http://www.abajournal.com/news/ en Copyright 2013 2013-05-18T08:23:20-06:00 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/miami_law_firm_shuts_down_email_demands_return_of_office_supplies/ The Miami law firm Brown and Heller closed on Monday, leaving 23 lawyers and about 50 staffers out of work. The firm closed after losing its only client, a defendant in a class action lawsuit related to Bernard Madoff’s investment fraud, the Daily Business Review… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Layoffs, Law Firms Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:33:44 -0500 43408.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/following_layoff_of_22_lawyers_prosecutors_office_stops_covering_all_court_/ After last week's layoff of 22 lawyers, a Detroit prosecutor says her office is stretched too thin to cover all traffic court and domestic violence cases. So, starting Monday, the Wayne County Prosecutor's office has failed to appear to pursue a number of cases. That has been a windfall for… Careers, Layoffs, Criminal Justice, Prosecutors, Government Law, Judiciary, Trials & Litigation, States, Michigan Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:54:45 -0500 43355.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/archer_greiner_lays_off_14_lawyers_27_staff_members/ After mergers during the past several years that brought its attorney roster from 150 to nearly 210 lawyers, a well-known law firm with longtime roots in New Jersey is retrenching. Archer & Greiner gave layoff notices last week to 14 attorneys and 27 staff members, the… Careers, Layoffs, Law Firms, Associates, Midsize Firm, Partners, States, New Jersey, Pennsylvania Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:04:53 -0500 43234.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/250_lawyers_and_staffers_told_to_clear_desks_and_go_home_as_regulators_inte/ Some 250 lawyers and staff were told to clear their desks Monday and go home as regulators "intervened" in the operation of a British law firm. The Solicitors Regulation Authority said it acted at Blakemores Solicitors, which has offices in Birmingham and Leamington, to protect the interests of the firm's… Bar Associations, Business of Law, Careers, Layoffs, Consumer Law, Law Firms, Midsize Firm, International, Europe, United Kingdom Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:46:52 -0500 43227.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/report_ashurst_australia_is_making_secret_plans_to_ax_or_demote_20_to_50_of/ Relying on unidentified sources, an Australian business publication says the Australian arm of Ashurst is secretly planning to cull between 20 and 50 of its 189 partners in order to meet financial projections and complete its planned merger with the United Kingdom-based law firm of the same name. Doing business… Careers, Layoffs, International Law, Law Firms, Large Firm, Partners, International, Australia, Europe, United Kingdom Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:39:44 -0600 42642.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/partner_layoffs_havent_ended_in_biglaw_surveys_indicate/ The layoffs aren’t over for partners in some large law firms, two surveys show. The planned cuts are a reaction to partner billables that remain “stubbornly low,” the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports. Some partners bill less than 1,300 hours a year, compared to a… Careers, Layoffs, Law Firms, Large Firm, Partners Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:37:09 -0600 42236.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_firms_confront_issue_of_underutilized_partners_15_percent_plan_cuts_in_/ A survey of 115 mostly large law firms has found partner billable hours are on the decline, and some lawyers will find themselves without employment as a result. Fifteen percent of the firms surveyed by Wells Fargo Private Bank plan to cut partners in the first quarter of 2013, Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Layoffs, Law Firms, Partners Mon, 19 Nov 2012 07:00:29 -0600 41669.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/uk_restructuring_of_dla_piper_could_affect_251_lawyer_and_staff_jobs/ DLA Piper is considering a restructuring in the United Kingdom that could affect 251 jobs of lawyers and back-office staffers. The firm is considering closing its 85-person Glasgow office, and selling or closing a 50-person insurance defense practice, report Legal Week and the Lawyer. Meanwhile,… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Layoffs, Law Firms Wed, 14 Nov 2012 08:45:30 -0600 41629.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/more_staff_layoffs_in_london_at_mayer_brown/ The London office of Mayer Brown is trimming back staff in a second round of cuts this year. The firm plans to lay off fewer than 20 non-lawyer staff, according to Legal Week. Legal Week reported on an earlier round of layoffs in May, involving about 16… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Layoffs, Law Firms, International, Europe, United Kingdom Tue, 25 Sep 2012 05:25:50 -0500 40855.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge_says_ex-edwards_wildman_partner_can_seek_damages_re_claim_he_was_fire/ A former corporate partner of Edwards Wildman Palmer isn't entitled to his promised pay of $625,000 for his work 2008, because he didn't bring in anywhere close to the amount of business he was supposed to generate to be paid at this level, a New York judge ruled last week.… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Lawyer Pay, Layoffs, Contracts, Labor & Employment, Law Firms, Midsize Firm, Partners, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, States, New York Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:12:53 -0500 40608.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/consultant_predicts_absolutely_more_layoffs_and_as_many_as_five_biglaw_diss/ Call it the Facebook effect. The first half of the year was strong for many law firms, but a dropoff in work in the last six to eight weeks has many firms predicting a decline in revenues and profits this year, according to Kent Zimmerman, a consultant for the Zeugheuser… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Layoffs, Law Firms, Large Firm Thu, 06 Sep 2012 08:01:56 -0500 40570.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/legal_aid_providers_expected_to_lay_off_350_lawyers_scale_back_services/ Facing budget cuts and funding losses, legal aid programs throughout the country are expected to lay off 750 employees, including 350 attorneys this year. According to a survey conducted by the Legal Services Corp., 87 percent of legal aid operations reported they face significant LSC and… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Layoffs Thu, 16 Aug 2012 11:00:28 -0500 40277.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/fish_richardson_lets_14_staff_members_go/ A Boston-based intellectual property boutique is laying off 14 paralegals and litigation support staff throughout its offices. Fish & Richardson attributed the cuts, which took place Tuesday, to a "smaller budgets for outside legal services," Reuters reports. "While our caseload continues to grow, client demands for more cost… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Layoffs, Law Firms, Midsize Firm, Paralegals, States, Massachusetts Fri, 03 Aug 2012 06:30:22 -0500 39999.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/clifford_chance_plans_layoffs_of_up_to_13_london_associates/ Megafirm Clifford Chance has announced plans to lay off up to 13 associates in its London headquarters, Legal Week reports. "We are proposing to make a small number of lawyers redundant in London. Our business is very strong and resilient, and we continue to grow," said David… Careers, Layoffs, International Law, Law Firms, Associates, Large Firm, International, Europe, United Kingdom Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:30:06 -0500 37946.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/dewey_statement_hits_financial_mischaracterizations_while_sources_tell_of_d/ Dewey & LeBoeuf released an optimistic statement about the firm’s future on Wednesday after holding a partnership meeting where finances were part of the discussion. The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) characterized the meeting as a “pep talk” and quotes an anonymous partner who said firm… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Layoffs, Law Firms, Associates, Large Firm, Partners Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:03:47 -0500 37916.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/dla_piper_could_jettison_some_smaller_clients_lawyers_with_the_wrong/ Former Linklaters chief Tony Angel comes to DLA Piper as global co-chairman with a reputation for taking business concepts and applying them to law firms. At Linklaters, Angel focused on doing more profitable work for fewer, larger clients, the American Lawyer reports in an article… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Layoffs, Law Firms, Partners Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:00:38 -0500 37777.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/dewey_leboeuf_to_lay_off_lawyers_and_staffers/ Dewey & LeBoeuf is planning layoffs of both lawyers and staffers, according to a memo dispatched by chairman Steven Davis on Friday. The firm is planning to cut about 5 percent of its lawyers and 6 percent of its administrative staff throughout its offices, according to the memo obtained by… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Layoffs, Law Firms Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:36:46 -0600 37618.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/top_uk_linklaters_firm_is_restructuring_again_as_many_as_35_partners_report/ For the second time in three years, the United Kingdom's magic circle Linklaters law firm will soon be restructuring. Although those in charge of the London-based international law firm gave no estimates during a partner meeting on Friday, unidentified sources tell Legal Week that as many as… Careers, Lawyer Pay, Layoffs, Corporate Law, International Law, Law Firms, Large Firm, Partners, International, Europe, United Kingdom Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:10:07 -0600 36387.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/podcast_monthly_episode_21/ Podcast Transcript: This podcast is produced by the ABA Journal. We bring you the latest legal news every day from around the Web. Visit us online at ABAJournal.com. Stephanie Francis Ward: 2011 has been a crazy year, money-wise. Many big firms made substantial profits in the past 12 months, but… ABA Journal, ABA Journal Podcast, Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Lawyer Pay, Layoffs, Law Firms, Associates, Large Firm, Recession Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:30:47 -0600 36264.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/personal_injury_law_firm_is_reportedly_expecting_layoffs_after_reversal_in_/ A downstate Illinois law firm reportedly has made "significant" employee layoffs, according to a local government official, after the reversal by the state supreme court several months ago of a $43 million verdict in a case against Ford Motor Co. The blow is one of several suffered in recent years… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Careers, Layoffs, Criminal Justice, Law Firms, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Illinois Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:28:03 -0600 36146.abajournal.com