Mayer Brown Axes 33 Lawyers in US Offices
Due to economic conditions, Mayer Brown has laid off 33 lawyers. They are all in U.S. offices of the Chicago-based 1,800-attorney international law firm.
“This reduction does not include lawyers who were asked to leave this year through our performance review process,” the firm notes in a statement reported by the Wall Street Journal Law Blog. An unspecified number of staff members were also included in the latest layoffs.
However, it appears that the 33 laid-off attorneys may still be at their desks, for now: “Those affected by this decision are good lawyers who have made valuable contributions to the firm,” the statement continues. “We intend to give them access to outplacement services and other benefits and a substantial period of time to find another job.”
As discussed in an earlier ABAJournal.com post, there have been rumors—first reported by Above the Law—that Mayer Brown would soon join an ever-lengthening list of law firms that have sent attorneys packing in recent months as the economy worsened.
The Mayer Brown statement doesn’t specify which offices and practice areas are affected, and a firm spokesperson wouldn’t elaborate, the WSJ blog reports.
