After 170 Layoffs, White & Case Pares Down $250K Holiday Party; No Fireworks

Plans for the annual holiday party at White & Case were made months before the firm announced this week that it would lay off 70 lawyers and 100 staff members.

So the 2,400-lawyer international firm will be going ahead with the event at a midtown Manhattan restaurant, reports the Wall Street Journal Law Blog. However it's cutting back this year and plans to spend under $250,000, roughly half of what last year's gala at the United Nations cost.

And there also will be no fireworks, Law Blog reports. About 700 to 1,000 people are expected to attend.

The firm's announced layoffs this week were blamed on a lack of work in practice areas including banking and securities, as well as reduced attrition. They were reportedly not performance-related.