Secretarial pool will be cut despite BigLaw firm's 'pretty spectacular' 2012
Blank Rome secretaries must decide whether to accept voluntary buyouts by Friday.
The firm is making the offer in an effort to create a 4-1 ratio of lawyers to secretaries, the Legal Intelligencer (reg. req.) reports. Several sources told the publication that the firm wants to trim about 30 secretarial jobs.
Firm chairman Alan Hoffman said the 4-1 ratio blends the needs of senior partners who might use secretaries on a 1-1 or 2-1 ratio, with that of younger associates who use secretaries on a 7-1 or 6-1 ratio.
Hoffman told the Legal Intelligencer he doesn’t anticipate any layoffs because a sufficient number of secretaries will take the buyouts. He added that the plan to reduce secretaries is not related to the firm’s finances. Revenue in 2012 rose 6.3 percent and profits per equity partner increased about 15 percent, a “pretty spectacular” result, Hoffman said.
