JD Journal » corporate clients

2010 Steel Cage Match: Corporate Clients vs BigLaw

joshua — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:22:34 +0000

I have a mental image of two giants staring each other down inside a locked steel cage before charging at one another, swinging leather briefcases and throwing blackberrys. In this corner, wearing a charcoal suit and a red power tie we have BigLaw, who wants to raise billing rates by 5%, and in this corner wearing a black pinstripe suit with a pastel blue tie we have Corporate Clients, who want to pay 2008 rates or less. The cage is sealed, and only one will emerge victorious.

In a year in which both law firms and their corporate clients have had to make deep cuts and face economic uncertainty, neither side seems ready to blink. Several law firms have enacted salary cuts for first year associates along with lowering the billing rate for their time, and alternative fee structures are on the rise. But profits are down and the easy cost cutting measures have already been enacted, which means law firms want to raise rates to compensate. Corporations are turning to their own legal department for more of their work and are also suffering from lowered profits and greater public scrutiny. In a grudge match with enormous stakes, who will back down first?

Holme Roberts & Owen is First US Firm in Dublin

joshua — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:44:24 +0000

Salt Lake City’s Holme Roberts & Owen has opened an office in Dublin, their third in the European Union, and the first US firm in Dublin. The office opened with 3 lawyers, 2 partners and an Irish lawyer, and plans to build a practice around corporate and commercial clients.

Holme Roberts & Owen LLP is an international law firm established in 1898. It has 250 lawyers practicing in ten offices, including Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and now, Dublin.

Mayer Brown Finds Work for Laid Off Associates

Erik Even — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:23:52 +0000

When Mayer Brown laid off 45 lawyers and 90 staff in April, it promised “placement opportunities with pro bono organizations and corporate legal departments for some associates.”

The firm has come through on its promise for nine former associates, who have been placed in year-long, in-house jobs at seven Mayer Brown corporate clients. The law firm will pay the lawyers a $60,000 salary plus benefits.

The firm also placed five laid-off associates at public interest organizations.

Mayer Brown is one of the largest global law firms both by number of lawyers and revenue. The firm has over 1,800 lawyers in key business centers across the Americas, Asia and Europe