JD Journal » lays off lawyers

Fish and Richardon – Update

joshua — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:11:13 +0000

UPDATED

On Friday we reported that Fish & Richardson is closing up shop in Austin. In an update to this story, the firm has announced that they are discontinuing their corporate group as a seperate practice group, effective at the end of this year. The corporate group has 14 lawyers firm wide, some of which will remain with the firm in the northeast.

Fish & Richardson is a global IP and technology firm with 11 other offices world wide. Founded in the latter part of the 19th century, F&R handled many early patent matters including the telephone, the automobile and the radio. Some of their early clients included the Wright brothers and Alexander Graham Bell.

Tipster: Fish & Richardson Lays Off Corporate Lawyers [Update]

Erik Even — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:56:30 +0000

According to a JDJournal tipster, intellectual property firm Fish & Richardson, which in January laid off 30 staff members across its eight US offices, “laid off its entire corporate section on Wednesday.”

That’s all we got. If you know anything about stealth layoffs at Fish & Richardson, please — send us a confidential tip!

Founded in 1878, Fish is one of the largest law firms in the world practicing intellectual property, litigation, and corporate law, and has as a legal staff of more than 450 attorneys and 1,200 employees in 12 offices across the globe, including an office in Munich, Germany.

UPDATE

Another tipster says:

This statement is not true. While it is correct that several corporate attorneys have been asked to leave the firm, the firm plans to keep corporate attorneys in the Northeast.

Okay, but who was laid off? How many? Why? Help us out, people!

Gilbert Oshinsky Lays Off 4 Lawyers, 9 Staff

Erik Even — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:35:35 +0000

Blawgs are now reporting that in June, Gilbert Oshinsky laid off four attorneys and nine staff.

The staffers included five senior secretaries, two administrative employees, an IT professional, and — ironically — a legal recruiter.

The firm says the layoffs were not performance-based.

Based in Washington DC, with offices in Los Angeles and Austin, Gilbert Oshinsky represents corporations, partnerships, non-profit organizations and individuals in complex disputes, including high-stakes litigation, bankruptcy matters, class actions and ADRs.

Husch Blackwell Lays Off 10 Lawyers

Erik Even — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:18:52 +0000

Husch Blackwell, which in March laid off 17 lawyers and 45 staff, announced this week it has laid off 10 lawyers.

No further details are availability. If you know anything about layoffs at Husch Blackwell, please — send us a confidential tip!

Husch Blackwell Sanders is a multi-national litigation and business services law firm based in St. Louis, Missouri. It has approximately 675 attorneys in 13 cities. The firm was formed in 2008 as a combination of two regional law firms, Husch & Eppenberger and Blackwell Sanders, The firm also merged with Welsh & Katz of Chicago.

Tipster: Miller Canfield Lays Off 16 Lawyers, 9 Staff [Update]

Erik Even — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:40:06 +0000

A JDJournal tipster informs us that the Detroit headquarters of Miller Canfield has let go 25 people, which includes approximately 16 lawyers, including partners.

The cuts targeted a group that did work for Chrysler.

If you know anything about layoffs at Miller Canfield, please — send us a confidential tip!

Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone was established in Detroit in 1852 and has offices in Michigan, Illinois, Florida, New York, Canada, Poland, Mexico and China.

UPDATE:

Another tipster says: “I was one of three paralegals and three staff members laid off or asked to retire from Miller Canfield’s Chrysler Group on or about December 1, 2008. To the best of my knowledge, the rest were laid off last week.”

Thanks to all our tipsters!

Bass Berry Lays Off 10 Lawyers, 22 Staff

Erik Even — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:36:29 +0000

Tennessee’s Bass Berry has laid off 10 associates and 22 staff. That’s 5% of attorney headcount and 9% of staff.

The layoffs targeted the firm’s Knoxville and Memphis offices, as well as the Nashville headquarters.

The firm said the layoffs were due to the “needs of [their] clients,” and were not related to the economic downturn. That should make everyone feel better.

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

Collas Day Lays Off 6 Staff

Erik Even — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:16:22 +0000

Guernsey’s Collas Day has made six staff redundant, three of them voluntarily.

The firm is reorganizing, and recently launched a London footprint.

Collas Day, headquartered in St. Peter Port, employs eight partners and 74 staff.

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown Dependency in the English Channel, off the coast of Normandy.

Matheson Ormsby Prentice Lays Off 25 Lawyers, Cuts Salaries

Erik Even — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:07:35 +0000

Dublin, Ireland’s Matheson Ormsby Prentice is laying off 25 lawyers from the firm’s corporate & commercial, banking & financial services, and tax departments. The firm is also cutting salaries by 10%.

Trainees are not being targeted.

The firm made 20 people redundant in February, and blames the economic downturn.

Matheson Ormsby Prentice is a leading Irish corporate law firm. With 600 people, including 77 partners and tax principals, and more than 350 legal and tax professionals, Matheson Ormsby Prentice is Ireland’s largest law firm.

Their headquarters are in Dublin, with offices in London, New York and Palo Alto, California.

Update: Squire Sanders Lays Off 32 Lawyers

Erik Even — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:42:31 +0000

Earlier this week we reported the rumor that Squire Sanders fired 30 attorneys last Friday.

It has now been confirmed that the firm cut 32 lawyers in total, including seven at its largest office in Cleveland, Ohio. Most of those cut had been with the firm less than three years.

The pay cuts we reported have also been verified. The firm is slashing first-year salaries from $130,000 to $117,000.

Founded in 1890, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP has 32 offices in 15 countries across the globe.

Kilpatrick Stockton Lays Off 24 Lawyers

Erik Even — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:50:40 +0000

Kilpatrick Stockton has laid off 24 lawyers. The firm blames the economic meltdown.

Those laid off have been offered a “competitive and generous” severance package.

That’s all we know — if you have any additional details, please send us a confidential tip!

Last week the firm deferred its incoming associate class from September 2009 to April 2010.

Kilpatrick Stockton employs more than 500 attorneys in ten offices globally: Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia; Charlotte, Raleigh and Winston-Salem, North Carolina; New York, New York; Washington, DC; Dubai, UAE; London, UK; and Stockholm, Sweden.

Schulte Roth & Zabel Lays Off 20 Lawyers; Defers Start Dates

Erik Even — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:50:31 +0000

Late last year, New York City’s Schulte Roth & Zabel laid off 30 lawyers.

This week the firm asked 20 attorneys to update their CVs. The layoffs affected the corporate, real estate, and litigation practices.

Those asked to leave have been given two months notice, and will get outplacement assistance.

The firm has also shortened its 2009 summer program to 8 weeks, and has deferred start dates for incoming associates to January, 2010. There is a $20,000 stipend, and some associates will be offered a public interest deferral that pays $75,000.

Schulte Roth & Zabel is one of the top 100 largest law firms by revenue. The firm was founded in New York City in 1969 and launched in London in 2002. The firm also has an office in Washington, DC. Schulte employs nearly 450 attorneys in its three offices.

Womble Carlyle Lays Off Lawyers, Cuts Pay

Erik Even — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:23:30 +0000

Womble Carlyle has laid off an undisclosed number employees. At least 20 associates and staff have been let go.

In addition, the firm is planning pay cuts of up to 10% for “under-performing” lawyers, first- and second-year associates, and incoming associates.

The pay cuts go into effect today.

Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, established in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1876, is one of the largest business law firms in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the United States.

Alston & Bird Lays Off 14 Lawyers, 38 Staff – Kind of…

Erik Even — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 22:34:30 +0000

A few days ago, Atlanta-based Alston & Bird deferred start dates for incoming associates. The associates were offered the opportunity to participate in one-year public service or pro bono fellowships. This is common practice this year when biglaw firms defer associates.

Alston & Bird announced today it is laying off 14 lawyers and 38 staff. But the lawyers are being offered an opportunity very much like the pro bono fellowships for deferred associates; and they may even be able to get their jobs back.

From the memo:

Today, we have notified 14 associates in our transactional practice areas that the demand for legal services is not sufficient to support their full-time positions. In addition, we are reducing our support personnel by 38 staff members across several of our offices…

…we have established a program to place our lawyers in legal positions with public interest initiatives, pro bono and nonprofit groups, and clients through the end of the year… [T]hese opportunities have already been identified and will include continuing benefits, reduced pay from the firm, administrative support, and the possibility that, should demand pick up by year end, we will ask them to return to Alston & Bird.

Alston & Bird LLP is the second largest law firm in Atlanta and the forty-third largest in the United States. Founded in 1893, the firm has local offices in Atlanta; Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; New York City; Washington, DC; Dallas; Los Angeles, the Silicon Valley and Ventura County.

Locke Lord Lays Off Lawyers, Staff

Erik Even — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:11:24 +0000

Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell laid off an undisclosed number of lawyers and staff this week.

The firm cited economic reasons for the layoffs, which targeted all 13 of the firm’s offices.

No partners were laid affected. The practice areas hardest hit were real estate and finance.

Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP is an American law firm of approximately 750 attorneys with 12 domestic and one overseas office. Locke Lord was formed in 2007, after the merger of Texas-based Locke Liddell & Sapp PLLC with Lord Bissell & Brook LLP, a national law firm headquartered in Chicago.

Reed Smith Lays Off 26 Lawyers, 74 Staffers

Erik Even — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:51:42 +0000

Today Reed Smith laid off 26 attorneys and 74 staff across its US and UK offices.

Seven of the lawyers are in the US, and the firm has targeted 9 in London for redundancy.

All of the affected associates are in the corporate and real estate practices.

The laid off employees will get severance and outplacement assistance.

Founded in 1877, Reed Smith LLP employs 1500 attorneys in 23 cities worldwide. The firm counsels 28 of the top 30 US banks, and 10 of the world’s 12 largest pharmaceutical companies. In addition to the United States, Reed Smith has offices in the United Kingdom, continental Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Frisco DA Lays Off Lawyers, Staff

Erik Even — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:27:15 +0000

San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris laid off at least five staffers and two attorneys last week.

Harris blamed the City by the Bay’s $500 million budget deficit.

The staff laid off include three paralegals and two investigators.

The office had 253 total employees, including 123 lawyers, before the layoffs.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Public Defender Jeff Adachi have said that they have not had to lay anyone off for budget reasons. But they, like Harris, have cut vacant positions.

Kamala Devi Harris is the first female District Attorney to be elected in San Francisco, the first African American elected as District Attorney in California, and the first Indian American elected to the position in the US. She was cited by the New York Times to be among the seventeen most likely women to become the first female President of the United States.

Trowers & Hamlins Lays Off Lawyers

Erik Even — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:48:08 +0000

Trowers & Hamlins held a second round of redundancies this week, with four jobs in the firm’s UK offices affected.

The layoffs are in the firm’s real estate team; three in the Manchester plot sales team, and one job will be cut in Exeter.

London is currently unaffected by the cutbacks.

The news comes after the firm revealed it was to scale back its headcount in the Middle East, with seven lawyers set to lose their jobs.

Dubai has taken the biggest hit in the cuts, with five fee earners laid off, while the firm’s offices in Riyadh and Muscat have each lost one lawyer. The bulk of the cuts affected the firm’s project finance practice.

The move made Trowers the first law firm to officially make redundancies in the Middle East as a result of the global economic meltdown.

Globally, Trowers has 418 fee earners, with 40 fee earners in the firm’s Manchester office and 20 in the Exeter office.

Trowers & Hamlins is a mid-sized UK law firm based in the City of London. It is considered a leading firm in the field of social housing law, and also a leading law firm in the Middle East.

In 2007, the firm was #40 on The Sunday Times list of “100 Best Companies to Work For.”