Home

Chicago Big Law: In a Cold Market, Some Shrinkage is to be Expected
Download PDF
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...

Big law has some some slight shrinkage in head count this last year, with Chicago’s 25 biggest firms contracting by 2.5 percent in the year ending June 30. Such firms are doing what most businesses have done through this recession: hire less, expect more of those you retain.

As David Mendelssohn, managing partner of DLA Piper’s Chicago office, and as reported by Chicagobusiness.com, said that headcount was les relevant than attorney output. In other words, they may hire less attorneys, but they expect more out of them.

  
What
Where


“I think we have had considerable success on all fronts,” he said. “We’ve definitely seen a downsizing in recruiting younger lawyers out of law school, and I think the trend pervades the industry.”

As we know well by now, it’s a tough market for fresh JD’s. The industries are gleaning talent from data and analysis, and as legal recruiter Kay Hoppe, president of Credientia Inc. in Chicago said, “true talent is being identified – and paid for. At the ends of the day, profitability will be strengthened by it.”

In other words, if their system doesn’t discover you to be “true talent,” you are SOL.

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!!




Meanwhile, Chicago’s biggest law offices continue to decline, with the number one office, Kirkland and Ellis, and number six Jenner and Block, reporting slightly smaller numbers. Kirkland makes the most of it, though, garnishing twice the revenue per lawyer than Mayer Brown, and all the others.





 

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