JD Journal » health care coverage

McDermott Cuts Associate & Staff Medical Benefits

Erik Even — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:18:32 +0000

McDermott Will & Emery, which recently laid off 25 associates and 47 staff and cut pay, is now cutting health benefits for associates and staff.

According to an internal memo leaked to the blawgosphere, the firm believes its employee health benefits plans are “above market,” and should be brought more “in line with the market.”

Specifically, according to online sources, the firm will increase some premia and deductibles, and reduce pharmaceutical coverage. Changes take effect July 1st.

McDermott Will & Emery LLP, founded in 1934, is a prestigious international law firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the top 10 largest law firms in the United States and one of the 20 largest in the world.

Morrison & Foerster Defers Start Dates

Erik Even — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:34:31 +0000

Morrison & Foerster has informed 40% of its incoming associate class that their start date has been pushed to April 2010. The remainder will start in November 2009.

Those deferred will get $5,000 per month plus a bar stipend, and reimbursement of health care premia.

Also, new associates can opt to join at an even later date than April 2010, if they do public interest work. Those who take this option will get a $15,000 bonus when they eventually join the firm.

Morrison & Foerster LLP has more than 1,000 lawyers in 19 offices. The firm was founded in San Francisco in 1883.

Dewey & LeBoeuf Offers 18-Month Deferral Program

Erik Even — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:53:02 +0000

Dewey & LeBoeuf, which in March deferred start dates for its 2009 incoming class to January 2010, has now announced a new year-long deferral program called “DL Pursuits.”

Associates who sign on for the plan will get one-third of their salary, full medical, $1,000 in student loan repayment, and bar fees.

First year associates can take the plan for 18-months instead of 12.

Program members who take on a paying job while deferred still get the salary stipend.

Dewey & LeBoeuf is a white shoe law firm formed in 2007 by the merger of Dewey Ballantine and LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae. The firm has 24 offices in 14 countries.

Georgetown Law Offers Fellowships, Health Care to Deferred Graduates

Erik Even — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:17:27 +0000

Georgetown University Law Center is offering its deferred 2009 JD grads, and those without offers, the chance of a public interest fellowship. The school is also offering on-campus jobs and health care benefits.

The law school will offer stipends to fund a number of short term, unpaid internships with government agencies or public interest organizations for Fall 2009. Participants will get $3,250 for three months. Priority will go to those who have not secured an offer of post-graduate employment.

Applicants are responsible for securing their own internships.

The school will also offer a number of short-term positions, up to three months, at Georgetown Law itself, starting in the Fall. The positions would include research assistants to faculty, the law library, and Law Center institutes and centers, or working for a Law Center office. Participants will be paid the standard research assistant rate.

Students currently enrolled in the university’s Premier health plan will be covered under the current policy until August. The plan can then be extended for six months to February 2010.

Georgetown University Law Center is Georgetown University’s law school, located in Washington, DC. According to the 2009 rankings by US News & World Report, Georgetown Law is the #14 ranked law school in the nation overall, and is #1 in clinical programs, #4 in environmental law, #4 in trial advocacy, #6 in health care law, #4 in international law, and #2 in tax law.

Tipsters: Kirkland Lays Off at Least 80 [Update 4]

Erik Even — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:50:09 +0000

Friday we reported the rumor that Kirkland & Ellis laid off an undisclosed number of support staff today.

This morning a tipster informs us that Kirkland laid off 13 staff members in Los Angeles and 30 in Chicago; its unclear how many were let go in New York and DC.

The tipster says those laid off were given “industry-standard” severance packages (two weeks per year of service, maxing out at 26 weeks), continued medical benefits for several months, and paid two weeks notice.

If know have any details about layoffs at Kirkland & Ellis, please — send us a confidential tip!

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a Chicago-based law firm that practices in the US and internationally. As of 2008, it was the seventh largest law firm in the US and the 11th largest in the world by revenue. It has offices in New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Munich, Hong Kong, and Palo Alto.

UPDATE:

A second tipster informs us that 14 staff members were laid off in the San Francisco office, with most focusing on the corporate side and general staff.

There are also rumors that attorneys could be next!

UPDATE of the UPDATE:

A third tipster repeats the above, but adds that some people did not receive severance.

A big thank you to our tipsters!

FINAL UPDATE

Blawg sites are now reporting that at least 80 staff were fired, with a focus on secretaries administrative assistants, although mail room and records personnel were affected.

The cuts affected Chicago, New York, and DC.

REALLY FINAL UPDATE, REALLY

An anonymous tipster writes (edited for length):

As far as the mail room layoffs, Kirkland has changed the way mail is delivered. In the new building, they have installed a dumbwaiter to transfer mail and documents between floors, eliminating those clunky mail carts being pushed in and out of the elevators…

Kirkland eliminated ALL of the receptionist positions. They changed the title of the receptionists, and then asked all of the former receptionists to apply for those five new positions. The rest were let go (most of them). The secretaries have had their number of assignments increased to as many as five or six attorneys apiece… They have eliminated ALL the floating secretaries, with the exception of a handful to replace secretaries who are out on trial or on leaves of absences…

Rumor is that the staff layoffs on Friday were only Round 1, with two more rounds to go. Since the staff is so lean at this point, it would seem more logical that Round 2 and Round 3 will NOT be staff!

Winston & Strawn Defers Start Dates

Erik Even — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:46:11 +0000

According to online sources, Winston & Strawn has pushed back 2009 incoming associate start dates to January 19th, 2010.

Deferred associates will receive an additional $15,000, in addition to their $10,000 bar stipend. The firm will provide health care benefits to its incoming associates, starting this September.

Winston & Strawn LLP was founded in Chicago in 1853. It employs about 1,000 attorneys among 13 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Venable Announces Layoffs

Erik Even — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:18:08 +0000

Baltimore’s Venable has announced layoffs.

From the official email announcement:

We understand that communicating this action by email is not ideal. However, it is important that you know of the Firm’s action as soon as possible.

Approximately 3% of our attorneys (16), 8% of our full time staff (43), and 7% of our paralegals (5) will be directly impacted. The individuals who are subject to the layoff are being offered severance packages, as well as professional assistance in locating new employment. As part of the severance package, the Firm is offering health care coverage that will be paid by the Firm through June 30, 2009. We ask that you provide our colleagues who are affected by today’s action the respect and compassion that they need in this difficult time.

For the innumerate, that’s 64 people laid off.

Also:

Venable will also delay the start of the incoming class of first year associates from September 2009 to January 4, 2010. The Firm will pay for the costs associated with preparation for, and the taking of, the Bar exam. In addition, the Firm will provide our incoming class with a $10,000 stipend in September 2009.

Venable LLP is a law firm, formerly known as Venable, Baetjer & Howard LLP. It was founded in Baltimore in the post-Civil War period. Today the firm maintains six Northeastern US offices and specializes in patent litigation, labor and employment law and white collar investigations. Venable employs nearly 600 attorneys.