Barlow Lyde & Gilbert Asks Trainees to Defer, Offers Whopping £2,500

London’s Barlow Lyde & Gilbert, which recently opened a fifth office in Manchester, has asked half of its September 2009 incoming trainee class to delay joining the firm for six months, in return for a no-strings-attached cash payment of £2,500 ($3,800).

The firm is also cutting the size of its summer program.

Barlow Lyde & Gilbert LLP is a leading international legal practice specializing in commercial litigation and dispute resolution, as well as insurance and reinsurance. It has offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore, with its principal office in London.