Layoffs

UK Law Firm Simmons & Simmons to Ax Up to 69 Employees

Another United Kingdom law firm is preparing to lay off employees. The firm Simmons & Simmons has announced a review that could lead to layoffs of up to 20 associates and 49 other support staffers, report Legal Week, the Lawyer and Times Online. Last year, the firm laid off eight…

Feb 18, 2009 2:59 PM CST

Nearly Half of Mass. Lawyers Surveyed Expect to Earn Less in 2009

Nearly half the Massachusetts lawyers who responded to an online survey said they expected to earn less money this year than in 2008. The Massachusetts Bar Association online survey of its members was modeled after an ABA survey last fall, the New England Business Bulletin reports. In some instances, Massachusetts…

Feb 18, 2009 2:39 PM CST

Laid-Off Lawyer Competes with Other Attorneys for Paralegal Jobs

A 43-year-old Los Angeles lawyer who was laid off from her in-house job more than a year ago still has no permanent job, as unemployment takes a toll on her marriage and her finances. The lawyer, Ellie Trope, has 15 years of experience, but her job search has still been…

Feb 17, 2009 3:22 PM CST

Laid-Off Lawyer Asks Advice Columnist About Nanny Worries

A laid-off lawyer worried about the employment prospects of her nanny has written to a columnist seeking advice about whether to fire the woman. The lawyer told Washington Post style columnist Carolyn Hax that she was laid off in October from “a stressful, truly horrible job at a big law…

Feb 17, 2009 3:05 PM CST

Why So Many Law Firm Layoffs in Just One Day?

Speculation abounds about why so many lawyers and law firm staffers were axed last Thursday. Was it fear of Friday the 13th? A vast conspiracy? Or mere market forces at work? In all, 476 staffers and 317 lawyers were laid off—a total of 793 jobs lost. Above the Law noted…

Feb 17, 2009 1:16 PM CST

Last Week’s Layoffs Saved Law Firms an Estimated $100M

Layoffs of around 800 lawyers and legal staffers at large law firms last Thursday likely saved the firms more than $100 million collectively in annual salaries and benefits. Legal Times came up with the number based on a legal consultant’s estimate of annual savings. Thomas Clay of Altman Weil said…

Feb 17, 2009 12:52 PM CST

Economy & Politics Threaten State Courts, ABA House Told

Massive state budget shortfalls threaten the ability of courts to continue to operate, Massachusetts Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall, who is president of the Conference of Chief Justices, told the ABA House of Delegates today. At least 46 states face revenue shortfalls totaling $350 billion from this year through 2001,…

Feb 16, 2009 5:13 PM CST

Will Laid-Off Lawyers Abandon Their Manicures?

Nail salons boomed when times were good. Last year there were more than 58,000 full-service salons, compared to less than 45,000 in 1998. But now some women are cutting back or cutting out nail salon visits, the New York Times reports. Some are trading acrylics for regular manicures, and more…

Feb 13, 2009 8:34 PM CST

Law Professors Begin Feeling Economic Pinch

The budget crisis is affecting law school budgets—and the professors and administrators who work there. Some law professors and administrators are facing unpaid leave or frozen paychecks as schools grapple with reduced budgets, according to TaxProf Blog and the National Law Journal. Other schools have implemented hiring freezes and warned…

Feb 13, 2009 5:39 PM CST

Gloomy BigLaw Outlook: Lower Salaries, Fewer Hires, More Job Cuts

Law firm layoffs of nearly 800 people made big news yesterday, but those left behind will also face gloomy times. The financial crisis is likely to bring associate pay cuts, lower starting salaries and more layoffs at many large law firms, according to the American Lawyer. “The market for labor…

Feb 13, 2009 3:45 PM CST

Laid-Off Associates Seek to Reinvent Themselves

Laid-off big-firm associates facing a difficult job market are recasting their resumés and seeking work they once would have shunned. The National Law Journal spoke to several associates, all but one of whom refused to allow their real names to be used. The associate who was identified, Brett Middendorf, was…

Feb 13, 2009 3:40 PM CST

Bloody Thursday Layoffs Also Hit Cozen, Epstein Becker; ‘Big Ones’ Still to Come

The count of jobs lost in yesterday’s Bloody Thursday continues to swell. Epstein Becker & Green and Cozen O’Connor have confirmed layoffs, bringing to eight the number of well-known law firms that cut people yesterday. In all, 476 staffers and 317 lawyers were laid off—or a total of 793 jobs…

Feb 13, 2009 12:12 PM CST

Luce Forward Pink-Slips 2Ls and 3Ls

In addition to laying off 12 attorneys and 15 staff members, Luce Forward has also rescinded offers to incoming 3Ls and canceled the upcoming summer program. The 200-attorney California-based law firm has confirmed to Above the Law that it is rescinding all offers to third-year law students who worked at…

Feb 13, 2009 12:58 AM CST

Bloody Thursday: 6 Major Law Firms Ax Attorneys

It’s been a bloody day so far for dozens of attorneys throughout the country, and it isn’t over yet. Six well-known law firms have announced attorney layoffs: Bryan Cave; Dechert; DLA Piper; Faegre & Benson; Goodwin Procter; and Holland & Knight. And significant staff layoffs may have been made at…

Feb 12, 2009 7:54 PM CST

Dechert Lays Off 19 Lawyers

Dechert is laying off 19 lawyers, both associates and of counsel, across the firm’s 11 U.S. offices. The firm announced the cuts today. Several publications had the news, including the Am Law Daily, The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times, and Above the Law. A spokesman told the Am Law…

Feb 12, 2009 5:22 PM CST