Home

Partners at Law Firms Facing Cuts
Download PDF
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...

 

Big law firms across the country have recently cut their junior lawyer and staff members in the recent years following the recession. Now, those law firms are focusing on partner performance and are watching how many hours the partners bill clients. Partners that have low numbers could wind up seeing their pay get cut or lose their ownership stake in the firm. Then, some other partners could simply lose their position with the firm, according to The Wall Street Journal.

  
What
Where


“It’s become a more challenging environment,” says law-firm consultant Tony Williams. Williams used to be a managing partner with Clifford Chance . He left the firm in 2000. “Firms are now much more clear in what they expect…and much less forgiving if people consistently fall short.”

The partnership structure at Nashville law firm Waller Landsen Dortch & Davis LLP was changed as a result of the recession. The firm, which has 200 lawyers, changed its partner structure and changed pay.

“Over that time we went from about 85 equity partners to about 55,” says Chairman John Tishler. “We had a lot of hard conversations, and so some people left us.” Tishler said that those who decided to stay “became much more engaged in developing new lines of business.”

Get JD Journal in Your Mail

Subscribe to our FREE daily news alerts and get the latest updates on the most happening events in the legal, business, and celebrity world. You also get your daily dose of humor and entertainment!!




Wells Fargo Private Bank’s Legal Specialty Group surveyed 120 law firms and 15 percent of them said that they are planning to cut partners in the first quarter of 2013. These cuts would continue a three-year trend.

A poll by American Lawyer magazine found that 55 percent of the 113 managing partners and firm chairmen surveyed said that they are planning to ask anywhere from one to five partners to leave in 2013. Five percent of those surveyed said they planned to cut anywhere from 11 to 20 partners in 2013, which is an increase from the 1.2 percent from last year.



“You don’t want to tear the fabric of the firm,” says Jeff Grossman, national managing director for Wells Fargo’s Legal Specialty Group. “But there are only so many hours a law firm is producing, and if you have too many people for the work, those additional individuals are siphoning off profits.”

Edward Newberry, the managing partner for Patton Boggs LLP, said that a drop in hours billed of 100 or 250 could lead firms to take a substantial hit.

“Rate increases are hard to come by, demand is not increasing,” Newberry said. Newberry said that firms attempting to increase profits, “partner productivity is one of the remaining key tools.”

“In some cases we are counseling people out of the firm, but that’s a step we prefer not to take,” Mr. Newberry said. “Partnership standards at all firms, including ours, have increased.”



 

RELEVANT JOBS

Associate Attorney

USA-PA-Exton

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY McKenna Snyder LLC, a law firm in Exton, PA has an immediate opening for an ex...

Apply now

Attorney

USA-MI-Sturgis

Qualifications: HaasCaywood is seeking associate attorneys for our Coldwater and Sturgis, Michiga...

Apply now

Attorney

USA-MI-Coldwater

Qualifications: HaasCaywood is seeking associate attorneys for our Coldwater and Sturgis, Michiga...

Apply now

Insurance Defense Trial Attorney/ Senior Counsel

USA-CA-San Francisco

Job description Trial Attorney - Personal Injury Defense Full Job Description Hickey Smith ...

Apply now

BCG FEATURED JOB

Locations:

Keyword:



Search Now

Education Law Attorney

USA-CA-El Segundo

El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law attorney with ...

Apply Now

Education Law Attorney

USA-CA-Carlsbad

Carlsbad office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law attorney with 4-...

Apply Now

Education Law and Public Entity Attorney

USA-CA-El Segundo

El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law and public ent...

Apply Now

Most Popular

SEARCH IN ARCHIVE

To Top