Layoffs

Robinson Bradshaw Cuts 6 Lawyers

A well-known North Carolina-based law firm has confirmed the first layoffs in its nearly 50-year history. Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson cut six lawyers and less than a dozen staff members in what managing partner Robert Griffin describes as a “very painful” move, reports the Charlotte Business Journal. The firm, which…

Jun 26, 2009 4:53 PM CDT

Harvard Law School Axes 12 Staff

In another sign of the dismal U.S. economy and a possible harbinger of program cuts yet to come, Harvard University is laying off 275 employees as it faces a projected 30 percent drop in the value of its endowment. Among those being let go are 12 employees of Harvard Law…

Jun 24, 2009 6:46 PM CDT

Dykema; Miller Canfield; Honigman Miller Lay Off +70

Three large firms in Detroit have announced they are laying off a combined 41 lawyers and 30 support staff throughout their offices. At Miller Canfield Paddock and Stone, the loss amounts to 13 attorneys, though where and which practice areas were not revealed in the Crain’s Detroit Business article noting…

Jun 24, 2009 2:23 PM CDT

Economy Better, But More Partner Layoffs to Come, Survey Says

Corrected: Some two-thirds of 133 managing partners or chairmen of large law firms report that they’re feeling better about the economy and they expect it to continue to get better over the next six months. But in a survey by Citi Private Bank Law Watch, many of those law firm…

Jun 24, 2009 10:20 AM CDT

3 Laid-Off Ohio Lawyers Struggle to Find Work; 2 Others Land New Jobs

How bad is it out there right now for laid-off lawyers seeking new jobs? An article in Crain’s Cleveland Business today paints a depressing picture. Attorney Keith Barton lost his job as an in-house attorney at a nonprofit a few weeks before Christmas. He’s trying to get a solo practice…

Jun 22, 2009 9:13 PM CDT

DLA Piper Lays Off 22 More in Middle East Offices, Including 1 Partner

In a second round of Dubai layoffs since April, DLA Piper is eliminating another 22 positions in its Middle East offices. “Unfortunately, staffing adjustments across the Middle East are unavoidable as the market is still impacted by the global downturn,” the firm’s regional managing partner, David Church, tells Legal Week.…

Jun 18, 2009 7:35 PM CDT

Lehman Bros. Collapse Catapulted In-House Counsel Into Dream Practice

Although Lawrence Bortstein had a great position as global head of technology law at Lehman Brothers Inc., he’d always wanted to run his own law firm. Lehman’s bankruptcy last year gave him a chance to realize this dream before turning 40. Although forming his own practice with former Morgan Lewis…

Jun 18, 2009 4:51 PM CDT

Legal Services Org. Needs Money, Not More Lawyers

San Francisco’s Volunteer Legal Services Program is more used to recruiting volunteers than turning them away. But tough economic times have them doing just that. The group already has the volunteers they need, now they’d like for some of this newfound interest in their services to come with a little…

Jun 18, 2009 11:43 AM CDT

Jobs Are Scarce, But Stay Positive, Experts Tell Laid-Off NYC Lawyers

The job market is grim right now for laid-off BigLaw attorneys and others seeking work, some 200 participants at a New York City Bar Association workshop sponsored by Vault were told today. However, to snag one of these scarce positions, it’s important to stay positive Encouraged to present an optimistic…

Jun 16, 2009 7:01 PM CDT

10,000 UK Lawyers Could Lose Jobs Within 2 Years; ‘09 is ‘Worst Year Ever,’ Recruiter Says

In another signpost of the sea change that seems to be occurring in the legal profession, a major United Kingdom newspaper is predicting that more than 10,000 lawyers there could lose their jobs over the next two years. If so, that figure likely would include more than 1 in 10…

Jun 15, 2009 8:06 PM CDT

BigLaw Voice Mail to Young Attorneys: ‘It’s Not Good News, But Give Us a Call’

When one of London’s most elite law partnerships recently decided it had to let 14 solicitor trainees go instead of giving them permanent jobs, partners at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer had the magic circle firm’s human resources department give them a call. But when HR couldn’t immediately reach all of the…

Jun 15, 2009 6:58 PM CDT

Cravath Will Pay New Associates $80K to Stay Away for a Year

Cravath, Swaine & Moore is trying to cope with a larger than expected incoming associate class by offering $80,000 to any lawyers who agree to stay away for a year. Lawyers who take Cravath up on the offer will also be paid as much as $1,000 a month to cover…

Jun 12, 2009 6:46 PM CDT

Laid-Off Associate Joins Computer Hacking Community

At one point, and not too long ago, Nicolle Neulist was following a fairly traditional legal career path. She earned her J.D. and landed a position doing bankruptcy work at Locke Lord in Chicago. But Neulist’s path was interrupted two months ago when she became a victim of BigLaw layoffs.…

Jun 11, 2009 8:02 PM CDT

Tennessee Law Firm Bass Berry Lays Off 10 Associates, 22 Staffers

Bass Berry & Sims has laid off 10 associates and 22 staff members at its three offices in Tennessee. Managing partner Keith Simmons told the Nashville Business Journal that the cuts were “proportionally divided” among the offices in Nashville, Knoxville and Memphis, and all practice areas were affected. The story…

Jun 11, 2009 12:22 PM CDT

Layoffs’ Toll: At White & Case, a ‘Melancholy Pall’ and Fear of Sick Days

Layoffs are taking a heavy toll on law firm jobs, but the aftermath also leaves psychological scars on the people who remain on the job in an atmosphere of fear and ambiguity. The New York Times highlights White & Case as something of a case study. The firm has laid…

Jun 8, 2009 1:05 PM CDT