In the wake of recent news that Blake Dawson is retrenching 89 of its staff, HWL Ebsworth has reported the redundancy of 17 staff members.

The laid-off staff included six lawyers, two graduates, three paralegals and six personal assistants (PA). The lawyers practised in a number of areas and the paralegals were from the property group. Much of the transcription workload that PAs have undertaken will be covered by new digital dictation technology that the firm recently rolled-out.

On the bright side, the firm has recently appointed partner Paul Sroka from Middletons, and partners Alan Maclean and Richard Gray from Freehills, for its banking & finance practice in Melbourne.

HWL Ebsworth has also appointed former Wilmoth Field Warne commercial partner Thomas Kim, ex-Dibbs Abbott Stillman property partner Seamus Gunson, the Independent Statutory Office's former Victorian workplace rights advocate Tony Lawrence, and former head of boutique firm Geoffrey Bloom & Associates Geoffrey Bloom to partnership.