Up to 18 lawyers at Bristol commercial law firm Burges Salmon could lose their jobs, the firm has announced.

Pay has also been frozen for support staff, although no decision has been taken over lawyers' salaries.

Trainees due to start with the firm this year and in 2010 have been asked if they will defer for a year – and will be paid £5,000 if they agree.

Burges Salmon, which advises and represents companies on a range of issues including employment, tax and property law, has 367 lawyers, including 73 partners, and 297 staff in its secretarial and business services teams.

In an e-mail to all staff, managing partner Guy Stobart and managing partner-elect Chris Jackson also announced a formal review of business support services, including secretarial support.

They said: "The firm remains strong and successful. We have looked at alternatives to redundancy and have implemented these but the wider economic climate is extreme.

"Like many law firms and other businesses it is therefore with sadness necessary for us to take this action to match capacity to the amount of work available.

"We will continue to ensure we are effective and efficient in all that we do."

Current trainees qualifying in 2010 and 2011 are not affected by the deferrals.

Mr Stobart said: "The 18 lawyers affected by the proposals work in areas where there are changes in predicted activity levels.

"A decision about changes to lawyers' pay will be made nearer September, when their pay is annually reviewed."

Last week, the developer behind the new Burges Salmon HQ in Temple Quay went into administration.

Castlemore Securities is building Temple Quay Central, which includes office building One Glass Wharf where the main occupier will be Burges Salmon.

It plans to relocate its 664 Bristol-based staff, currently spread across three offices, to Temple Quay. Despite the problems, work is due to be completed on the site, and the law firm will move into the complex in May 2010 as planned.