Staff Layoffs at WilmerHale

joshua — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:38:26 +0000

WilmerHale laid off 57 staff members across 4 offices today, with the biggest cuts coming in Washington DC and Boston. The company says the decision was made to be able to “respond to a changed business landscape and provide the highest quality legal services in a more cost-effective manner”. So far this year, WilmerHale has managed to avoid any large scale attorney layoffs, but has told some associates that they need to start looking for new jobs.

Above the Law was the first to report on the staff cuts, thanks to anonymous tips it received. Apparently WilmerHale’s attempt to stifle leaks was not as successful as it had hoped.

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP has twelve offices across the US, Europe and Asia. It was created in 2004 through the merger of the Boston’s Hale & Dorr and the Washington’s Wilmer Cutler & Pickering, and employs more than 1,100 attorneys worldwide. As of 2008, it was the 23rd largest law firm in the world in terms of revenue.

WilmerHale Trying to Stifle Leaks

joshua — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:20:46 +0000

The legal blog Above the Law is reporting that associates at WilmerHale have been warned not to talk to them. Tipsters have reported that a memo was sent out that left associates with the impression that their jobs would be at stake if they leaked any information to the blog. No copy of this memo has surfaced yet, but Above the Law has an open thread on the subject. I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that, like ATL, all tips you send us are completely anonymous. It goes without saying that every attorney has an ethical obligation to employers and clients alike to keep certain things confidential. Everything else should be fair game.

JD Journal » anonymous tips

Staff Layoffs at WilmerHale

WilmerHale Trying to Stifle Leaks