Clifford Chance cuts ~10% of London business services staff — first Magic Circle firm to make explicit AI-driven redundancies

Clifford Chance announced approximately 50 redundancies and changes to up to 35 further roles in its London business services functions (finance, HR, IT), citing increased adoption of AI tools including Clifford Chance Assist and Microsoft Copilot, alongside a shift of work to its hubs in India and Poland. Around 550 employees were informed. Changes took effect from January 2026. The firm's revenue was £2.4bn for FY2025 — a 9% increase — making this an efficiency-driven restructuring rather than a financial necessity. First Magic Circle firm to make explicit AI-driven redundancies at this scale.