Thompson & Knight LLP, a global law firm, is proud to announce the addition of six new associates to its offices in Dallas and Houston, Texas.

The Dallas Office Associates

“Matthew H. Swerdlow joins the Firm’s Real Estate and Banking Practice Group. He received a J.D., cum laude, from SMU Dedman School of Law in 2011 and a B.B.A. in Marketing from The University of Texas at Austin in 2005. Prior to joining Thompson & Knight, he served as a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Richard Schell in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in 2009, a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Justice Elizabeth Lang-Miers in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2009, a Legal Intern at Roosth Production Company & Roosth Properties in 2008, and a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Thad Heartfield in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in 2008.”

“Hillary E. Lyon joins the Firm’s Corporate and Securities Practice Group. She received a J.D., with honors, from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2011 and a B.A. in Advertising Management and Latin American Studies, summa cum laude, from Southern Methodist University in 2006. Prior to joining Thompson & Knight, she served as a Judicial Extern for the Honorable Paul M. Newby in the Supreme Court of North Carolina in 2010.”

“Mackenzie S. Wallace joins the Firm’s Trial Practice Group. She received a J.D., magna cum laude, from Baylor University School of Law in 2011; an M.A. in Taxation from Baylor University in 2007; and a B.B.A. in Accounting, cum laude, from Baylor University in 2007. Prior to joining Thompson & Knight, she served as a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Martin Hoffman in the 68th District Court in Dallas, Texas in 2010.”

The Houston Office Associates

“Emily R. Wade joins the Firm’s Trial Practice Group. She received a J.D., cum laude, from Baylor University School of Law in 2011 and a B.B.A. in Finance and Economics, summa cum laude, from Baylor University in 2008. Prior to joining Thompson & Knight, she served as a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Martin Hoffman in the 68th District Court in Dallas, Texas in 2009.”

“Gonzalo D. Castro joins the Firm’s International Energy Practice Group. He received a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2011, a Bachelor of Laws (J.D. equivalent) from the University of Palermo Law School in 2004, and was a Visiting Student at the University of Montana School of Law in 2003. He is fluent in Spanish and is admitted to practice in Buenos Aires.”

“Sarah N. Furbee joins the Firm’s Corporate and Securities Practice Group. She received a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Houston Law Center in 2011 and a B.A. in Political Science, magna cum laude, from West Virginia University in 2006. Prior to joining Thompson & Knight, she served as a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Kem Thompson Frost in the 14th Court of Appeals in 2009 and a Legal Intern and Joint-Venture Accountant for Linn Energy from 2006-2009.”

• Several Howrey Partners Moving on to Three More Firms
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Jones Walker Announces Addition of Nine Associates to Firm
• Morning Roundup

Since Howrey dissolved last week, its partners have been going to many different firms.  This Thursday, March 17, three more firms hired several former Howrey partners.

Morgan Lewis is getting Jason White, former IP litigation partner at Howrey, as well as commercial litigation partner, Romeo Quinto, Jr.  They will be joining 11 former Howrey lawyers that left to Morgan Lewis in February, including David Clough, in the firms Chicago office.  Quinto and White will also be joined by David Patariu, Mansi Shah, and Scott Sherwin, who were also formerly Howrey associates.  In all, 19 former Howrey lawyers have now gone to Morgan Lewis.  Clough also brought in two others with him to the firm: Scott Schutte, commercial litigator from Howrey and former head of class action practice Kenneth Kliebard.

Yet another four associates formerly from Howrey joined Morgan Lewis in Chicago: Kate Berezutskaya, Christopher Cabral, Gregory Fouts, Jayesh Hines-Shah, and Tedd Warden.

Scott Mendeloff and Gabriel Aizenberg, formerly litigation partners at Howrey, were hired by Greenberg Traurig in Chicago.  They had been part of Howrey since June 2008 after leaving Sidley Austin.

Another firm that got in on the action was Arnold & Porter, which hired another former Howrey litigation partner, Paul Alexander, in its Palo Alto office.

• Jones Day Adds Six Partners to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Offices
• McKool Smith Hires 5 Lawyers in New York City
• Morgan Lewis Adds Seasoned Attorney Margaret Gatti to Antitrust Practice
• Winston & Strawn Adds Prominent Litigation Attorney to London Office
• Jones Day Adds Two Partners to IP Practice in Irvine Office

Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, P.C expanded into Columbus, Ohio,via a merger with Golian McCaffrey, LLC…

Squire, Sanders & Dempsey once again achieved a 100-percent rating in the 2011 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), published annually by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation…

Steve Leifer will lead the environmental team at Baker Botts…

Jones Walker announced the addition of nine assoicates to the firm…

Phillips & Cohen was selected for National Law Journal’s “Hot List” for whistleblower work…

• Jones Walker Announces Addition of Nine Associates to Firm
• Steve Leifer Will Lead Environmental Team at Baker Botts
• Phillips & Cohen Selected for National Law Journal’s “Hot List” for Whistleblower Work
• Jones Walker Adds Ten New Attorneys
• Verizon Pays $93.5 Million to Settle Whistleblower Lawsuit

Laura F. Ashley and Lauren E. Courtney are associates in the firm’s Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group, and practice from the firm’s New Orleans office.

Ronald D. P. Bruckmann is an associate in the firm’s Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group, and practices from the firm’s Miami office.

Ricardo X. Carlo is an associate in the firm’s Tax & Estates Practice Group, and practices from the firm’s New Orleans office. His practice will focus primarily on employee benefits and executive compensation.

Brooke L. Longon and Raechelle M. Munna are associates in the firm’s Corporate & Securities Practice Group, and practice from the firm’s New Orleans office.

Mia S. Mitchell is an associate in the firm’s Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group and practices from the firm’s New Orleans office.

Caroline H. Parenton is an associate in the firm’s Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group, and practices from the firm’s Baton Rouge office.

Charles E. Reeves, Jr. is an associate in the firm’s Corporate & Securities Practice Group and practices from the firm’s Baton Rouge office.

Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre L.L.P. provides a comprehensive range of legal services to a national and international corporate client base in highly regulated industries through offices in Alabama, Arizona, the District of Columbia, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.

• Morning Roundup
• Jones Walker Adds Ten New Attorneys
• Morning Roundup
• Jones Walker Re-Elects William H. Hines as Managing Partner
• Phillips & Cohen Selected for National Law Journal’s “Hot List” for Whistleblower Work

Dinsmore & Shohl Welcomes New Partner Michael DiSanto to Corporate Department…

The publisher of The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel and other legal and business titles, is consolidating its legal research functions into a single organization…

Butzel Long Shareholder was named a recipient of the 2^nd Annual International Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor Award…

London-based firm Kennedy’s opened an office in Miami…

Poll conducted earlier this week by the New York State Bar Association revealed guarded optimism about hiring trends and demand for legal services in 2011…

• Dinsmore & Shohl Welcomes New Partner Michael DiSanto to Corporate Department
• Kennedy’s Opens First U.S. Office in Miami
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Media Company ALM Alters Operations

The informal poll was conducted earlier this week by the New York State Bar Association at a meeting of managing partners from large, mid-size and boutique lawn firms under the auspices of the Association’s Task Force on the Future of the Legal Profession.

Survey highlights include:

• All managing partners who were polled confirmed that their firms had experimented with something other than the billable hours system. Six of the 21 respondents (almost 30%) said their firms “regularly” used alternate billing methods.
• 11 of the managing partners also said that clients complain about having to pay for the work of first- or second-year associates. Two additional respondents said that clients refuse to pay for such services.
• 18 of the 21 managing partners said that their firms expected attorneys to respond to non-emergency emails and phone calls on weekends and holidays.
• The vast majority (18 of 21) indicated that their firms offer flex policies including reduced hours, job sharing and flex times. Not surprisingly, more women attorneys took advantage of flex time than their male counterparts.
• 66% of the managing partners said their firms hired fewer attorneys in 2010 when compared to more typical years.
• However, the outlook for 2011 was that a little more than half expected to hire the same number of associates as in 2010.
• 11 of the 21 managing partners said they anticipated demand for legal services to remain flat in 2011; while 8 believed workload would increase modestly.

Of the managing partners who responded, six were from firms of 25 lawyers or less; three were from firms of 26-100 attorneys; six managed firms of 101-250 lawyers; and six were in firms of over 250 lawyers.

“One thing was clear from yesterday’s dynamic and lively discussion – whether from firms large or small, they all agreed that the profession is ready for permanent, positive changes that will allow us to better serve the modern client while shaping a profession that is satisfying to today’s lawyers and appealing to future lawyers,” said State Bar President Stephen P. Younger in a press release..

“Significantly, there was consensus around the table on many issues. Clients want fixed and predictable costs, and lawyers are willing to try alternative billing methods, such as value billing, because this leads to increased efficiency, better trained lawyers and greater opportunity to achieve work-life balance,” Younger added.

The Association’s Task Force was established in June 2010 by Younger to study and recommend ways to create a roadmap for the future use of technology in the profession, to improve legal education and training, to establish proper work/life balance for attorneys, and to analyze the billing structure in law firms.

• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Jones Walker Announces Addition of Nine Associates to Firm
• Proskauer Rose GC Steven Krane Dies of Heart Attack
• Recruitment Levels Get Back to Normal at Clifford Chance

According to the survey, 94.5 percent of all law firms now offer alternative fee arrangements (AFA). But that’s not all. That number reaches 100 percent if counting only firms with 150 or more lawyers.

The majority of firms offering AFA’s said the arrangement came at the request of clients and were not a proactive strategy.  Additionally, half of all firms say their fee arrangements are less profitable than hourly billing.

“We’re seeing some systemization, especially in larger firms, but there is a long way to go before alternative fee programs are business-focused and profit-driven rather than being seen as concessions to clients,” said Altman Weil principal Tom Clay said.

According to the survey, partnership in U.S. law firms is now harder to attain and will remain. Nearly 40 percent of firms made fewer partnership offers in 2009, and 50 percent indicated that they will or might do so in 2010.

Over a quarter of all law firms reported de-equitizing partners in 2009 and 37 percent will or might do so this year.

An additional 14 percent extended the partnership track last year and 20 percent will or might do so in 2010.  The majority of firms expect each of these trends to be permanent going forward.

“This is a key element in the changing equation of law firm finance,” Clay explained.  “Firms will maintain their profits per partner, in large part, by managing the number of partners they admit.”

The short term outlook for associates is even more daunting. Sixty four percent of firms reported shrinking their summer programs in 2009 and 54 percent anticipate doing the same in 2010. Just over half of all firms reduced or discontinued hiring first year associates last year and 38 percent will do the same this year.

To perhaps help fill that staffing hole, firms are increasingly using contract lawyers. The study reports 39 percent of firms used contract lawyers in ’09 and more than half, 53 percent, will or might do so in ’10.

Despite the difficult economy, slightly more firms had revenue gains than losses in 2009.  Forty-six percent of firms reported increases in gross revenue; 44 percent reported decreases; and, 10 percent had no change from the prior year.

Revenue per lawyer was also up in 47 percent of law firms in 2009. Profits per equity partner (PPEP) increased in 56 percent of firms.

PPEP increases were driven by cuts in overhead costs in 69 percent of law firms which were primarily cuts of personnel.  Forty two percent of firms cut costs by more than 4 percent and an additional 27 percent cut costs by 1 percent to 4 percent.

Law firms raised their standard hourly billing rates in 2010.  The median increase was 3 percent. The survey notes that is closely aligned with the 2010 U.S. rate of inflation, currently reported at 2.2 percent.

• Morning Roundup
• Altman Weil Foresees Increase in Law Firm Mergers
• Study Indicates Billing Rates to Rise This Year
• Cravath Confirms: No Partners to be Named in 2009
• Two Thirds of Law Firms Expect Lower 2009 Revenues; 51% to Terminate Staff

According to a firm press release, half of the raise came in the form of an increase in salaries, which went into effect June 1. The remainder will come via a bonus for associates that meet specific productivity and efficiency standards over a full year.

“All of our associates have benefited from this move in the form of increased salaries, but there is more available to them,” said Chairman and Managing Partner Roger Quillen. “We believe a material part of everyone’s compensation should depend upon meeting basic performance standards.  And we aren’t just talking about working and logging billable time. We measure and reward efficiency, too. This is what aligns our associates’ compensation with our clients’ interests.”

According to the Fulton County Daily Report, the raise increases Fisher & Phillips entry-level base salary from $115,000 to $120,000. Additionally, the firm said the raises will not be funded by an increase in billing rates but will instead be absorbed by the firm’s owners.

Fisher & Phillips was founded in 1943 and has more than 225 attorneys in 22 offices.

• DLA Piper Associates Getting Pay Raise
• Press Release: Thompson & Knight Add New Associates
• Several Howrey Partners Moving on to Three More Firms
• Morning Roundup
• Skadden Follows Cravath’s Lead for Bonuses

According to LegalWeek, Clifford Chance normally recruits 120 trainees a year during its two intakes, which occur in August and February. However, because of the tough economic climate last year, the firm recruited “cautiously.” Now it’s asking students at Europe’s College of Law to re-apply during the next two trainee intakes so it can bring the number of trainees back to “normal” levels.

When confirming the news, a Clifford Chance spokesperson said the firm has used “rolling recruitment” in the past, but didn’t do so last year because of the economic climate.

LegalWeek goes on to note how retention rates have declined during the recession. According to its research, the retention rate in March 2010 was 75 percent, which is a pretty substantial drop from 83 percent in March 2009. As for Clifford Chance, Legal Week reports the firm retained 70 percent of its March qualifiers, which is down from 80 percent the previous year.

Clifford Chance is global London based firm with 29 offices in 20 countries and 3,600 legal advisers.

• Morning Roundup
• New York Firm Chiefs Expect More Hiring in 2011
• Morning Roundup
• Clifford Chance To Deepen Bankruptcy Practice Group
• Morning Roundup

The pay increase puts first-year associates salaries at $160,000 in major U.S. markets and $145,00 in secondary markets, the National Law Journal reports. DLA Piper had already raised salaries at its New York office to $160,000 back in January.

DLA Piper U.S. Managing Partner Terry O’Malley told National Law Journal the raises are not the result of a stronger job market, but was rather intended to retain mid-level associates. That led the firm to “implement raises for all associates instead of doing so piecemeal.”

DLA Piper is one of the world’s largest law firms. It has 3,500 lawyers practicing in 67 offices in 29 countries.

• Morning Roundup
• DLA Piper Promotes Two as Part of Succession Plan
• Fisher & Phillips Raises Associates Pay
• Cooley Litigation Head Says Business is Rebounding
• Morning Roundup

Vinson & Elkins expects 49 first-year associates to accept the job offers.  The firm is also offering Jan. 4, 2011 as a potential start date in case associates face a conflict with the October date.

The Texas Lawyer reports Vinson & Elkins followed the lead of many firms last fall when it made job offers to 2009 summer associates, but did not specify specific start dates or salaries. Leatherbury said Vinson & Elkins has had a particularly strong first quarter, which included a large number of energy transactions, “and we’re ready to get our new lawyers onboard.”

Vinson & Elkins is an international law firm with more than 700 attorneys and offices in 13 major cities around the world.

• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Latham Adds Laterals in D.C., Houston
• DLA Piper Associates Getting Pay Raise
• Vinson & Elkins Adds to Middle East Practice

A firm spokesperson told LegalWeek that while billable hours will remain part of the criteria, “bonus allocations will be discretionary. There will be no fixed correlation between hours and bonuses. Most importantly, there will be no hours’ target.”

The policy change is limited to Clifford Chance’s London office.

According to the report, bonus decisions will now include an array of other factors, including “overall achievement, effort, business and technical skills, client satisfaction, teamwork and community work.”

In addition to how the bonuses are doled out, Clifford Chance has also altered its bonus levels. The maximum bonus payment of 40 percent of base salary, which was previously eligible to associates with at least four years “post-qualification experience,” will now be limited to senior associates.

Clifford Chance is global London based firm with 29 offices in 20 countries and 3,600 legal advisers.

• O’Melveny & Myers Announces Associate Bonuses
• Linklaters Paying Spring Bonus to US Associates
• Clifford Chance Expands into Australia
• Morning Roundup
• Milbank Falls In Line On Bonuses

Bestattorneysonline.com announce the top ten environmental law firms in Alaska…

The Entrepreneurs Law Group is formed in South Carolina to advise businesses and individuals…

42 of 58 county district attorneys in California oppose the nomination of Goodwin Liu to the Ninth Circuit…

Linklaters is returning to lockstep compensation for it’s associates…

Quarles & Brady open an office in Tampa, Florida…

Weil Gotshal & Manges earn big bucks in the Lehman bankruptcy case…

A federal judge in Boston has ruled that mutual fund companies are subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act…

A U.S. District Court judge ruled that wiretaps were illegally installed on phones owned by the Islamic Foundation under the now ended Terrorist Surveillance Program…

• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup

In the new pay scale associate salaries are updated from September 1. At that time King & Spaulding cut annual salaries by $10,000 to $23,000. The new pay scale restores some associate salaries to their prior levels and lessens the pay cuts for others depending upon associate class year.

Founded in 1885, King & Spaulding is an Atlanta based firm with approximately 880 attorneys and 14 offices globally.

• Morning Roundup
• Clifford Chance Alters Associate Bonus Policy
• Morning Roundup
• Freshfields Unfreezes Associate Lockstep; Unveils 2010 Rates
• Morning Roundup

Founded in 1945, Seyfarth Shaw is a general practice Chicago based firm with 775 lawyers. The firm has additional offices in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

• Morning Roundup
• Seyfarth Shaw Abandons Lockstep
• Squire Sanders Latest to Lay Off Staff; May Merge With Seyfarth Shaw
• Press Release: Thompson & Knight Add New Associates
• Seyfarth Shaw Adds Two Partners to Firm

Steve Epstein joined Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson as a partner…

Albert P. Halluin, Senior Counsel at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, passed away in a plane crash last Friday…

Kirkland & Ellis reported increases in  profits and revenues in 2009…

Mayer Brown reported decreases in profits and revenues in 2009…

British law firm Ashurst asked more partners to leave and closed it’s India office…

Northwestern University School of Law topped The National Law Journal’s annual rankings…

K&L Gates global development partner Janice Hartman has overseen the rapid expansion of the firm…

Winston & Strawn outlined associate salaries in a memo…

Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear were named one of the top intellectual firms in the nation by MIP Magazine…

Rosemary Becchi joined Patton Boggs Washington, D.C. office as a partner…

Revenues and profits decreased at Howrey in 2009…

• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup

Morrison & Foerster was founded in 1883 and has over 1,000 attorneys. Headquartered in San Francisco, the firm has 16 offices in various locations throughout the world.

• DLA Piper Associates Getting Pay Raise
• Morrison Foerster Adds Partner in New York Office
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Morrison & Foerster Lower Incoming Associate Salaries in California

Tycko & Zavareei filed a class action suit against Fifth Third Bank…

Pillsbury gave raises (sort of) and bonuses…

Gardere Wynne added four attorneys to their roster…

Morrison & Foerster hired Joe Calve as their Chief Marketing Officer…

Danna McKitrick attorney Ruth Binger was named a Top Small Business Lawyer by the St. Louis Small Business Monthly…

Revenues and profits were up at Bingham McCutchen…

Thor Hearne, a former national election counsel in the Bush administration, joined Arent Fox…

Littler Mendelson welcomed 4 new shareholders to the firm…

Neil Upton joined Greenberg Traurig to head its UK Energy Practice…

The former director of Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality joined Foley & Lardner…

Mintz Levin gave incoming associates the option to defer their starting employment date…

Alston & Bird hired a contractor to explore the construction of a new office building…

• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup

While Cravath has always carried the reputation of being hard to break into partnership, there has yet to be a year where not one associate has made partner. There have been rumors that the firm was hit harder than other firms during the economic crisis, as Cravath did suffer a 24 percent drop in its profits per partner for 2008.

Cravath’s deputy presiding partner, Allen Parker, denies that this decision has been influenced by the economic crisis, but rather attributes it to the fact that no one has met the firm’s standards. There are reports that only a handfull of attorneys from the class of 2002 are left with the firm and that the superstars all got out several years ago.

• Clifford Chance Partners with a Former Banker
• Cravath Swain’s Forrest Leaves Firm for Department of Justice
• Morning Roundup
• Winston & Strawn LLP Adds Two Partners to Los Angeles Office
• Columbus Office of Dinsmore & Shohl to Add Two New Partners

In the case of Bryan Cave, new associates are being offered $70k to not work. In some cases, these lawyers are being asked to, in effect, “go away”, while others are being paid to take a deferral. It’s unclear how many of each there are at this time.

Stroock and Pillsbury have already offered first year associates money to walk away in one form or another. If more firms continue to do this, will it have a net impact on the legal economy? How many new associates would need to be subsidized in order to “correct” the market? If this becomes an industry trend, we may find out.

• 800 Legal Jobs Go Bye-Bye In July … But Still Reflect An Improvement
• DLA Piper Associates Getting Pay Raise
• Vinson & Elkins Make Good: First-Year Associates Begin Oct. 4
• Morning Roundup
• 1,100 Legal Jobs Lost in January

The six-month program was designed to provide associates with direct litigation, trial advocacy, and jury persuasion experience. The goal of the training is to prepare associates to become first-chair trial lawyers, a client-service strategy to provide quality service at non-senior rates.

Clips of the training sessions, including opening statements, direct examinations, and closing arguments, are available on YouTube.

In June, the firm laid off 10 associates and 22 staff.

Nashville’s Bass, Berry & Sims employs more than 225 attorneys, representing numerous publicly-traded companies and Fortune 500 businesses.

• Bass Berry Lays Off 10 Lawyers, 22 Staff
• ABA Tells Judge not to Overrule Denial of Duncan School of Law
• Knox Trustee Awards Bonus to Self, Others
• Duncan School of Law Sues ABA
• Clawbacks are Facing Pushback’s in Law Firm Bankruptcies

That’s all the information we have at the moment. If you know anything about the situation at King & Spalding, please — send us a confidential tip!

King & Spalding was founded in Atlanta in 1885. Its clients include Georgia blue chip companies, from Coca-Cola and Home Depot to SunTrust, as well as General Motors and Ernst & Young. It has 13 offices, including locations in Dubai and Frankfurt.

UPDATE

A JDJournal tipster tells is that 50 associates are to be converted to staff attorneys.

Thanks for the tip!

• Tipster: Stealth Layoffs at Dykema
• Nixon Peabody Slashes Salaries
• Confirmed: Layoffs at Quinn Emanuel
• Update: Hogan & Hartson Reduces Pay for Certain First-Year Associates
• Adorno & Yoss Atlanta Hires 8 Partners, 5 Associates

Under a lock-step scheme, associate salaries are determined entirely by how long the associate has been with the firm.

Orrick’s new compensation model places associates on the partner track into one of three levels: Associate, Managing Associate, and Senior Associate. Compensation will be based on level, and clear guidelines for moving up through the levels will be provided.

Associates not on the track to partner will be on a personalized program called the Custom Track.

The firm is also expanding its associate training, mentoring, and feedback systems.

San Francisco, California-based Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe was founded in 1863, and has over 1,100 lawyers worldwide in 21 offices. The firm’s day-to-day administrative operations are centralized at a Global Operations Center in Wheeling, West Virginia.

• More Firms Adopting Merit-Based Pay for Associates
• Raises (sort of) and Bonuses at Pillsbury
• Hughes Hubbard Thaws Salaries, Issues Bonuses
• Orrick Moves Away From Lockstep
• Fish & Richardson Will NOT Cut Associate Pay

Ladas & Parry brought on the IP team as of counsel for its New York office. They bring along associate Elliot Lipins.

Established in New York in 1912, Ladas & Parry LLP is an international intellectual property firm with over 50 attorneys at offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, London and Munich.

• Several Howrey Partners Moving on to Three More Firms
• Hughes Hubbard Expands NY Bankruptcy Practice
• Kutak Rock Founds Phillie Office
• McKenna Long Adds Public Finance Attorneys
• Ventantonio & Wildenhain Brings on Lawyers

All associates, including incoming and summer associates, will see a reduction to $145,000 in Boston, Washington DC, New York, Chicago and California; less in other locations. There will also be additional performance-based cuts.

Meanwhile, associates can look forward to merit-based bonuses, based on such criteria as hours worked, new business brought in, community leadership, and “extraordinary contributions to the welfare and advance[ment] of the firm.”

In other words, management will pay whatever they want to pay, with criteria that squishy.

Nixon Peabody LLP is one of the largest multi-practice law firms in the US, with offices in 17 cities in the United States and one in London, and more than 700 attorneys in 25 major practice areas.

• DLA Piper Slashes Salaries
• Davis Wright Cuts Associate Salaries
• Update: Hogan & Hartson Reduces Pay for Certain First-Year Associates
• Last Minute Deferrals at Nixon Peabody
• Nixon Peabody Lay Offs – Shhhh

Davis Wright is also pushing back start dates of its incoming associates to January 2010. A bar stipend of $7,500 has been offered.

Established in 1908, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP has offices in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, California, Washington DC, New York, and Shanghai. In 2008, the National Law Journal ranked the firm 98th largest in the United States based on attorney headcount.

• WilmerHale Defers Start Dates, Offers $75,000
• Nixon Peabody Slashes Salaries
• Winston & Strawn Defers Start Dates
• Update: Hogan & Hartson Reduces Pay for Certain First-Year Associates
• Ballard Spahr Defers Start Dates

Today we learn more about changes in compensation for associates who joined the firm in Fall 2008.

Hogan offers two compensation tracks for its associates; those who bill 1,950 hours per year plan earn at least $160,000, while those on the 1,800-hours plan earn at least $145,000.

Starting yesterday, the firm moved associates who aren’t on track to bill at least 1,850 hours to the reduced salary track.

Associates can move back up to the higher salary level by billing 1,950 hours by the end of this year. They can count up to 100 pro bono hours toward their billable hour totals. If they log more than 1,850 hours but less than 1,950, they will be compensated proportionally.

The firm says it hopes the changes will not be carried over into 2010.

Founded in 1904, Hogan & Hartson is the oldest major law firm headquartered in Washington, DC. It is a global firm with more than 1,100 lawyers in 27 offices worldwide, including offices in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

• Howrey Adopts Apprenticeship Model for First Years
• Snell & Wilmer Decimates Associate Salaries
• Nixon Peabody Slashes Salaries
• Crowell & Moring Reducing Salaries for Some Lawyers
• Davis Wright Cuts Associate Salaries

The associates should have experience in antitrust or securities litigation.

The firm was recently appointed co-lead counsel in a Bear Stearns securities class action.

Berman DeValerio prosecutes class actions nationwide on behalf of individuals and institutions, chiefly victims of securities fraud and antitrust law violations. Founded in 1982, the firm now includes 33 lawyers in Boston, San Francisco and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

• Morning Roundup
• New York Firm Chiefs Expect More Hiring in 2011
• Recruitment Levels Get Back to Normal at Clifford Chance
• Microsoft Seeks Antitrust Lawyer
• DOJ Confirms Appointment of Munger Tolles & Olson Partner Pomerantz to Trial Team in Antitrust Case Against AT&T

Examples in the US include Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, Shearman & Sterling and WolfBlock.

Firms are also cutting salaries for starting associates, just two years after top firms raised pay to compete for talent.

“In the current economic crisis, we see the final demise of the Medieval guild in the American legal profession,” consultant Joel Henning tells Bloomberg.

Orrick will introduce new tiers of associates, replacing the traditional single-track system where some become partners who share in the firm’s profits after about eight years. Under the new structure, associates will be able to stay at the firm permanently, drawing salaries; and will not have to leave the firm if they are unwilling to work long hours.

Clients typically pay much less for work done by a law firm associate than that performed by a partner.

Howrey introduced a similar plan in January, and McGuireWoods started one two years ago.

• Orrick Abandons Lock-step Compensation for Associates
• Several Howrey Partners Moving on to Three More Firms
• Is ‘Big Law’ Revamping Associates’ Pay Structure?
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup

The layoffs are forcing associates to take on more legal research and other tasks once handled by paralegals and law librarians.

David Sturgess, managing partner of Updike, Kelly & Spellacy in Hartford, said his firm has a ratio of one support staffer for every three lawyers after layoffs, but he knows of some firms with 1-4 ratios.

Law firm consultant Peter Giuliani said many of the staff cuts are being made in departments handling information technology, billing or other areas that can be outsourced. In New York, he said, many law firms made significant layoffs in their law libraries.

For the most part though, firms aren’t cutting secretaries. “In my experience, secretaries are usually a protected class,” Giuliani said.

• Major Layoffs at Dechert Today
• Squire Sanders Latest to Lay Off Staff; May Merge With Seyfarth Shaw
• Staff Layoffs are a Growing Trend
• Working as a Legal Associate
• Lawyer Malpractice Upticks due to Bad Economy- Industry Analysts

As many of you know, in recent days, a number of traditional California based firms have announced increases to the base salaries paid to their associates… So, we are pleased today to announce an increase in the base salaries we will pay to each of our associate classes, effective June 1, as follows (these figures are at an annualized level):

First Year (Class of 2006) — $160,000
Second Year (2005) — $170,000
Third Year (2004) — $185,000
Fourth Year (2003) — $210,000
Fifth Year (2002) — $230,000
Sixth Year (2001) — $250,000
Seventh Year (2000) — $265,000
Eighth Year (1999) — $280,000

The partners of the firm appreciate your hard-work and many contributions to the firm’s continuing success.

Irell & Manella LLP was founded in 1941 by lawyers Lawrence E. Irell and Arthur Manella, and has grown to 220 lawyers. It has offices in Century City and Newport Beach.

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Those lawyers will be able to earn back some or all of that sum as a bonus, if they bill at least 1,750 hours this year.

The firm also announced layoffs last week, eliminating the jobs of 12 associates, five paralegals and 29 secretaries. Furthermore, it has pushed back the starting date for its incoming first-year class to January 2010.

Roughly 210 lawyers will be affected by the salary change. Associate salaries vary among Thompson Hine’s eight offices: first-years in the New York office earn $145,000; those in Cleveland bring in $125,000; and Cincinnati first-years make $115,000. The reduction represents a 12% decline for first-years in New York, and a 15% decline in Cincinnati.

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The firm has added 13 lawyers — eight partners and five associates — in the past three months, bringing the Atlanta head count to 45 attorneys.

Adorno & Yoss is an international law firm with over 300 professionals in 27 locations.

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Most foreign law firm partners are registered as gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi, or gaiben, but the majority of associates and counsel are not.

The Federation says “even if a lawyer qualified in a foreign country who has not been registered as a registered foreign lawyer is not a partner, but an associate, assistant, adviser, consultant, of counsel or any person with another title or position, providing any service that is substantially a legal service will constitute a violation of Article 72 of the Attorney Act.”

To qualify as a gaiben, a lawyer must have practiced for at least three years, two of which have to have been outside Japan. The registration process can take anywhere from six months to two years.

In recent years, top law school graduates with strong Japanese language skills have been highly sought by foreign firms’ Tokyo offices, but such hires would be stymied by the gaiben overseas experience requirement.

Several partners with foreign firms in Japan said they doubted blanket registration was being proposed. They noted that the Japanese definition of practicing law generally meant a lawyer acting independently, so junior lawyers working under the supervision of a registered partner would probably continue to be exempt.

A spokesperson for the Japanese Bar group said it would release a further statement in the next few days.

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Patricia McLeod bumped up against the invisible wall between female and male lawyers as a young articling student at a Vancouver law firm.

Male students were more frequently invited to football games by the firm’s partners, most of whom were men. More frustrating, when the men played on the company hockey team “the guys would get passed files in the locker-room,” says McLeod. Rubbing shoulders with partners and getting as many billable hours as possible could mean the difference between being kept on at the end of the year or not, she explains.

But when women at the firm decided to start holding get togethers of their own, “there was a huge objection to our ‘hen parties,’” says the 40-year-old…

“We were told we should join the hockey team.”

The Lilith Law Professional Development and Mentoring program launched in Calgary last week and is the first of its kind in Canada.

Patricia Blocksom, a senior partner with Dunphy Best Blocksom; Valerie Prather, a partner with Bennett Jones; and Ronnalee McMahon, a mentoring expert with Action Circle Consulting; all decided it was time to help younger female lawyers learn to navigate what Blocksom calls “the systemic barriers against women in the profession.”

Ten proteges are paired with 10 mentors. Proteges are usually associate lawyers who’ve been at a firm for three to five years but haven’t yet “made partner.” Mentors are typically senior lawyers, some partners with a financial stake in their firms.

In the formalized six-month program, proteges and mentors meet once a month for up to two hours. Contracts guaranteeing confidentiality are signed and goals are set. The entire group also gathers once a month for professional development sessions that feature guest speakers.

Via Canada.com.

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