Pinsent Masons is proposing to integrate its Vario alternative legal services teams into its wider practice groups, with some roles subject to redundancy consultation.
Separately, the firm is reviewing its business operations, including plans to make greater use of its Warsaw office and technology such as AI and automation.
Pinsent Masons is planning an overhaul of its Vario alternative legal services business and a separate restructuring of its business operations, with some staff facing redundancy consultation.
In a statement to Non-Billable, the firm said: “We are optimising how we organise and deliver our services to best meet the needs of our clients and our business.
“This includes making some adjustments to Vario, our alternative legal service delivery model, and to our business operations function.”
The firm said that no final decisions on the number of redundancies would be made until the consultation process has concluded.
What's happening to Vario
Under the plans, Vario's alternative legal services teams would be integrated directly into Pinsent Masons' practice groups, rather than operating as separate service lines.
The idea is to bring legal technologists and other specialists closer to the lawyers they work with, allowing teams to develop and deliver services together.
A firm spokesperson said: “We’re doing this because a law firm offering legal advice with legaltech bolt-ons isn’t our definition of true innovation.”
Vario has grown by 51% over the past four years, according to the firm, which says the changes are intended to build on that growth.
The Vario name will not disappear entirely and will continue to be used for certain services, including Vario Flexible Services.
It also comes shortly after Pinsent Masons elected a new senior partner John Maciver as of 1 October, and appointed Clare Francis and Stacey Bairner as co-heads of innovation and transformation.
Ops review
Alongside the Vario changes, Pinsent Masons is carrying out a separate review of its business operations function.
The moves follow a year of significant investment at Pinsent Masons, including the opening of a new office in Warsaw and a delivery centre in Cape Town. The firm also rolled out legal AI platform Legora.
Pinsent Masons reported a 3.3% rise in revenue to £703 million for 2025/26, although profit per equity partner fell 7.2% to £740,000.
A firm spokesperson said the review would consider “making greater use of the talent and capabilities available across our international network, particularly in Warsaw, and the future role of technology, automation and AI.
“We understand that this is an unsettling period for our colleagues and we are engaging directly with them to provide transparency and support throughout this period.”
Wider trend
The proposals come as other major law firms rethink their support functions, with some moving work to lower-cost locations or using new technologies.
Earlier this year, Baker McKenzie launched a review of its global business services operations, with fewer than 10% of support roles expected to be affected. The firm pointed to AI and efficiency improvements as factors behind the changes.
Clyde & Co launched a consultation in May over plans to move certain support functions to Glasgow and Manila, while A&O Shearman proposed around 20 cuts across its London IT, finance and marketing teams.
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