JD Journal » support staff

Walmart’s Slogan, “Save Money, Live Better” Now Extends to Legal Services

joshua — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:31:05 +0000

Walmart’s legal department announced plans to form an in-house pro bono program in which its attorneys, paralegals, and support staff will participate in legal aid projects in the Arkansas community.

The company’s initiative makes Walmart has become the 100th signatory to the national Corporate Pro Bono Challenge(SM), a voluntary benchmark developed and administered by Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO), a partnership project of the Pro Bono Institute (PBI) and the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), designed to encourage and promote pro bono service with in-house lawyers and legal departments.

In addition, the Walmart legal department and the Walmart Foundation announced today they will make a $115,000 donation to Legal Aid of Arkansas and the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission. The grant will help the Commission continue its efforts to address key issues raised by low-income clients, including family law, consumer practice, financial, housing, and employment matters.

In a press release, Jeff Gearhart, executive vice president and general counsel of Walmart was quoted as saying: “Our pro bono effort is a natural extension of our company’s overall belief in being a good corporate citizen. Helping to ensure that access to legal services is a reality for all of our citizens, regardless of their ability to pay, is consistent with Walmart’s commitment to making a difference in the communities that we serve.”

The Walmart Foundation funds initiatives focused on education, workforce development, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and health and wellness.

Saul Ewing Hires Buchanan Ingersoll Team

Erik Even — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:55:20 +0000

A group of seven attorneys, including three partners, from Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney will join the Wilmington, Delaware office of Saul Ewing.

William E. Manning, Teresa K.D. Currier and Richard A. Forsten are joining Saul Ewing as partners, while James D. Taylor joins as Special Counsel. Joining the firm as associates are Jennifer Morgan Becnel-Guzzo, Michael J. Farnan and Andrew H. Lippstone.

Manning joins the Litigation Department and will serve, with Stabler, as Co-Office Managing Partner. He will also Co-Chair Saul Ewing’s Higher Education Practice Group with James A. Keller.

Currier joins the Bankruptcy & Restructuring Department, and Forsten will be a partner in the Real Estate Department.

Taylor, Becnel-Guzzo and Farnan will join the Litigation Department, and Lippstone will be a member of the Real Estate Department.

Three secretaries and two paralegals from Buchanan Ingersoll will join the attorneys.

Saul Ewing LLP is a full service law firm with 260 lawyers in nine offices in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, New York and the District of Columbia.

Jones Day Freezes Support Staff Salaries

Erik Even — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:59:11 +0000

Online sources say that Jones Day has announced a salary freeze affecting all support personnel and staff across the firm, through at least June 2010.

In addition, staff will get no bonuses through 2009.

Corporate Board Member magazine named Jones Day the second best corporate law firm. Earlier this year, the firm opened new offices in Dubai and Mexico City. Hopefully, the firm will not sue us for mentioning its name.

Jones Day is an international law firm headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1893 by Judge Edwin J. Blandin and William Lowe Rice. Jones Day is the 8th largest law firm in the world by revenue. It is currently the second largest law firm in the United States, with approximately 2,400 lawyers and gross annual revenue in excess of US$1.5 billion.

Pannone Lays Off 35 Staff, Goes to 4-Day Week

Erik Even — Sat, 16 May 2009 16:57:43 +0000

Law firm Pannone has laid off 35 staff, and is asking employees to voluntarily work a four-day week.

The layoffs affected administrative and support staff in the firm’s real estate and corporate practices.

Founded in 1852, Manchester, UK’s Pannone LLP is a full service law firm with 380 solicitors, 92 partners and a total staff of 780, who all work within specialist teams focusing on the niche work carried out by their department. Headquartered in Manchester, Pannone has satellite offices in Alderley Edge and Hale.

Rumor: Shearman & Sterling Laying Off Support Staff

Erik Even — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:46:48 +0000

According to rumors on the Tubes (it’s not a truck!), Shearman & Sterling is laying off administrative staff today.

Lawyers are apparently unaffected. An official announcement is expected tomorrow.

If you know anything about layoffs at Shearman & Sterling, please send us a confidential tip!

Two weeks ago, Shearman & Sterling reported a 4.9% drop in revenues to $876 million for 2008, and a 9.6% fall in profits per equity partner, to $1.665 million. Revenue per lawyer remained above the million-dollar mark.

Shearman & Sterling LLP is a law firm headquartered in New York City, with 19 offices located in major financial centers around the world. It was founded in 1873.

As of 2006, it was the 17th largest law firm in the world as measured by 2006 annual revenue. Shearman & Sterling is a white shoe firm, the equivalent of the Magic Circle in the UK.

Associates Have to Make Do With Fewer Staffers

Erik Even — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:46:57 +0000

Layoffs of legal support staffers have pushed the staffing ratios at some law firms to one support staffer for every four lawyers.

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.

Schiff Hardin Lays Off Support Staff

Erik Even — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:38:39 +0000

Chicago’s Schiff Hardin cut some of its administrative staff this week, as a result of “increased technological efficiencies.”

Schiff Hardin dismissed 11 “unassigned floating secretaries” who were no longer needed at the firm, because there was not work for them to do as a result of “technological advancements,” said spokesperson David Milberg.

The firm, with 432 non-lawyer employees following the reduction, has about three to four lawyers assigned to each secretary.

Schiff Hardin, which notified all employees of the cuts today, said the economic downturn didn’t play a role in the workforce reduction.

Schiff Hardin has more than 400 attorneys practicing out of seven offices nationwide.

Firms Using Fewer Legal Secretaries And Support Staff

Erik Even — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:27:00 +0000

The number of legal secretaries and other support staff that have been laid off at firms in recent months is in the hundreds. Most first cite the struggling economy as the main reason for the layoffs. Regardless of the circumstances, the layoffs suggest a growing trend of fewer and fewer legal secretaries employed by large firms.
The lawyer-to-secretary staffing ratio used to be 1-to-1. However, technology has made typing and filing less important. Many younger attorneys are taking on their own administrative tasks to cut overhead. Many firms now have a ratio of 2-to-1 or 3-to-1. Legal recruiters are reporting that larger firms have a ratio of 4-to-1.
Firms are laying off more support staff than lawyers, as lawyers calculate their value by billing hours as well as bringing in clients.

Olswang to Lay Off 8% of UK Lawyers, Staff

Erik Even — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:58:05 +0000

Olswang has begun a redundancy consultation targeted at 8% of the firm’s 618-strong UK workforce.

The firm announced today that up to 42 staff in the UK will be affected by the cuts, with salaried partners, fee earners and support staff all included in the consultation.

The firm declined to comment on how many fee earner positions are likely to be axed as a result of the consultation.

Olswang said the final number could be lower, with HR director Ffion Griffith and CEO Kevin Munslow heading a staff consultation group that will look at ways to reduce job losses, such as unpaid leave, reduced working hours or reduced working weeks.

Olswang has 682 employees worldwide, including 242 fee earners and 104 partners, and has UK offices in London and the Thames Valley.

Olswang trainees and the firm’s plans for newly-qualified recruitment will not be affected by the review, which is expected to be completed by the end of March.

Founded in 1981, Olswang also has offices in offices in Reading, Brussels and Berlin.

Ballard Spahr Latest to Cut Staff

Erik Even — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:04:22 +0000

Philly’s Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll has laid off secretarial and administrative staff personnel, the second round of staff cuts at the firm since the summer.

Rumors suggest a significant number of staff cuts at Ballard Spahr, with attorneys being affected as well in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Sources put the number of layoffs between 40 and 65.

For such an ethical firm, you’d think they’d be more forthright about firings.

Ballard Spahr let go 13 support staff around June.

One former Ballard Spahr partner, who wished not to be named, told The Legal Intelligencer the firm missed its budget for 2008.

Heller Ehrman Sued By DC Office Landlord

Erik Even — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:05:46 +0000

On Heller Highwater blog, a “a support site for the professional support staff of a global law firm in turmoil”:

I’m not sure whether this [one] just slipped by us and the rest of the media or what. But back on October 29, 2008, MEPT St. Matthews LLC – the landlord of Heller’s DC office – filed suit in San Francisco Superior Court.

…according to MEPT, which is being represented by Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Heller has not paid rent since August 1, 2008 with the monthy rate being $406,888.13. The complaint asks for at least $31M in compensation for early termination of the lease.

LawCrossing.com story on the Heller Ehrman dissolution.