Fidelity lays off 1,500 former LandAmerica workers

After Fidelity National Financial Inc. bought out LandAmerica Financial Group Inc.'s primary title insurance subsidiaries, the Florida company cut 27 percent of the inherited workforce.

Fidelity also closed 125 offices during the first month it owned Lawyers Title Insurance Co., Commonwealth Land Title Corp. and United Capital Title Insurance Co, according to an earnings report released today by the company.

All three had been subsidiaries of the Henrico County-based LandAmerica and accounted for about 90 percent of the company's revenue.

Fidelity spokeswoman Lloyd Osgood could not provide information about how many of the cuts were in the Richmond region.

On Nov. 26, LandAmerica announced plans to sell the subsidiaries to Fidelity. On that day, the parent company and a subsidiary, LandAmerica 1031 Exchange Services Inc., filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Richmond.

LandAmerica, which last year was ranked on the Fortune 1000 list, has since announced plans to sell off its remaining subsidiaries, lay off 291 employees and close down by the end of the year.

If you were let go from Fidelity, contact Emily C. Dooley at (804) 649-6016 or e-mail her at