Are pushed-back start dates for associates making a comeback? One law firm confirms deferrals
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Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian has deferred start dates for new associates, a development that prompted Above the Law to wonder whether a trend is in the offing.
Above the Law broke the news and got confirmation—but not details—from Gunderson Dettmer.
Above the Law’s tipsters said associates were told that their Oct. 31 start date was being pushed back to Jan. 17, 2023. The associates will reportedly get monthly stipends of about $6,000 but no health insurance until they start work. That’s a fraction of the $215,000 annual salary for first-year associates, Above the Law points out.
Gunderson reportedly cited slowing demand as the reason for the delay. The law firm has more than 400 lawyers in 11 locations worldwide, according to its website.
“Now that one BigLaw firm has reportedly deferred its start date for incoming associates, we suspect that more firms will be comfortable doing the same,” Above the Law says. “We will continue our coverage should this [become] an industrywide trend.”
