, if God (aka the decision makers in the Sydney office) doesn’t like you, then you’re out.

Staff were advised by email later that day.

We made the decision to ask DLA Phillips Fox for a comment on this issue. We sent the following email to the firm’s spokeswoman Clare Buttner earlier in the week:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: request for comment
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:22:31 -0400
From: <news@firmspy.com>
To: <clare.buttner@dlaphillipsfox.com>

Morning Clare,

Given your comments made a few weeks ago, we thought we would give the
firm the opportunity to have comments included in a post we're preparing.

We're intending to publish an article tomorrow profiling the human side of
DLAPH's reformation to attract the much publicised merger with DLA Piper.
We will be using the recent redundancy of a veteran worker to substantiate
the premise that DLAPH is essentially prepared to stop at nothing to
attract its international affiliate. The hopes and dreams of workers who
stand in the way - like this particular employee - are just collateral
damage.

How does the firm respond?

How many more redundancies are anticipated pre-merger?

Firm Spy

Moments later, we received the following very surprising response:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Out of Office: request for comment
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2010 23:22:45 +1100
From: Clare Buttner <Clare.Buttner@dlaphillipsfox.com>
To: "news@firmspy.com" <news@firmspy.com>

I am no longer working at DLA Phillips Fox. If you have a media query,
please contact Virginia Worth. Her details are:

virginia.worth@dlaphillipsfox.com
+61 2 9286 8041

Kind regards,

Clare Buttner

We sincerely hope that Ms Buttner’s comments about Firm Spy and our (since redacted) response to those comments have had nothing to do with her departure from DLAPH.  We accordingly sent the following email to Ms Virginia Worth to clarify the issue, forwarding both earlier emails:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Out of Office: request for comment
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2010 23:27:45 +1100
From: "news@firmspy.com" <news@firmspy.com>
To: virginia.worth@dlaphillipsfox.com

Morning Virginia,

We sent the below email to Clare Buttner and received the email directly
below.

We now direct it to you and hope you can promptly reply.

Can you also advise whether Clare Buttner's departure from DLA Phillips
Fox has anything to do with her comments in a recent News.com article and
Firm Spy's response to those comments?

Thanks,

Firm Spy

We have not received a response.

And so, with glitter on the wet street and silver over everything as the DLAs prepare for a famous ceremony, it appears that heads have started rolling … on the floor!

If you know more, email us at news@firmspy.com.

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