CMS Cameron McKenna plans to utilise the Scottish offices and personnel of new merger partner Dundas & Wilson as a form of northshoring as the top-ten firm unveiled its real estate ‘deal of the century’ with its move into its new Cannon Place offices next year.
The Dundas cost-saving initiative, spearheaded by Camerons energy partner Stephen Millar, who alongside managing partner Duncan Weston and senior partner Penelope Warne led the merger negotiations between the two firms, will see Camerons split the pricing of City-generated deals into work done in London and that which is hived off to Scottish lawyers under the supervision of a partner.
Speaking to Legal Business, Millar said: ‘The intent is to price for the City piece, price for the other piece and do it in the place where we have the expertise – whether it be in Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Glasgow.
‘Whereas a number of our competitors have opened in places like Belfast, just using paralegals doing the work there, we will be able to do the work with lawyers, with partners supervising. Our client feedback is that there is a place for the paralegal model, but there is also a place for premium work to be done more efficiently outside London.’
‘There is a place for the paralegal model, but there is also a place for premium work to be done more efficiently outside London.’
Stephen Millar, CMS Cameron McKenna
It is understood that the push by Camerons is in part due to the City office losing out on day-to-day instructions to Midlands-based firms.
The project is still a work in progress and, while Millar did not confirm how many Dundas lawyers in total will be involved, it is expected that all levels of the partnership will participate.
Dundas established a legal services unit in 2012 with a team of paralegals to carry out routine and procedural work in a bid to save clients money.
Meanwhile, the firm’s planned move to Cannon Place from Mitre House in Farringdon in 2015 sees it take a 22-year lease with a six-year rent-free period. Camerons will pay only a little above the current rate at Mitre House, which is around £42 per sq ft.