Layoffs

Laid-Off Lawyer Seeks Columnist’s Advice After Firm Claims Misconduct

A lawyer laid off from his small law firm took another hit from the employer when he visited the unemployment office. Now he is asking an advice columnist how to proceed. Here is the lawyer’s complaint, published by the Washington Post: “I was recently laid off from a small law…

May 6, 2009 3:06 PM CDT

Fenwick & West Lays Off 15 Associates and Seven Staffers

The law firm Fenwick & West had held off on lawyer layoffs, until now. The law firm announced 22 layoffs yesterday, and 15 associates are among those being let go, the Recorder reports. The other people laid off were staffers. Fenwick chairman Gordon Davidson told the publication he had hoped…

May 6, 2009 1:55 PM CDT

Milbank Lays Off 49 Lawyers and 40 Staff

Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy has laid off 49 associates and 40 staff members, the law firm has confirmed to the Am Law Daily. Above the Law first reported the layoffs yesterday. We understand that while all departments were affected, general corporate was the hardest-hit,” states the ATL post, relying…

May 5, 2009 10:33 PM CDT

Eckert Seamans to Cut 119 Temp Lawyers

Like many other practice areas, document review is down right now. So Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott is planning to lay off 119 of the 200 temporary attorneys at its Pittsburgh document coding center as they complete the projects on which they are now working, reports the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.…

May 5, 2009 7:56 PM CDT

Vroom! Biker Barristers Rev Up for Motorcycle Cases

Getting laid off from a general-practice position redirected attorney Sy Nazif into what turned out to be a dream job. Although he keeps a suit in his Southern California law office, he’s likely to walk in wearing a leather biker jacket. And standard work hours don’t begin much before noon…

May 5, 2009 6:44 PM CDT

Contract Lawyers Get Paid Less, But May See More Job Opportunities

Contract lawyers are seeing a drop in hourly pay as more laid-off colleagues join their ranks, but there may be a silver lining in the economic downturn for those who prefer contract jobs. Gregory Bufithis, who runs The Posse List contract job website, tells the National Law Journal that the…

May 5, 2009 1:37 PM CDT

Seyfarth Cuts Pay for Some Partners and Associates, Lays Off 50 People

Yet another law firm is cutting pay for some of its lawyers. Seyfarth Shaw is cutting pay for some segments of its partner and associate teams in amounts ranging from 5 percent to 20 percent, according to Above the Law and the Recorder. Those staffers left behind won’t get the…

May 4, 2009 12:31 PM CDT

Moving to the Middle

Smaller firms get crack at bigger fish

May 2, 2009 1:50 AM CDT

Ex-Associate Hit with ‘Wave of Negativity’ at Session for Jobless

Legal recruiters in Los Angeles told a standing-room only crowd of jobless lawyers at a panel discussion on Wednesday that they might have to look outside the law for jobs. The dismal news had lawyers dressed in interview suits heading for the exits rather than staying to chat with the…

May 1, 2009 11:51 AM CDT

It’s Official: A&O Axes 450 Today

Implementing a restructuring plan announced earlier this year to deal with the dismal economy, Allen & Overy laid off about 250 lawyers and 200 staff today. Among the lawyers being let go are 47 partners, reports Legal Week. Another 35 partners at the London-based “magic circle” international firm are either…

Apr 30, 2009 9:54 PM CDT

Another Layoffs Downside: Loss of Personal Info on Work Computer

Lawyers, in particular, should know better. But like everybody else, many hardworking attorneys who spend a lot of time at the office probably have personal material on their work computers. And, in a time of stunning layoffs, both in the legal industry and elsewhere, that can result in the loss…

Apr 30, 2009 6:30 PM CDT

To Defer or Not to Defer? Like a Day Off, Late Job Start May Not Be a Career Plus

The disastrous economy is creating new career issues for fledgling legal eagles seeking to soar as law firm associates. But the overall problem is still the same: How to look out for one’s own interests yet score points with the firm as a dedicated young attorney ready, willing and able…

Apr 30, 2009 5:31 PM CDT

Squire Sanders Cuts Associate Pay 10 Percent; Expert Sees a Trend

Squire Sanders & Dempsey is cutting associate pay by 10 percent, joining a handful of other law firms that have made similar moves. Is a trend afoot? The law firm announced the pay cut and the layoffs of 32 lawyers on Wednesday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Law firm consultant…

Apr 30, 2009 12:56 PM CDT

Too Many Lawyers, Too Little Work: More Layoffs Are Likely, Expert Says

Too many lawyers are chasing too little work. And meanwhile a number of law firms are effectively serving as bankers for cash-strapped clients struggling in a difficult economy. After a “disastrous” fourth quarter in 2008, many law firms can expect an even more worrisome 2009, writes Dan DiPietro in the…

Apr 30, 2009 1:30 AM CDT

Kilpatrick Stockton Lays Off 24 Lawyers

Kilpatrick Stockton has announced the layoffs of 24 lawyers and counsel, attributing the actions to the current economic downturn. The law firm says the layoffs are spread across all of its U.S. offices, according to the Fulton County Daily Report. A statement by Diane Prucino, the firm’s co-managing partner, said…

Apr 29, 2009 12:29 PM CDT