Lawyers Alliance sacks half its staff
The Australian Lawyers Alliance has sacked half its workforce. Its chief executive Eva Scheerlinck, a lawyer named as a 'young gun' executive by a management magazine in 2007, is one of the departing members.
THE Australian Lawyers Alliance has sacked half its workforce, The Australian reports today. Its chief executive Eva Scheerlinck, a lawyer named as a "young gun" executive by a management magazine in 2007, is one of the departing members. The alliance, formerly known as Plaintiff Lawyers Association, also ousted its chief financial officer, two sponsorship officers and two assistants. Alliance national president Mark Blumer said the restructure was the result of financial pressures on the group. The board, comprised of state directors, wanted to take a new strategic approach as well, journalist Susannah Moran reports today. "We want to change the way the organisation works, that is the management team will focus on financial and management matters," said Blumer. Directors and members, meanwhile, will focus on promoting policy issues, he said. The six departing staff will be replaced by three new positions, including a general manager, a bookkeeper and a sponsorship assistant. Membership has been static in recent years and the previous level of staffing could not be sustained in the current economic climate, Blumer said.