INHOUSE INSIDER

Google's CLO Has Many Reasons To Be Happy

2010-03-09T15:48:00.008-05:00

We recently heard about how happy CLOs are to be in-house, with 90% of CLOs reporting their contentment to the ACC. That said, some CLOs are definitely happier than others.

Take David Drummond, Google’s chief legal officer, for example. Drummond has lots of reasons to be happy, about $2.233 millions’ worth to be exact. This year, according to an article by Mike Swift of the Mercury News, Drummond earned a base salary of $500,000 – and that’s not all. Drummond received a bonus of $1.733 million.

How Does Drummond’s Compensation Package Compare to Other Executives’ at Google?

According to the Mercury News, Google's founders and CEO drew a $1M base salary in 2010. Other top Google executives received double-digit raises in base salary and bonuses. Is the sky the limit? Not exactly. Google capped its bonuses at $4.5 million for the 2009 fiscal year, according to the SEC filing.

Of course, if Google is being generous with its executive, it’s because the company is enjoying unprecedented profits. Google is one of the few companies in the country that was recession-proof during this crisis. Google reported a record profit of nearly $2 billion for the fourth quarter of 2009, a fivefold increase over the last quarter of 2008.

How Does Drummond’s Compensation Package Compare To Other CLOs’?

While Drummond is being handsomely compensated, he still falls short of the top ten. According to last year’s list of the 100 top-paid general counsels (total cash compensation), Drummond came in 23rd position, earning a total of $1,826,251.

While Google may be a happy place, Walt Disney, known as the “happiest place on earth," lives up to its reputation, especially for Alan Braverman, its CLO, who earned $4,032,885 last year and came in 5th place overall. Who beat out Disney and Google for the top spot? The most highly compensated CLO last year, in terms of cash compensation, was Gregory Doody of Calpine Corporation, who brought home $9,743,621. It is indeed good to be CLO!

Happy CLOs Are Poised to Hire More in 2010

2010-03-04T14:39:00.006-05:00

According to the results of the Association of Corporate Counsel's 10th Annual Chief Legal Officer Survey, CLOs are not only happy with their job, but want to share that happiness by hiring more in-house counsels in 2010. More than 90 percent of CLOs that responded to the Survey indicated that they were happy with their jobs (up 2% from last year’s Survey). Even with the recession and a heavier workload, chief legal officers said they still like their jobs. It’s still good to be in-house. And, it looks like that happiness is going to spread.

How Much Will CLO Increase Hiring By?

About one-third (29 percent) of the 970 chief legal officers who responded to the survey said they're planning to add to their departments this year, up from 23 percent last year.

While these are positive news in an otherwise still gloomy market, this does not mean that the in-house legal market has turned the corner.

In-house legal are still operating under tough budget constraints, and while a 5% increase over last year is good news, it will not serve to make much of a dent in this saturated market

Who Will They Be Hiring?

In particular, over one-fourth (28%) of respondents plan to hire lawyers to do commoditized work, and 21% of these respondents plan to hire specialists.

In addition to the increase in hiring plans, the survey found that the number of law department attorneys based outside the U.S grew this year. This increase can be seen in Western Europe and Canada, where the number of in-house attorneys rose from 1% in 2008 to 7% in 2009; and also in Asia/Pacific, where there was an increase from 1% in 2008 to 2% in 2009.

Why Are CLOs Looking to Hire More?

The recession has forced companies to take a critical view of how they operate. While CLOs will be increasing in-house hiring, they will also be decreasing spending on outside counsel. More than a third (34 percent) said they've cut spending on outside counsel. At the end of the day, they have figured out that they can operate more efficiently by bringing more work in-house, spending less on outside counsel, and boosting spending on alternative fee arrangements, the survey shows.

Could This Be a Long-Term Trend?

That remains to be seen. While this is not a significant increase in hiring, this may be a sign of more positive news to come. Moreover, the recession has forced companies to try on a new model, and they may like what they see.

Newsline - 02/22/10

2010-02-22T11:01:00.008-05:00

What the New White House Counsel Made Last Year. New White House counsel Robert Bauer made just under $1 million last year as the head of the political law group at Perkins Coie, according to a financial disclosure form he filed this month. Bauer reported $958,788 in salary and bonuses from the firm, where he was a partner in its Washington office. That's almost 20 percent above the firm's 2009 profits per equity partner of $802,111, as reported this month by The AmLaw Daily. He also reported $14,000 in speaking honoraria and a $7,500 fee from teaching at Yale University last spring. Bauer, who started at the White House in late December and succeeded Gregory Craig, reported household investment assets worth between $2.38 million and $5.55 million. It’s a good thing that Bauer has such a nice nest egg stashed away, because he is now slated to earn about earned $172,200 per year - the highest salary paid to any of the White House counsels, and what his predecessor Craig earned last year (see our previous Blog post "What Do White House Lawyers Earn?"' It’s not bad by any standard, but these attorneys are clearly not in it for the money. Craig had also left a very lucrative private practice with the Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Williams & Connolly, where he was earning $1.7 million a year. It is refreshing to see attorneys motivated by other things besides the bottom line when making a career move. The National Law Journal

Levi Slashes its Outside Counsel. Levi Strauss has been busy making cuts, and we’re not talking about jeans either. Last spring Levi Strauss & Co. cut the number of outside law firms that it uses down to just two — one of the most sweeping reductions yet by a large company. The lucky survivors were: Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe to handle all of the worldwide legal work, and Townsend and Townsend and Crew for its global intellectual property matters. General counsel Hilary Krane said that in addition to yielding improved work at lower cost from her outside firms, the deals have also had a side benefit: better performance from her staff attorneys. While this may come across as sweeping reform by a clothing giant, this may signal a new trend for companies: fewer outside counsels to assist better-staffed in-house legal departments. Corporate Counsel

SEC Says BofA GC Didn't Get Fired Over Legal Advice. The Securities and Exchange Commission is going against the generally accepted speculation that former Bank of America general counsel Timothy Mayopoulos was fired because of his unwelcomed legal advice regarding the merger. In a court filing on Wednesday, the SEC says Mayopoulos got fired to create a position for Brian Moynihan in an effort to keep him from leaving, according to stories in the New York Law Journal and the Wall Street Journal Law Blog. Moynihan served as general counsel for 44 days before taking over as CEO. The SEC position reinforces congressional testimony by Moynihan that, before his appointment as general counsel, he had planned to leave Bank of America because he was not pleased with the position he would get after the merger. Yeah, right! The SEC’s conclusion lacks fundamental logical credibility! Here's the story: GC gives advice executives do not want made public, GC gets escorted out of the building 24 hours later, and is subsequently treated like a pariah. Despite receiving excellent reviews during his tenure at BofA, Mayopoulos was given little love after he was told to pack his stuff and leave. When Mayopoulos reached out to two of the bank's executives to obtain references to try and find a new job, he was snubbed by one and got a cool reaction from the other. Th internal dialogue was probably something like this: A reference? Yeah, you did a great job for us, but I'm not sure we can do that for you. You know, rules and all. Good luck though. I'd hate to see how Mayopoulos would have been treated had he not done a good job. ABA Journal
Ford Gets Mileage Out of Fewer Lawyers. When Ford's sales collapsed — from 2006 to 2008, and the company lost a cumulative $30 billion, something had to be done. The response: Laying off a third of its 300,000 employees worldwide. The Company’s In-House Legal Department was no exception to these cuts. Ford's general counsel David Leitch made the painful move of slashing his staff by 40 percent, from 200 lawyers to 120. His department continues to perform at the same level, he said. And it hasn't increased its use of outside lawyers to make up for the loss of in-house attorneys. However, while Ford’s attorneys “have adapted, and are more efficient and effective than they ever thought they could be" when the economy turns around, Leitch will have a new challenge on his hand. If your car takes on a lot of mileage, it’s bound to break down sooner rather than later. If you want your car to keep performing at a high level, you’ll either need to ease up on it, or get a new one. The same can be said about employees who’ve been asked to “do more with less,” over a long period of time. His overworked counsels will probably be the first to look for greener pastures, and he will need to either up his internal numbers or use of outside counsel to keep up with demands. Corporate Counsel

A Gen Y Guide to Getting—and Keeping—a Legal Job

2010-02-08T14:21:00.004-05:00

With top tier firms shedding associates and in-house legal departments tightening their belts, it’s a tough time for young attorneys to enter the workforce. But there are ways to stand out from the pack. Here, experts offer their tips for making an impression and snagging—and keeping—your dream legal job.

Be a yes man: Especially in a rough economy, it’s critical for young attorneys to fulfill their bosses’ requests with enthusiasm, says Ann-Marie Neville, a managing director in MLA’s New York office. “You have to step up in this market, because guess what—if you don’t, [your manager] is going to turn to somebody else,” she says.

Keep your eyes open: It’s important for young lawyers not only to complete assigned tasks but also anticipate what clients and co-workers need from them, says Neda Khatamee, a managing director in Major Lindsey & Africa’s New York office. “Be available, but also really be able to dance to everyone’s tune, from your partners to associates in your own class,” she says. Adds Neville, “Always be prepared to be the best possible associate who’s ready to be in front of the partner’s best client.”

Network: Your law school drinking buddies may one day turn out to be your best asset, Khatamee says. Building your network of both colleagues and clients early is one of the keys to growing and advancing as an attorney.

Respect your elders: While it’s great to bring new ideas to the work place, pause to learn why tradition dictates certain practices in your office, says Cam Marston, president and founder of the consulting firm Generational Insights. “No one’s going to care how you want to change it until you prove you know why it’s there in the first place,” he says.

Stick it out: “Patience is a virtue you can never have too much of,” says Vanessa Vidal, president of ESQ Recruiting. Though it may be tempting to bolt for another firm with flashier perks, she says a resumé dotted with too many jobs in too few years is a red flag to future employers. Though career moves may eventually be necessary to advance, make a commitment to the firm or department you start with until you encounter an opportunity too good to pass up. When your ideal job appears, a track record of loyalty will position you well to sail through the hiring process.

InsideCounsel, by Lauren Williamson - Online Exclusive that Accompanied The Cover Story in the February 2010 Issue.

JD/MBA: Make Your Business Degree Work For You

2010-01-27T18:35:00.022-05:00

In today’s world, in-house counsels are increasingly required to display a wide array of legal skills, as well as business expertise. In the last two decades, in-house counsels have evolved from acting as legal administrators to acting as both legal counsel and strategic business partners. As a result, the number of lawyers pursuing dual degrees or business degrees after earning their J.D.’s has increased.

The new breed of lawyers armed with a J.D. and M.B.A. is better positioned to succeed in the in-house world. However, most lawyers tend to fall a little short when it comes to leveraging their M.B.A. Many wonder how to use that degree to open doors that were closed, or how to use it to gain access to positions that seemed out of reach. While earning an M.B.A. is a great accomplishment, the degree alone will not cure all of your professional concerns. Here are some basic steps that will help you leverage your M.B.A. degree.

Start By Updating Your Resume

Of course, the first thing one does after earning a new degree is to include it under the “Education” section of the resume. While this may be an obvious step, it's the "where" and "how" that makes the difference. First, consider adding the degree to the header or profile of your resume. The majority of J.D./M.B.A. candidates are generally experienced lawyers who have their education at the bottom or on page 2 of their resume. By placing it front and center on the first page of your resume, your degree will get you more easily noticed by potential employers.

Next, work though the entire substance of your resume, and make sure to incorporate the business-related skills you’ve acquired. You need to be able to demonstrate the value you bring to your current and previous positions with respect to your business acumen, skills, and experience. Focus on how you were able to effectively and seamlessly combine legal counsel with business concerns. Sometimes simple changes to a resume change can have a remarkable impact on employers.

Update Your Profiles and Contact Information

While you may want to refrain from including your J.D./M.B.A. reference everywhere, there are certain places where it should appear. You law firm’s website biography should clearly include this information, as should your business cards, and your email footer. You should also consider updating your profile on social media and networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and MySpace. Again, making individuals in your network, or those that could potentially become part of your network, aware of your M.B.A. degree is a step in the right direction.

Don’t Be Afraid of Using a Little Publicity

While no one expects you to shout it from the rooftop or advertise it in a flying banner, using a little publicity when done tastefully doesn’t hurt. If your company already publicizes this sort of thing for internal dissemination, to its customer-base, or to the general public, be sure to take advantage of it. This type of publicity can come in the form of a press release, website update, newsletter etc. Also, be sure to provide your own list of contacts, from your outlook or other contact list, to the department responsible for disseminating the information.

Be Sure to Put Your Degree to Work

While you may have it framed in your office; don’t forget the practical value associated with your M.B.A. degree. It’s not enough to have gone through the theory, it is now your responsibility to re-assess your current responsibilities and determine ways that you can apply what you have learned to create additional value for your organization. This means bridging your legal advice with your newly acquired business skills. Look for ways where you can add value to a transaction or project applying your M.B.A. knowledge and skills. Of course, you do not want to overstep your role, but to the extent this is part of your responsibilities, step up and provide a business perspective to your legal advice. The manner in which you use your M.B.A. will determine its full value. So, start putting those wonderful skills to work.

2010 Predictions for In-House Legal Departments

2010-01-06T14:07:00.011-05:00

It’s safe to say that few in the legal profession were sorry to see 2009 end. This was a year that was marked by one of the worst recessions in recent history, also dubbed the “Great Recession.” According to the blog LawShucks, 12,196 people were laid off at 138 large law firms tracked last year. In all, 4,633 lawyers and 7,563 staffers lost their jobs.

Now that the dust has settled, everyone is anxiously awaiting to see what 2010 will bring. Most analysts and experts seem to agree that the worst is over. Yet, the economy has been left devastated, and the recovery promises to be a long one.

While there is always a certain level of enthusiasm along with bringing in a new year, that excitement is not simply seasonal, but based on a historically busier quarter for hiring. The first quarter of the year tends to set the tone. While some recruiters seem to be optimistic about the lateral partner market at law firms picking up, and the thawing of salary freezes, that effervescence may be cooled by some harsh realities.

The dip in unemployment numbers may be a sign that the hemorrhaging has stopped, but if 2010 is slated to be a “better” year than 2009, better is relative. Many predict that we won't get back to full employment – or to about a 5% unemployment rate prior to the recession – until 2013 or 2014. This really speaks to the severity of the job losses that have been absorbed by the economy. They are massive. The economy lost over 7.2 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007.

Law firm partners with a book of business have always been considered a hot commodity, no matter what the state of the economy. So now that more of them may be willing to make a move does not indicate an improved market. Only the creation of new positions and an uptick in associate hiring would signify a real improvement of the market, and no one is seeing or predicting anything like it in the coming months.

We expect to see a slow return to hiring over the next six months. How slow? It will be highly conservative, with departments looking to hire replacement positions first, followed by critical needs second.

We predict that about 15-20% of corporate legal departments will be selectively hiring over the next six months of 2010. If the economy is to stall again, we will start seeing sign of a slow down in the 3rd quarter.

What might this look like over the course of the year?

• Quarter 1> 5-10%
• Quarter 2> 15-20%
• Quarter 3> 20%
• Quarter 4> 20-25+%

Companies this quarter (Q1) are re-evaluating their needs and considering staffing requirements. Many legal departments have affected cost-cutting measures, and most are now working at or above capacity. As a result, some replacement positions will become available, a small number of companies will hire to re-balance their legal departments, and some companies will look to hire their first in-house counsel. That said, unless we see a determinative change in the economy, the hiring market for in-house counsels will not be markedly different from the market we experienced in 2009. While there will be fewer layoffs, positions will continue to be few and highly competitive.

Who Will Be Hiring in 2010?

We expect few changes in the types of companies that will likely hire in-house counsels in 2010. Companies who will be hiring at a greater rate than others will most likely be in the following industry sectors:

• Health care
• Education
• Government
• Energy (alternative)
• Manufacturing (possible)
• Services (possible)

If the economy does show some signs of a recovery, we could see companies in manufacturing and service enter the hiring circle, albeit conservatively.

• Regulatory/Compliance
• Litigation
• M&A

We can also expect smaller companies to take advantage of the market and hire their first in-house counsels. We have seen an uptick in hiring in the areas of regulation/compliance, litigation, and employment, although the boost in the number of hires was not necessarily significant. We are looking for a re-emergence of deals for 2010, with a conservative uptick in mergers and acquisitions.

What Will Salaries Look Like?

In-house attorney compensation always depends on several factors, including:

• Industry
• Geography
• Size of the Company
• Size of the Legal Department
• Position Level/Responsibilities
• Position Requirements
• Company Finances
• Economic Market

We expect compensation to remain flat for 2010. Salary freezes for current staff, small bonuses, and a reduction in base pay for new hires. Of those companies not cutting lawyer compensation, we can expect the majority of salaries to remain at status quo, and a minority to increase by a lower margin (expected 3%-5% increase in 2010, over 8% in 2008, and 10% in 2007).

Large Company In-House Lawyers (2010): Average of $200,000 in pay and bonuses.
Large Company In-House Lawyers (2009): Average of $206,000 in pay and bonuses.
Large Company In-House Lawyers (2008): Average of $236,000 in pay and bonuses.
Large Company In-House Lawyers (2007): Average of $226,000 in pay and bonuses.

What Should Lawyers Expect In-House?

For most attorneys practicing with law firms, 2010 will not be the year for them to transition in-house. Why? Because they will see few open positions, together with a plethora of highly qualified in-house counsels fighting for every available job.

For counsels practicing in-house, most will end up having to work more for less money. They will also work with less support – both in terms of outside counsels and internal administrative assistants and paralegals. Resources will be stretched thin. However, legal departments may be more open to selective hiring to handle the increased workload. 75% of the General Counsels we polled said they wanted to bring more legal work in-house for 2010, and 45% said they were actively planning to hire additional staff to handle the increased workload.

What’s “hot” for 2010? Compliance/regulatory is the new in-demand practice area for in-house counsels. Companies will be hiring selectively to fill in the gaps. Those looking for job security should look to develop skills in these areas to demonstrate their value and cost-saving effectiveness.

What are your predictions for 2010? Share your thoughts with us.

Why Recruiters Are Worth What They Charge

2009-12-30T08:10:00.003-05:00

In this economy, I hear a lot of companies asking the same question: "Is this legal search firm worth what it charges?"

Paul Hawkinson of the Fordyce Letter answers all of these questions in a timeless piece filled with humor, insight, and in-depth knowledge of the industry to help clients understand a recruiter's true commercial worth - in any economy.

“When I need a heart by-pass, rest assured that I won’t select my surgeon on the basis of what he charges.” That’s what an ailing executive recently opined when he was informed by his doctor about his arterial blockage problems.

Why then are corporate executives so tightfisted when dealing with what is so commonly thought of as the “heartbeat” of their companies . . . top-talent?

Companies think very little about paying the often excessive fees charged by their outside accounting and legal firms . . . or even to the gaggle of consultants who promise cost-cutting and streamlining miracles in other areas of operations.

Yet, when faced with brain drains, talent deficiencies or the need to replace a legal counsel with a better one, their thoughts too often turn to parsimony. This K-mart mentality belies and contradicts their stated objectives to “hire the best,” especially at pecking order levels below the “big picture” executive suite inhabitants.

Of course recruiting fees can vary from legal search firm to legal search firm but, when they do, you will almost always find that those on the low side are sure to exclude some very key ingredients of the process, all of which are vital to providing the indispensable services necessary to satisfy the needs of the employer.

So why are legal recruiters worth what they charge? Just a few of the often unspoken reasons are:

1. EXPERTISE

Nobody knows the legal marketplace better than a professional legal recruiter or legal search firm . . . nobody! In-house human resources and company recruiters, no matter how effective, view the legal marketplace through an imperfect or misrepresentative prism, and tunnel vision is their occupational hazard.

Just as physicians are cautioned against treating members of their own families, so too is it folly for an in-house H/R professional to believe that they have an undistorted and unbiased picture of the legal employment landscape. They are vulnerable to the pressures of internal politics and cultural dimensions which do not hinder the outsider.

Street-smart legal recruiters already know the neighborhood, including the unlisted addresses so often overlooked by the insiders.

2. CAST A WIDER NET

A professional fisherman will always have more to show than a weekend angler. Legal search firms are in the legal marketplace day in and day out. They know the unfished coves, reefs and inlets that are unknown to others. The job-hunter bookshelves are filled with lore about the “hidden legal job market.” The same holds true for professional legal recruiters who have a detailed roadmap to the hidden talent sources which will never be accessed by newspaper ads, alumni associations, applicant databases, job boards or any of the other more familiar sources of people.

There are occasional pearls through these sources (and someone inevitably wins the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes too) but you have to shuck an awful lot of smelly oysters to find them. Legal search firm only give you oysters proven to contain pearls. Your only job is to determine which pearl is the best.

Want to catch what you’re fishing for? Hire a guide!

3. COST

There is a misconception among employers that the cost of an attorney hire equals the cost of the ads or Internet postings run to attract the attorney hired. Nothing could be further from reality.

Try adding these to the true cost and you’ll see just how cost effective an outside recruiter can be:

Salaries and benefits of the employment/recruiting staffs plus those of the line managers involved in the hiring activity (who are not productive in their normal job pursuits when they’re out recruiting).

Travel, lodging and entertainment expenses of in-house recruiters; source development costs; overhead expenses including but not limited to telephone, office space, postage, and PR literature.

Applicant database maintenance, reference checking, clerical costs to correspond with the hundreds of unqualified respondents, etc.

4. UNBIASED THIRD PARTY INPUT

Contrary to what some believe, legal search firms don’t try to put square pegs into round holes. A legal recruiter’s stock-in-trade is their integrity and their reputation for finding someone better than a company could have found for themselves.

For a mid to senior-level attorneys, the average legal recruiter may develop a “long list” of a hundred or more possibilities. Each must be called and evaluated against the position specifications as well as the personality “fit” with the company and the people with whom they will ultimately work. Once this is winnowed down to the “short list,” an even more intensive interviewing process begins to narrow the search to a panel of finalists for review by the client.
This process is not, as some believe, simply romping through the file cabinets, harvesting from the Monster lookalikes or putting the job opening out to others on the legal recruiter’s network with crossed fingers that someone good will show up.

It is highly unlikely that a legal search firm will be plowing new ground with your opening. They deal within spheres of influence far more familiar with your needs than any internal recruiter and, more often than not, view the finalists as people who are competent to solve client problems rather than just fill an open slot in the organizational chart.

Because they want to do business with you again and again, they are looking for (and challenging you to excellence by hiring) the “truly exceptional” rather than the “just satisfactory” so often settled for by in-house hirers.

5. CONFIDENTIALITY

Advertising or otherwise publicly proclaiming an opening, aside from its cost and demonstrated ineffectiveness for sensitive senior level counsel openings, often creates anxiety and apprehension among the advertiser’s current employees who wonder why they aren’t being considered or worry about newcomer transition problems. Just as often it alerts competitors to a current weakness or void within the company.

6. SPEED

The recruiting process is always faster through a legal search firm that is continually tapped into the talent marketplace than one having to start the process from scratch. For every day that a key opening remains unfilled, a company’s other employees must grudgingly do double duty, or a company may need to rely more extensively on expensive outside legal counsels. And this doesn’t factor in the profit opportunities or competitive advantages lost to a company because a position remains unfilled or is done on a part-time basis by others less qualified.

7. POST HIRE DOWNTIME

Not only is speed an essential part of the legal search firm’s process, the ability to locate an attorney who can immediately “hit the ground running” with a minimum of “ramp-up time” saves time and money after the hire. All too often, a hire selected through less effective sources offering a smaller talent pool requires several months of expensive training and orientation.

8. REALITY

Legal search firms often recognize and have a duty to inform clients that they may be mistaken as to the type of person sought, the salary required to attract them, or the possibilities that the solution might just lie in areas outside the traditional target industries . . . something an internal recruiter is politically disinclined to do. Too many hirers fail to understand that a legal recruiter’s primary function is not necessary to fill a slot, but to provide the right candidate to solve a problem.

9. NEGOTIATION

Master negotiator Herb Cohen says that, “negotiation is the analysis of information, time and power to affect behavior . . . the meeting of needs (yours and others’) to make things happen the way you want them to.” As a buffer and informed intermediary, legal search firms are better able to blend the needs and wants of both parties to arrive at a mutually beneficial arrangement without the polarizing roadblocks which too frequently materialize in face-to-face dealings.

10. PRIORITIZING COMPANY RESOURCES

It is often amazing to see how much of a company’s revenues are squandered on non-productive perks for existing high-level employees while they penny-pinch on what is every company’s lifeblood . . . talent acquisition.

Club memberships and the like may be fine, but no one with an IQ higher than Forrest Gump’s believes that these expenditures substantially contribute to a company’s profit margin. But one well-placed general counsel save a company a tremendous amount of money. And the fee for having hired these legal counsels pales to insignificance when compared to the contributions they make to the bottom line.

The next time you think a legal recruiter’s fees are too high, put them in the proper perspective before asking for that Blue Light special or spinning your wheels thrashing about trying to fill vital openings with less effective (but not necessarily less expensive) pedestrian methods. Savvy executives learned long ago that the fee paid to a legal recruiter is a shrewd strategic investment, not an extraneous expense. They also know that the “best” is far different from the “best available.”

Who Will Be Getting Squeezed in 2010?

2009-12-02T11:57:00.009-05:00

As we are nearing the end of 2009, one of the toughest economic times of our generation, one would hope to see lessons learned on the eve of a new year. One thing remains clear: greed is far from dead. It is alive and kicking. So who will be squeezed as we enter 2010?

In a recent survey by Altman Weil, law firms are not standing idle. Rather than pondering measures to reduce or freeze their fees for the coming year, they are planning an average overall increase in rates of 3.2 percent for 2010. No, your eyes are not deceiving you; you’ve read the word increase correctly.

That said, no need to worry, law firms have a heart after all, and most of them won't seek an across-the-board rate increase. That’s a relief, except for those poor clients who’ll fall in the increase pool. One has to wonder who they are to be deserving of such treatment?

Will legal services be any better in 2010? Will law firm associates be better compensated in 2010? Will fixed costs increase for law firms next year? There are no reports of anything that would indicate changes in the quality of legal services to be provided in 2010. If you’ve read recent reports regarding outsourcing, law firms have been looking at creative ways to offshore legal work at a fraction of the cost. Law firm training has remained relatively stagnant over the years, and there are no changes being proposed by law schools to improve the practical skills of its graduates. The answer here seems rather clear.

As for compensation, if you’re a law firm associate, chances are you will receive a smaller paycheck in 2010. An American Lawyer survey of law firm leaders found that 40 percent of the firms had reduced starting pay for their associates, and 44 percent are considering cuts next year. If you are counting on bonuses, these are disappearing almost as fast as our polar ice caps. They are unlikely to increase overall compensation figures for 2010.

What about fixed fees? Due to intensifying focus on expense control, total overhead expenses decreased 0.6 percent from the previous year in the first three quarters of 2009 according to www.constantcontentblog.com. Law firms cut expenses and saw decreases in the areas of non-lawyer compensation, including occupancy, technology, library, marketing etc. That trend is likely to continue into the New Year. One has to wonder where the impetus for a 3.2 percent increase came from.

Could law firms try to freeze their rates for two consecutive years in a row? Yes, but are they ready to continue to deal with decreased profitability? The answer is evidently no. Partner-per-profit concerns continue to gnaw away at law firm leaders who are scrambling to find solutions to keep these profits from decreasing any further. A 5% partner-per-profit decrease seemed to take law firms into a tailspin of unprecedented layoffs, salary cuts, delayed starts dates, and other cost cutting measures. When Clifford Chance reported a record 30% decrease in partner profits; the news reports were full of dread. Of course, partners still took home a hefty $900,000 a year. That made for fewer sympathetic readers.

When the Am Law 100 showed yet-another-across-the-board 5 percent bump in profitability, you would have expected compensation figures to hit rock bottom. Profits per partner fell by 4.3 percent, to an average of $1.26 million, and revenue per lawyer dropped 1.2 percent, to $818,000. One might argue that if you were already overweight, losing 5% of your body weight is not such a big deal. I guess it's all relative.

If law firms are relying on client goodwill to support this proposed rate increase, they may have to re-think their strategy. According to a recent Reuters press release, for the first time in nine years in-house counsel predict they’ll pay no increase in outside law firm hourly rates. 64 percent said they have implemented or will implement rate freezes. 46 percent of law departments surveyed said they have cut their hourly rates paid to outside counsel, or will reduce their rates. That still leaves a rather significant 36 percent who may go along with rate increases, and 56% who will be requiring as much if not more legal services for 2010, which is probably what law firms are banking on.

Can Your Name Impact Your Job Search?

2009-12-01T17:48:00.002-05:00

In today’s digital age, job hunting is usually reduced to a resume that includes a printed name. First impressions are everything, and often these impressions are formed according to the name that appears on the resume. Can your name impact your job search? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Especially, if your name is on the exotic side of the spectrum. In other words, if your resume does not include a familiar Anglo-sounding name, chances are you may be getting short-changed when it comes to landing an interview.

Studies Show Bias in Names

One study by researchers at MIT and the University of Chicago found that job applicants with names that sounded African-American got short shrift when it came to the hiring process. The researchers sent out 5,000 fake resumes, and it turned out that resumes with names such as Tyrone and Tamika were less likely to get calls from prospective employers than their Anglo-sounding counterparts, and qualifications seemed to have little impact.

Since 9/11, there seems to be more of a bias against Muslim/Arab sounding names. Job seekers from the Middle East and India sometimes complain that their job searches are taking longer than their Anglo Saxon named counterparts. Could the reverse also be true? Some job seekers with Asian sounding names sometimes claim that employers select them based on stereotypes that includes being ‘smart,’ ‘hardworking,’ and ‘committed.’”

Are potential employers discriminating? Possibly, and this sort of bias might not even be deliberate. When all things are equal, individuals tend to gravitate towards the ‘known’ rather than the ‘unknown,’ and name recognition and familiarity is no exception. Whether or not it is deliberate, or the employer has some legitimate business reason for preferring certain names to others, this practice is very much alive, especially in a market where there are more qualified applicants per position than ever before.

Should You Change Your Name?

To change or not to change your name is the real question. If you have an ‘exotic’ sounding name or one that reflects your ethnicity, should you change it to a name that will strike most people as ‘familiar’ or ‘mainstream’ rather than ‘foreign’ or ‘confusing?’” That’s a deeply personal question. If you chose to change your name, you may be catering to the ignorance and discrimination that prompted you to make the change in the first place. On the other hand, changing your name could have a positive impact on your resume selection and job search.

Whether you chose to change your name to an American-sounding or ‘neutral’ sounding name, you may want to simply consider following the national trend: name abbreviation. How many people do you know today who go by Alexander, Christopher, or Elizabeth? Whenever a name is more than two syllables, you can be sure that someone will try and find a short nickname to replace it. Adopting an abbreviated version of your names could allow you to retain part of your identity, but provide an easier or more memorable option for your colleagues to remember. While changing your names is a deeply personal choice, it may be worth exploring, especially if you’ve been hitting the pavement unsuccessfully.

BofA's Answer to Mayopoulos' Firing: Downsizing

2009-11-18T10:07:00.007-05:00

We all know that times are tough, so what's the best way to save some money when you are in the middle of a contentious merger? Fire the GC, of course. That's what the three Bank of America executives testifying before a Congressional panel yesterday, Brian Moynihan, Charles "Chad" Gifford, and Thomas May, argued when trying to explain the suspicious firing of Mayopoulos. It was result of "downsizing." Yeah, right.

I guess it was as good a try as any, but it's hard to know how these executives were able to keep a straight face during their explanation. Firing the GC literally overnight, while the company was struggling to complete a merger and 24 hours after the GC learned that reported losses were nearly twice what it had been reported to him by the CFO, is a hard one to swallow. Downsizing happens, but would a company take its top legal officer out in the middle of a critical deal? Short of a gross impropriety, that's unlikely.

The story gets even harder to give it the benefit of the doubt as details further unveil. According to an article by Corporate Counsel, all three testifying executives agreed that "Mayopoulos was a good lawyer and had done good work in his five years at BofA." There were no signs of any impropriety or wrongdoing. So, if Mayopoulos was doing such a good job, why was he fired overnight? To save money? That weak argument is debunked by Moynihan's own testimony.

Moynihan's testimony was critical as he acted as Mayopoulos' replacement for 44 days. If you suspend your disbelief for a minute, and assume that BofA absolutely had to save money by firing Mayopoulos, the fact that his replacement only lasted 44 days gives the story even less credence.

Consider the fact that Moynihan didn't ask why Mayopoulos was fired. If you were taking over for someone fired, that might be the first question that would come to mind. Moynihan claims that he thought it was part of a 10 percent cut in executive staff. I guess he didn't wonder if he'd be next on this "downsizing" list.

Moynihan never had to worry about that. While he has his detractors, see "Attorney in Charge of Merrill Lynch Eyeing BofA CEO Job," he's also has the backing of CEO Kenneth Lewis, who may have been grooming him to take over his position (Lewis will be departing December 31st). Lewis had discussions with the Board to try to hold on to Moynihan who was threatening to leave for greener pastures unless he was being offered better opportunities with the bank. So it comes as no surprise that when Ken Lewis offered him the GC job, he accepted. You have to give it to Lewis, this was a clever albeit unscrupulous way to kill two birds with one stone. Get rid of someone whose legal advice you don't want to hear, and hold on to your "golden child" in one swift move.

Congress does not seem to be buying the far-fetched stories it has been presented with by BofA executives, which they've called "very curious," "troubling" and not believable. Congress is also unlikely to appreciate the backstabbing and deceitful practices that are now coming to light. After all, this episode came at a great cost to taxpayers; BofA received a total of $45 billion in government aid, which included an injection of $20 billion after it threatened to pull out of the Merrill Lynch merger. And that's no laughing matter.

Mayopoulos: The GC That Knew Too Much...Or Not Enough

2009-11-17T14:44:00.009-05:00

After months of waiting and wondering about what happened following the announced Merrill Lynch losses declared by Bank of America on December 9th, Tim Mayopoulos was finally able to tell his side to the story before Congress after the bank agreed to a request to waive its attorney-client privilege.

In a tale that would make for an interesting John Grisham novel, Mayopoulos recounts how he was "fired on the spot," the day after he learned that losses at Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. were almost twice what he was originally told, or $15.3 billion.

According to an article by Corporate Counsel, Mayopoulos was fired without notice and without reason, after trying to speak with BofA's CFO, Joe Price, following the disclosure. That fateful discussion never took place, as Price all of the sudden became "unavailable" and Mayopoulos was fired the next day.

Mayopolous was given the boot after five years on the job, having received outstanding performance evaluations, and being assured he would be the general counsel for the newly merged company. Mayopolous was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and in the hands of unscrupulous executives.

What's a GC to do when his client is disclosing inaccurate information? Based on the figures he was provided, Mayopoulos did what every good GC would have done in his place. He discussed it with his outside counsels at Wacthtell. Because the amount originally disclosed, $5B, was similar to Merrill's previous losses, and because the bank had indicated it expected losses to remain nearly the same, all the lawyers concluded in a conference call on Nov. 20 "that disclosure was not warranted," as reported in the Corporate Counsel article.

Clearly, that changed when the numbers came to $15.3 billion. A number that BofA would use to threaten a pull-out from its Merrill Lynch merger, which eventually earned the bank another $20 billion in federal bailout funds. An expensive slight of hands for taxpayers, which Congress is now trying to unravel.

Mayopoulos' treatment sure leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. One has to wonder how Mayopoulos, whose family still lives in Charlotte on the same street as the soon-to-be former BofA CEO, Kenneth Lewis, has been dealing with this ugly slap in the face. I wouldn't be surprised if the neighbors aren't greeting each other on their way to work (Mayopoulos is now GC of Fannie Mae).

The story does not end here as other BofA executives are scheduled to testify before Congress, including Mayopoulos' temporary replacement and controversial figure, Brian Moynihan (See: "Attorney In Charge of Merrill Lynch Eyeing BofA CEO Job"). Stay tuned.

Top White House Lawyer Resigns

2009-11-13T08:19:00.007-05:00

White House counsel Greg Craig has announced his resignation today. According to a report by NBC News, Bob Bauer, who was general counsel on Obama's presidential campaign and a longtime adviser to Obama, will be taking over Craig's role, officials said.

What led to the sudden resignation?

Greg Craig has been the subject of questions about his future since late summer, when he became involved with the controversial plan to close Guantanamo Bay. Dogged by criticism from both the left and the right on how this process has been handled - from the release of information, to the decision of where to house detainees - Craig had been increasingly under fire.

But don't worry about Greg Craig hitting the growing unemployment line.

According to officials, the former White House counsel never intended to stay on for more than a year. And that's highly believable. The Yale Law School graduate, who held the same position in the Clinton administration, earned $172,200 per year - the highest salary paid to any of the White House counsels (see our previous Blog post "What Do White House Lawyers Earn?"'

Prior to joining the Obama administration, Craig left a very lucrative private practice with the Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Williams & Connolly, where he had been a partner since 1999, earning $1.7 million. Clearly, Craig was never in it for the money, and he is likely to land on his feet quickly. According to the NBC news report, Craig is expected to move to another prestigious job, such as an ambassadorship or judicial posting. Returning to a lucrative private practice is also not out of the question, something Craig had done when he left the Clinton administration.

Whatever Craig's next move is, it will certainly be a respite from the highly stressful and publicized position he held for the last 10 months. One can only feel a little sorry for Bauer who is now inheriting the Guantanamo Bay debacle. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.

CLO Compensation Increases While Other In-House Lawyer Compensation Declines

2009-11-10T11:47:00.004-05:00

In 2009, we have seen salary cuts for associates at large law firms, where the $145-$160K starting salaries are no longer the norm. What about the salaries and bonuses of Chief Legal Officers and other in-house counsels at large companies?

According to a recent 2009 Law Department Compensation Benchmarking Survey by ALM Legal Intelligence, median U.S. chief legal officers saw their total cash compensation (salaries plus bonuses) increase by almost 4 percent this year to $485,200.

In light of the current economic climate, CLO’s have goods reasons to be happy to be taking home nearly half a million dollar in pay, even if it falls short of the 13% increase they received in 2008. CLO’s are not far from their law firm counterparts, when law firms like Cadwalader posted a 30% decrease in profits per partner, but still took home $1.88 million during one of the worst economic markets in nearly 60 years. Clearly, there is still plenty of money being made.

Those who are experiencing most of the compensation squeeze are “other in-house counsels." While CLO compensation increased, total cash compensation for deputy chief legal officers, division general counsel and high-level specialists decreased during the same period, by 1.4 percent, 9.8 percent and 5.3 percent, respectively. The ALM Survey did not provide figures. For more information on salary and bonuses for "non-CLO in-house counsels", see our previous Blog post: “In-House Compensation Remains Flat As Companies Continue Cost-Cutting Measures.”

If you are not in a “management” in-house position, what’s the best paying practice? Not surprisingly, patent law is the most lucrative specialty for senior attorneys and attorneys. Senior IP attorneys took home 40 percent more than the national median total cash compensation last year. It pays to be in IP, whether in private practice or in-house.

To compile this survey, the ALM polled organizations with 5,000 or more employees (46%), with 66 percent of participating organizations reporting annual sales revenues of $1 billion or more.

2009 Brought the Largest Drop in Lawyer Headcount in Thirty Years

2009-11-09T09:27:00.008-05:00

The results of the 32d annual National Law Journal survey of the nation's 250 largest law firms provides a vivid picture of the toll that the economic recession exacted from law firms this year. The total number of attorneys working at the top 250 law firms plunged by 5,259 lawyers. How significant is this loss? According to the article, it's as if all of the lawyers working at two firms the size of Jones Day vanished in 2009.

The 4.0 percent decline in the total number of attorneys marked only the third time that the lawyer count among the group has dropped since the NLJstarted collecting headcount data in 1978. The last time totals backslid was in 1993, when they dipped by 0.9 percent. The first decline was in 1992, when they fell by 1 percent. The tally this year wipes away nearly one-third of the growth that firms made during the past five years and puts many of them well below levels they enjoyed in 2005.

The number of attorneys in 2009 sank to 126,669 lawyers, compared with 131,928 attorneys last year. In 2008, the number of attorneys increased by 4.3 percent. This is only the third time since 1978 that lawyer counts has dropped.

Which of the 75 law firms on the NLJ list bled the most in 2009?

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, which declined by 26.4 percent to 468 attorneys from 636 in 2008.
Latham & Watkins, which shed 444 lawyers, had the biggest number of layoffs. It had 1,878 attorneys this year, compared with 2,322 in 2008, for a 19.1 percent decline.

Which are the biggest firms in 2009?

Taking the No. 1 position on the NLJ 250 was Baker & McKenzie, which had 3,949 attorneys.
DLA Piper took the No. 2 spot this year. Its lawyer population fell by 7.3 pecent, to 3,450 attorneys from 3,721 attorneys in 2008.

Associates were the hardest hit by layoffs; their rank shrank by 8.7 percent, to 61,733 from 67,648 last year.

Partners, on the other hand, seem to be doing better as a whole. The number of partners in 2009 was 53,468, compared with 52,980 in 2008, an increase of 0.9 percent.

Perhaps the most worrisome numbers are those of first-year associates whose start dates law firms deferred. Of the 250 firms on the list, 113 reported that they deferred a total of 2,784 associates. That figure represents 42 percent of the 6,636 law graduates who would have been in the incoming first-year associate class.

This will have a major impact on the future of employment for both current and would-be lawyers that have recently graduated. The unemployment rate hit 10.2 percent in October. All told, 15.7 million Americans are out of work. Lawyers are no exception.

The legal sector lost 5,800 jobs, according to seasonally adjusted statistics in a recently released report (PDF) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. When not seasonally adjusted, the figures show a gain of 1,500 jobs, but that is probably attributable to the elimination of summer associates from law firm payrolls, reports the Am Law Daily.

What can these unemployed lawyers expect from the job market? Many are looking at a long road ahead, often looking for 6-12 months before gaining employment. Grim figures that are unlikely to change in the near future, especially with the end of the year closing in, which traditionally provides for additional layoffs.

[Leigh Jones, The National Law Journal, November 09, 2009]

What Does It Take To Become An In-House Counsel?

2009-11-03T20:19:00.003-05:00

The number of attorneys who are interested in making the transition in-house is increasing, despite current economics. While securing an in-house position has always been difficult because of supply and demand, doing so in this economy is even more challenging. There is a significant distinction between wanting to go in-house and being ready to go in-house – something that many attorneys tend to miss when conducting their job search. In this article, we discuss what it takes to become a strong candidate for an in-house position in today’s marketplace.

Experience

The ideal in-house candidate is an experienced attorney with at least five years or more of professional practice experience, who can operate fairly independently. Why five years or more? In-house legal departments are not good training grounds for recent law graduates and junior-level attorneys. Companies generally do not have the resources available to train attorneys. Moreover, in-house attorneys, unlike their law firm counterparts, are viewed as part of overhead. Therefore, while attorneys are a necessity, they do not contribute to the financial bottom line of the companies they serve. Therefore, in-house legal departments have every incentive to want to hire experienced attorneys who require little training or supervision.

Is there such a thing as too much experience? In some cases, there is. Companies tend to value hiring attorneys who have both law firm and in-house experience. Partner-level attorneys who only have law firm experience are at risk of being passed for positions, junior-level or otherwise. They tend to be viewed as too specialized, not business-oriented enough, and lacking in industry experience. That prejudice tends to grow in accordance with the length of time they have remained in private practice without ever having held an in-house position. Partner-level attorneys are often viewed as too “inflexible” and expensive to successfully transition in-house. In an employer-driven market companies get what companies want, whether or not these preferences are justified. Therefore, the best time to consider an in-house transition is after five years of practice and before partnership.

Practice

When it comes to the type of practice area in-house legal departments are interested in when hiring, it is important to remember that not all practice areas are created equal. While corporate law departments do hire attorneys in a variety of specialized practice areas, including litigation, labor and employment, intellectual property, real estate, and tax – to name a few, these positions are few and far in between. In other words, there are very few in-house legal opportunities available for these practice areas. Moreover, because of the type of competition that is generated for these few position, outstanding candidates are often kept from ever making the final cut.

If you are playing a numbers game, which is what you have to do when considering an in-house attorney position, and you are interested in moving up on the in-house totem poll, you should have general corporate and commercial contracts experience. In other words, transactional attorneys have an edge in the number of positions available to them, not to mention improved prospects for advancement within law departments, including general counsel positions.

To improve your odds even further, you should supplement your transactional practice with some exposure to litigation, employment, corporate governance, finance, intellectual property, and governmental regulations, to be able to assist a company gets its goods or services to market. Corporate law departments tend to look for “generalists,” or attorneys who are able to spot issues and handle matters in a wide variety of areas. In other words, most in-house counsel act like ER doctors conducting triage when the ambulance gets in. They have to quickly identify the problem, establish priorities, determine what they can handle themselves and whether they will require the services of a specialist, or in this case an outside counsel.

Aptitude

Even if you have the required experience and practice area to be a good candidate for an in-house position, there are a number of “soft skills” you need to be competitive and successful for these positions. First, as an in-house attorney you need to have business sense. When a company hires in-house counsels, they are expected to provide legal advice in a business context. The ability to understand business objectives and provide legal advice to non-lawyers is crucial to succeeding as an in-house counsel. Along those lines, the ability to persuade is also an important quality to have, as counsels often have to defend their positions. This assumes strong negotiation skills, as well as superior oral and written communication skills.

In-house attorneys are also required to work with a wide variety of people, from senior executives to employees on the floor. Therefore, having strong interpersonal skills and the ability to be comfortable in a variety of situations, from conducting formal board meetings to dispensing informal hallway advice, it very important as well. Finally, a successful in-house attorney must be able to provide practical advice. In other words, companies tend to turn to their counsel for solutions to their business problems, rather than for textbook advice or opinions. To be an effective problem-solver, an in-house attorney must not only be familiar with his company’s business, structure or industry, but also its culture and its risk management standards. Of course, these are but a few of the soft skills that are required to be an effective in-house counsel; there are others, many of which are company and industry-specific. What is to be remembered is that being an experienced and skilled legal practitioner, while a requisite, is not always sufficient to become a strong candidate for in-house positions in today’s marketplace.

Legal Resources For the Public: Laws.com

2009-10-28T14:02:00.006-04:00

There are thousands of laws in the legislation of the United States. Understanding every single law is an impossibility, especially for the general public.

Laws.com is one of the largest online resources specialized in legal information. They have resources available regarding many different areas of the law. Whether you are struggling with a divorce, issues of immigration, personal injuries, bankruptcy, or other legal issues, laws.com offers information that addresses your issue.

Although laws.com cannot help you directly, they provide an attorney referral service to help you identify attorneys in various practice areas. This site guides you to a list of resources according to your issue. You should remember that most legal issues are regulated by the law in the state where you live, or where the problem occurred. That said, laws.com does provide useful information referring you to various types of attorneys and their specialization, such as DUI or Family Law attorneys for example.

Even if you only need a simple legal question answered, such as "What is the difference between civil and criminal law?" Laws.com can help.

[InHouse Insider and its affiliates are not related to Law.com. The inclusion of links from this site does not imply endorsement by InHouse Insider. InHouse Insider makes no endorsement, express or implied, of any links to or from its site, nor is it responsible for the content or activities of any linked sites. Any questions should be directed to the administrator(s) of this or any other specific sites.]

Newsline - 10/26/09

2009-10-26T15:27:00.002-04:00

BofA's Outside Counsel Sings Two Different Tunes. Eric Roth, a litigation partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, apparently was telling the Bank of America Corp. leadership one story about how difficult it would be to escape from the merger with Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., while singing quite a different tune to the federal government. On Dec. 19 Roth advised the bank's chief executive, Ken Lewis, and its interim general counsel, Brian Moynihan, on how difficult and financially risky it would be to try to invoke a so-called MAC -- or material adverse change -- clause, which would allow the bank to get out of the merger with Merrill. But another e-mail from associate general counsel Teresa Brenner to Moynihan, sent several hours later and on the same day as Roth's e-mail, says, "Eric made a very strong case as to why there was a MAC" during a conference call with some officials from the Federal Reserve. That's why you pay "beaucoup bucks" to lawyers like those working at Wachtell; so you can have your story spin both ways. Corporate Counsel

Greedy Deputy GC Found Guilty in $12M Fraud - Used For Shopping Spree sand Comestic Surgery. Kate Johns, the former deputy head of legal at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, was paid a salary of 150,000 pounds ($250,000) in her role at the bank. For some, that would be considered a handsome salary, but for others like Johns, that was simply the tip of the iceberg. London's Southwark Crown Court ruled that Johns was guilty of having repeatedly conned colleagues into signing off large sums of money for investment. In total, the bank lost 7.4 million pounds ($12.3 million) as a result of the scam. The money was diverted to struggling Indonesian airline Air Efata, which was owned by her friend Frank Taira-Supit. Johns received personal payoffs from Taira-Supit totaling 1.95 million pounds ($3.2 million), which the court was told she used to fund a luxury lifestyle, including shopping trips, breast surgery and paying off the mortgage on a 1.1 million pound ($1.8 million) north London townhouse. Air Efata went bankrupt last year, after which Taira-Supit committed suicide. Johns' sentence will be handed in December. It's a sad story of greed and betrayal. The Legal Week

New Kids On The Block: PetSmart Hires New GC Emily Disckinson, and Charter Communications Hires Gregory Doody as new GC. Dickinson, 50,comes to PetSmart from Hannaford Bros. Co., which runs a chain of grocery stores and supermarkets along the Eastern seaboard. (Hannaford is owned by Delhaize Group, which operates supermarkets in Europe.). The St. Louis–based company hired Doody to serve as its chief restructuring officer in March, when Charter filed for a prearranged Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but Doody originally joined last December to assist with the company's financial restructuring. In May, Doody, who is 44, also accepted the post of general counsel. He replaces former GC Grier Raclin, now Charter's chief administrative officer. Corporate Counsel
Want to Know Top 25 In-House Counsels in Asia, Look Here: The ALB has identified 25 of the most outstanding legal counsel in Asia - from Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and India. These lawyers represent the health, real estate, banking, technology, shipping, energy, and consumer good sectors. Some have worked on precedent-setting transactions, while others have quietly built up strong legal teams, ensuring continual compliance of their organization and also influencing the passage of legislation. ABL Legal News.

Conducting an Attorney Job Search During a Recession – Part 4

2009-10-20T13:17:00.004-04:00

If you are planning to conduct an aggressive attorney job search, you should think about working with a legal recruiter. If you are focusing on an in-house attorney job search, you should consider sending your legal resume to one or more legal recruiter.

Involving a legal recruiter in your attorney job search can be very beneficial, especially if you are considering in-house legal opportunities. Legal recruiters can open the doors to great legal opportunities, and assist you in securing the right position.

Working with Legal Recruiters

In terms of in-house attorney jobs, over 50% of companies engage legal recruiters to recruit their lawyers. This means that the barrier to entry for in-house attorney jobs is very high. Companies are generally not well equipped to handle these types of searches and prefer to rely on specialized legal recruiters to identify talented attorneys for their positions. Recruiters can save them the time and expense of advertising, reviewing resumes, pre-selecting candidates, as well as keep the process confidential.

Selecting a Legal Recruiter

When selecting a recruiter, it is important to select an expert in his or her field. Working with a legal recruiting firm that specializes in in-house attorney search and placement can make a number of opportunities available to you. They can give you exposure to hidden/unknown jobs, and put you in touch with companies you would not have otherwise known about.

If you are looking for work in the legal marketplace, someone who has experience in the legal field will be better able to understand your needs and the expectations of potential legal employers. How can you find a good legal recruiter? Ask friends and colleagues for referrals. Also consider contacting a few recruiting professionals in your area. In addition to checking their experience, expertise, and open positions, you must also be comfortable with the person with whom you have partnered. The key is to identify a legal recruiter you can trust and who can represent you effectively to potential employers.

What Legal Recruiters Can Do For You

Legal recruiters can save you a great deal of time. Good legal recruiting firms spend a lot of time and resources researching the market, contacting companies about job openings, and determining who is and who isn’t hiring. In other words, attorney recruiters can give you a good sense of the market, and direct you to companies and industries that are active in the marketplace. Something you would neither have the time nor the resources to do by yourself.

In addition to giving you access to active and unknown job opportunities, a good legal recruiter can provide you with invaluable services including sharing key information about a particular position or company, reviewing and revising your legal resume, assisting you with interview preparation, and helping negotiate your compensation package. Because the employer, and not the job seeker, pays a legal recruiter’s fee, all of these services come completely free to you.

Conclusion

While a legal recruiter, like a good trainer, can give you the tools to win the race, they can’t do it for you. In other words, you still need to continue your independent job search efforts. Legal recruiters can be invaluable in helping you secure an in-house attorney job, but in most situations working with a legal recruiter should only be one piece of your job search plan.

In-House Compensation Remains Flat As Companies Continue Cost-Cutting Measures

2009-10-15T12:31:00.010-04:00

Over the last 18 months, the press has well documented the various efforts by corporate law departments to cut cost, including reducing outside counsel expenses. According to a new Hildebrandt survey, in-house counsels have also been impacted by these measures, namely in terms of their compensation.

Lauren Chung, director of the Hildebrandt survey, told the ABA Journal that while in-house counsels at Fortune 500 Companies might not necessarily be making less “They’re not getting the increases that they had been enjoying for the past several years. Every year they were almost guaranteed an increase. This year we see very clearly that is not the norm anymore.”

While this is an accurate statement; there are other factors at work that are negatively impacting in-house counsel compensation that were not addressed in this article.

Existing In-House Counsels vs. Newly Hired In-House Counsels.

If existing in-house counsels at Fortune 500 Companies are not enjoying increases in their base salaries, newly hired in-house counsels are seeing a significant dip in base salaries. It’s a supply and demand market, and the majority of law departments hiring in-house counsels are offering packages that are notably lower than those they were offering to in-house counsels just a year ago.

An existing counsel pondering whether he/she will get a 3-8% percent increase on a compensation package of over $200,000, is quite different from a newly hired counsel with the same level of experience and practice area looking at a compensation package of $150,000 or less. If cost-cutting measures have not had a significant impact on the overall compensation package of existing in-house counsels, they have had a disparate impact on the compensation package of newly hired in-house counsels. It’s a tale of two cities between new hires and existing counsels.

Cash Compensation and Company Performance.

According to the ABA article, when Hildebrandt asked companies responding to the 2009 survey to report total cash compensation numbers for March 2008 and 2009, they reported a year-over-year increase of 3 percent. Last year’s survey reported a year-over-year increase of 8 percent in total cash compensation.

The decrease in cash compensation may not only be related to company cost-cutting measures, but also to company performance. It is a well-known fact that in-house bonuses are tied intimately to personal as well as company performance. A dip in overall cash compensation could most likely be attributed to a decrease in overall profit or lack thereof as a result of the recession, rather than cost cutting measures.

Fortune 500 In-House Counsels vs. Others.

If the average total cash compensation—base salary plus cash bonuses — for in-house lawyers in March 2009 was $229,000 — those figures are not reflective of the overall in-house legal market. Those figures are representative of senior counsels, with typically 10 years or more of practice experience, working at companies with a minimum of $9 billion in revenues with at least 30 lawyers, 18,000 employees and $28.0 million in total legal spending – in other words, primarily Fortune 500 Companies. That’s a sliver of the in-house legal market. Median cash compensation for most in-house senior counsels, typically falls between the $100,000 and $150,000 mark.

Here are the other findings that The Intelligencer and Hildebrandt reported from their Fortune 500 survey:

The average total cash compensation—base salary plus cash bonuses—was $229,000 for in-house lawyers in March 2009.

The average total cash compensation—base salary plus cash bonuses—was $236,000 for in-house lawyers in March 2008 survey.

18% of the respondents anticipated a decrease in the number of in-house lawyers in their departments.

30% of the respondents anticipated an increase in the number of in-house lawyers in their departments. The numbers reflect a cost-reduction strategy of bringing more work inside that had been done by outside counsel, according to the press release.

Nearly a 1/3rd of the respondents expect to use fewer outside firms in the United States. Only 8 percent expect to increase the number of law firms they use.

46% of the responding companies anticipate that alternative billing arrangements will make up more than 11 percent of their outside legal budget, compared to 33 percent last year.

Total legal spending increased by 5 percent in the United States, the same rate of increase as the year before.

Conducting an Attorney Job Search During a Recession – Part 3

2009-10-13T11:46:00.009-04:00

Conducting an attorney job search is a full‐time job. It’s also more challenging because you will have to compromise, resist the temptation to broaden your search, network with no immediate success, take a lot of rejection, and have just as many bills to pay.

Train to win the race, but don’t overdo it.

You need to train for your attorney job search – and if you have to channel images of Rocky and blast “Eye of The Tiger” to do it, go for it. The first step is to make a plan, and to stick to it:

Step 1: Keep the same habits as when you were working. Get up, get dressed, make your coffee, and get started in your “home office.”

Step 2: Make a “to do” list, no more than 10 items, and make sure to get to all of them by the end of the day.

Step 3: Keep regular office hours. Resist the temptation to change them because you are tired, feeling anxious, want to do more, or find yourself distracted.

Just as it is important to be rigorous in your approach to your attorney job search, make sure you do not overdo it. Because this is an especially stressful time, be sure to also spend quality time with family, friends, and support groups. Take time to exercise or enjoy those activities and hobbies that make you happy and relaxed. It’s all about keeping a delicate balance.

Searching for a job can be a challenging, stressful, and ultimately necessary. Sometimes even the most determined job seeker can have difficulty staying motivated when he or she receives little response from prospective employers or, sometimes worse, polite rejections. How can you keep the motivation going?

Stay Connected. Spend time with friends, preferably those who are still employed. While you can commiserate and help those in your situation, remember that a positive attitude is just as catchy as a negative one. So stay connected with people who are positive.

Exercise. It doesn’t matter what you do, or how long you do it. Just getting the blood moving through your veins will make you feel better, pump up your adrenaline, and help you stay positive and energetic.

Get Out of the House. It’s easy to get stuck in front of the computer and the TV and let the day pass you by. Don’t stay home all week; be sure to make lunch appointments, take coffee breaks outside, or just take a walk.

Take a Break from the News. While you want to stay on top of current events, it’s easy to get sucked into a spiral of negative news about the job market. Mix it up a little. Skip the news once in a while, and read articles unrelated to the economy, career, jobs, etc.

Have Some Fun. While it’s easier said than done, life goes on and so should you. Take some time to do the things you enjoy, pick‐up the hobbies you did not have time for when you were working, or find new hobbies and interests.

Conducting an attorney job search is a full‐time job. It is easy to get off track, to get distracted, and to become unmotivated. So remember to stay focused, organized, and to set goals. Just as importantly, you need to stay motivated because a positive attitude can go a long way to ensuring success. Remember: be diligent with respect to your job search, but don’t forget to enjoy life.

Newsline - 10/09/09

2009-10-09T11:47:00.003-04:00

Outside Counsel Spending Projected to Drop By 4.7%, But Regulatory Hiring Is On the Rise. A new study projects a 4.3 percent slide in corporate spending on outside counsel next year. Outside counsel spending dropped from an average of $20.8 million in 2008 to $18.5 million this year and is projected to dip to $17.7 million in 2010, according to a study by BTI Consulting Group. Wile that's not good news for lawyers looking to go in-house, there is a glimmer of hope. Regulatory hiring has been on the rise. The National Law Journal

Deferred Associates Seek Interim Jobs, Some Taking Waitressing Jobs. Next time your order that chicken salad, the person waiting on you may not be starving actor, but rather a starving law graduate. Law firms have been asking new hires to defer their employment start dates, an unprecedented step for many firms that had weathered previous economic downturns without wide-scale postponements. To cope, some would-be attorneys are seeking pro-bono fellowships, while others are taking jobs ranging from temporary work for their alma maters to waitressing or bartending. And law school career-service officials are advising students to take whatever work they can find to pay their bills. What about law school reducing their admission rates as well? Apparently, that's not an option they are putting on the table. The Wall Street Journal.

New Kids On The Block: Quiznos Hires New GC Pat Meyeres, and VMWare Hires Dawn Smith as new GC. Denver-based The Quiznos Master LLC, known for its toasted sandwiches, has named Pat Meyers as its new legal chief. Meyers was the company's general counsel for ten years, and left two years ago to become chief legal officer of Consumer Capital Partners, one of the private company's largest investors. Dawn Smith who made partner two years ago at Morrison & Foerster will now serve as general counsel at one of Silicon Valley's biggest new companies, VMWare Inc. Smith, 45, has no in-house experience, which is unusual for this type of hire. We wish them both lots of luck in their new endeavor. The Recorder and Corporate Counsel
Recruiter Got Zip in 12-Lawyer Leap, Now Seeks $100M in Federal Suit. Just when you thought it was safe to recruit and collect your fees again, there goes another fee dispute. And this time, the numbers are big. C.B. Legal Search has sued Los Angeles-based Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith for $100 million in actual and punitive damages, contending that the 700-attorney law firm squeezed it out of a 12-attorney placement deal it helped orchestrate. In March, C.B. Legal Search introduced partner Edward Ruberry of Bollinger Ruberry & Garvey to "senior-level employees" at Lewis Brisbois and he revealed the identities of insurance lawyers at his Chicago firm who would be interested in moving to Lewis Brisbois, alleges the suit, which is now in federal court in the Southern District of Texas.After the initial meeting, C.B. Legal Search asked Lewis Brisbois to sign a confidentiality agreement, the suit says, and the firm's then-chief financial officer e-mailed the recruiting firm that each party would do so. But, the suit states, no such agreement was ever signed. Courts have not been kind to legal recruiters in the past (See our previous posts: Good Faith Went Up In Smoke In Lost Recruiting Fees and The Wheel Turns On Another Recruiter Fee Dispute). Perhaps C.B. Legal Search will be luckier than its predecessors. The National Law Journal.

BofA Shareholder Urges Board to Unmuzzle Former GC - The Saga Continues. If this was Summer, this would make for an interesting beach read, full of twists and turns and mystery. The BofA saga seems to continue to unravel, to the delight of many news agencies. Everyone wants to know what happened in the BofA and Merrill Lynch merger: If only Mayopoulos culd speak and shed some light? large shareholder at Bank of America Corp. That's exactly what a large shareholder is urging its board of directors to do: allow ex-general counsel Tim Mayopoulos to testify about the bank's merger with Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. The shareholder also is asking the board to hire outside counsel to conduct an internal probe into the deal. Stay tuned for more. Corporate Counsel.

Conducting an Attorney Job Search During a Recession – Part 2

2009-10-06T11:18:00.003-04:00

So now that you have an idea of the route you want to take with your attorney job search, you cannot do this alone, you need a team. How do you find it? By networking.

Oh, no, not that dreadful networking business! I’d rather get back under the covers and pretend that everything’s all right. Well, it’s not as scary or daunting as it seems, and networking when done right can be a lot of fun.

Put together a team to help you win the race.

I am assuming that by now you have told your closest friends and colleagues about your attorney job search. The key to networking is to dust off your rolodex, or Internet address book, and start contacting both the people you know well, as well as those you don’t know as well.

Yes, this can seem scary and awkward, but trust me you are not alone. Plus remember this: networking is quid pro quo. Those people you are contacting would be doing the same thing with you if they were conducting their own job search – or at least you should now expect them to do so in the future.

Let them know about your attorney job search situation, the route you have chosen to take, and determine whether they are willing or able to help you achieve your goal. The key is to sell them on what you bring as much as you would a potential employer. If you can present yourself as a talented and skilled attorney and make a personal connection, you will get much farther with your networking efforts.

The key to networking is to gather information – not necessarily land a job. It is to get the word out, obtain information about the marketplace (who is hiring, not hiring, who knows who and what), and to obtain contacts, and even more contacts. In other words, you need to think of this process as free advertisement and information gathering.

Let as many people know that “John Doe” the best jockey of the West is racing in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita. Lucky will be the one ready to sponsor him to win this race! Ok, so I am stretching it a bit here, but hopefully I am making my point clear. You have to generate interest and excitement about your attorney job search, get the word out, and hope that employers will eventually find you, or that you will find them.

The Legal Sector Lost 2,000 Jobs Last Month

2009-10-05T12:27:00.007-04:00

The legal sector lost 2,000 jobs last month according to seasonally adjusted numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which was reported earlier today by the ABA Journal.

The decline seems to be much higher when the numbers aren’t seasonally adjusted. In raw numbers, a total of 13,600 jobs were lost last month, likely because of summer associate programs ending, according to a report by the Am Law Daily.

While the news are not encouraging, the numbers are lower than last spring. We've also noticed that law firm layoffs slowed down last month as well.

However, the bleeding has not yet stopped. As the the Am Law Daily reported, some firms are still shedding lawyers and staff. Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal enacted its third round of cuts in the past 18 months, reducing its ranks by 30 lawyers in September, including ten income partners.

Baker Botts recently cut an unspecified number of associates. Cooley Goward layed off 58 staffers, nearly 6 percent of the firm’s total staff, in addition to a previous cut of 52 lawyers and 62 staff in January.

Law Firm Layoffs: October 2009 (Updated Daily)

2009-10-02T10:05:00.006-04:00

Today the Associated Press announced that the nation shed more jobs than expected, 263,000 jobs were cut, making the national unemployment rate rise to 9.8%.

All told, 15.1 million Americans are now out of work, according to the Labor Department. And more than 7.2 million jobs have been eliminated since the recession began in December 2007.

Many analysts saw the economy grow at a healthy clip in the July-September quarter, technically ending the recession, but few think the recovery will be strong enough to lower the jobless rate. Most economists expect the rate to top 10 percent and keep climbing.

Law firm layoffs continued to slow down through September, although we may see numbers pick up again before the end of the year.

These are the overall combined numbers of reported U.S. law firm attorney and staff layoffs:

194 (September 2009)
179 (August 2009)
460 (July 2009)
481 (June 2009)
1,125 (May 2009)
1,500 (April 2009)
3,500 (March 2009)
2,000 (February 2009)
1,500 (January 2009)

LAW FIRM LAYOFF LIST - SEPTEMBER 2009
Law firms that are conducting October 2009 layoffs in their U.S. offices are listed here:

Foley & Lardner (39 attorneys)
Nixon Peabody (Unconfirmed numbers)
Paul Weiss (Unconfirmed numbers of staff attorneys)
WilmerHale (57 staffers)

LAW FIRM LAYOFF LIST - SEPTEMBER 2009
Law firms that are conducting September 2009 layoffs in their U.S. offices are listed here:

Sonnenschein (35 attorneys - including 10 partners)
Kirkland & Ellis (50 attorneys)
Arnold & Porter (44 staff)
Winston & Strawn (20 attorneys, 25 staff)
Cooley Godward (20 attorneys)

LAW FIRM LAYOFF LIST - AUGUST 2009
Law firms that are conducting August 2009 layoffs in their U.S. offices are listed here:

Akerman Senterfitt (5 attorneys)
Gilbert Oshinsky (4 attorneys, 9 staff)
Curtis Mallet ( 10% - 15% of corporate associates)
Baker Botts (25 attorneys)
Fish & Richardson (28 attorneys, 68 staff; entire corporate practice)
Quarles & Brady (Unconfirmed Numbers)

LAW FIRM LAYOFF LIST - JULY 2009
Law firms that are conducting July 2009 layoffs in their U.S. offices are listed here:

Bradley Arant (35 staff)
Cadwalader (34 attorneys asked to take one-year sabbatical)
DLA Piper (21 attorneys, 100 staff)
Cahill Gordon (undisclosed numbers)
Deckert (25 attorneys - estimated number)
Eckert Seamans (90 temp attorneys)
Fulbright & Jaworski (6 attorneys, 4 staff)
Hogan & Hartson (30 attorneys - firm denies layoff says "forced attrition")
Husch Blackwell Sanders (17 attorneys, 45 staff)
K&L Gates (5 staff)
Loeb & Loeb (4 attorneys)
Mintz Levin (15 attorneys)
Ruden McClosky (8 attorneys)

CANCELED SUMMER PROGRAMS LIST:
Law firms that are canceling their summer program for 2010 are listed here:

Morgan Lewis & Bockius
Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll
Thompson Hine
Squire Sanders
Milbank Tweed
Citigroup (In-House)
Seyfarth Shaw
Quarkes & Brady
Dorsey & Whitney
Pillsbury Winthrop
McCarter & English
Howard Rice
Eckert Seamans

LAW FIRM LAYOFF LIST - JUNE 2009
Law firms that are conducting June 2009 layoffs in their U.S. offices are listed here:

Barlows Clyde & Gilbert (49 staff)
Bass Berry (10 attorneys, 22 staff)
Clifford Chance (10 attorneys)
Cravath (25 attorneys)
Dorsey & Whitney (55 staff)
Dykema (17 attorneys, 30 staff)
Honigman Miller (11 attorneys)
McDermott Will & Emery (25 attorneys, 47 staff)
Miller Canfield Paddock and Stone (13 attorneys)
Paul Hasting (25 staff)
Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson (6 lawyers, less than 6 staff)
Simpson Thacher (10-20 staff)

LAW FIRM LAYOFF LIST - MAY 2009
Law firms that are conducting May 2009 layoffs in their U.S. offices are listed here:

Day Pitney (20 attorneys)
Eckert Seamans (119 temp. attorneys by 7/1)
Fennemore Craig (10 staff)
Fenwick & West (15 attorneys, 7 staff)
Fish & Richardson (35 attorneys, 85 staff)
Hunton & Williams (23 attorneys, 64 staff)
McDonough Holland & Allen (4 attorneys, 13 staff)
Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy (49 attorneys, 40 staff)
Ropes & Gray (30 - 40 attorneys)
Ruden McClosky (2 attorneys, 18 staff)
Seyfarth Shaw (30 attorneys, 20 staff)
Simpson Thatcher (20 staff)
Snell & Wilmer (30-40 staff)
Sullivan & Cromwell (15-20 attorneys)
Thompson & Knight (17 attorneys, 25 staff)
Weil Gotshal & Manges (79 staff)

LAW FIRM LAYOFF LIST - APRIL 2009
There were twenty-eight (28) law firms that were responsible for April 2009 layoffs. They included:

Allen & Overy (250 attorneys and 200 staffers)
Alston & Bird (14 attorneys and 38 staffers)
Baker & Daniels (5 attorneys and 11 staffers)
Baker & McKenzie (38 attorneys and 86 staffers)
Brownstein Hyatt (15 attorneys and 22 staffers)
Clifford Chance (15 attorneys and 20 staffers)
DLA Piper (8 attorneys)
Faegre & Benson (15 attorneys)
Herbert Smith (33 attorneys and 51 staffers)
Hogan & Hartson (93 staffers)
Howrey (25 staffers)
K&L Gates (20 staffers)
Kilpatrick Stockton (24 attorneys)
Kirkland & Ellis (80 staffers)
Mayer Brown (45attorneys and 90 staffers)
McCarthy Tetrault (12 attorneys)
Perkins Coie (12 attorneys and 26 staffers)
Quinn Emanuel (10 staffers)
Schnader Harrison (8 attorneys and 10 staffers)
Schulte Roth & Zabel (20 attorneys)
Shipman Goodwin (5 attorneys and 21 staffers)
Squire Sanders (32 attorneys)
Townsend & Townsend (28 attorneys)
Troutman Sanders (16 attorneys and 45 staffers)
Vedder Price (9 attorneys)
Wildman Harrold (10 attorneys and 7 staffers)
Womble Carlyle (10 attorneys and 10 staffers)

SALARY CUTS
While layoffs may have slowed down, law firms have begun to look at another popular cost-cutting measure: salary cuts. In terms of salary reductions, we are starting to see the first cracks in the lockstep compensation model.

To date, law firms that have cut salaries include:

Akerman Senterfitt (-10% across the board)
Allen Matkins (-10% across the board)
Alston & Bird (-5K across the board)
Baker & McKenzie (between 10% and 25% )
Blank Rome (between 2% - 5% + 15K across the board )
Brownstein Hyatt (-8.5- to 10%% across the board)
Bryan Cave (10% across the board)
Buchanan Ingersoll & Roone (5 to 10% across the board)
Chadbourne & Parke (Figures unknown)
Davis Wright Tremaine (-10% across the board)
Dorsey & Whitney (-10% across the board)
DLA Piper (1st Years $145K to $130K)
Drinker Biddle (1st Years $105K)
Frost Brownn & Todd (numbers not yet disclosed)
Gardere Wynne Sewell (1st Years $160k to $145k + -$15K for 2nd years)
Gray Plant Mooty (1st Years $120K + -10% across the board)
Greenberg Traurig (-10% across the board)
Hogan & Hartson ($145K at the 1800 hour billable track)
Holland & Knight (-7%-10% across the board)
Howrey (1st Years $100K & 2nd Years $125,000)
Kaye Scholer (-15% for less than 1600 hours billed)
Kilpatrick Stockton (-10% across the board)
McGuire Woods (-10% across the board)
McGuireWoods (-10% across the board)
McKenna (1st Years from $160k to $140k)
Mintz Levin (5%-35% based on hours billed)
Morgan Lewis (Has eliminated lockstep/No Summer 2010 program)
Morris, Manning & Martin (-15% for real estate & -10% across the board)
Nixon Peabody (1st Years from $160k to $145k)
Perkins Coie (-3.8% across the board)
Pillsbury Winthrop (5-20% based on billables)
Reed Smith (-10% across the board)
Robinson & Cole (- $10K across the board)
Ruden McClosky (-9% across the board, -18% until end of year)
Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis (- $10K for associates, 5% for partners)
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt (5-10%)
Seyfarth Shaw (Associates unknown, 5-20% for Partners)
Snell & Wilmer (-10% across the board)
Squire, Sanders & Dempsey (-10% across the board)
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal (1st Years from $160k to $145k)
Thompson Hine (-$17,500 across the board)
Troutman Sanders (Temporary 10% cut based on performance)
Venable (8-9% across the board)
Wilson Sonsini (salary freeze)

According to The Recorder, most of the firms that have cut salaries are East Coast firms, but none yet that are New York-based.

TOP TEN LAYOFF LIST
According to the American Lawyer, the top 10 large law firms cutting associates, to date, are primarily California and Midwestern firms. The American Lawyer has assembled a list of AmLaw 200 law firms by percentage layoffs since January, 2008. More than 2,900 attorney jobs have been cut, or 2.62%.

Here is the top 10 so far in terms of percentage:

Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft, 36.3%
Dechert LLP, 14.6%
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, 14.3%
McKee Nelson, 13.3% (recently merged with Bingham McCutchen)
White & Case, 13.0%
Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, 10.20%
O'Melveny & Myers, 10.16%
Latham & Watkins, 9.04%
Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCoy, 8.43%
Proskauer Rose, 8.38%

___________________________________________________________________

The list below contains law firms who have begun layoffs in late 2008 through May 2009 (We will be updating this list daily). This is by no means all-inclusive; if your law firm should be included on the list, please let us know.

COMPLETE LAYOFF LAW FIRM LIST FIRMS:

Akerman Senterfitt
Akin Gump
Allen & Overy
Alston & Bird
Andrew Kurth
Arent Fox
Arnold & Porter
Bass Berry
Baker & Daniels
Baker & McKenzie
Baker Botts
Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll
Barlows Clyde & Gilbert
Bell Boyd & Lloyd
Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod
Bingham McCutchen
Blank Rome
Bose McKinney & Evans
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Shreck
Bryan Cave
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft
Cahill Gordon
Calfee, Halter & Griswold
Chadbourne & Park
Choate, Hall & Stewart
Clifford Chance
Cooley Godward
Cozen O'Connor
Cravath
Curtis Mallet
Day Pitney
Dechert
Dewey & Leboeuf
Dickstein Shapiro
DLA Piper
Dorsey & Whitney
Drinker Biddle & Reath
Duane Morris
Dunlap & Seeger
Dykema
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC
Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge
Epstein Becker
Faegre & Benson
Fennemore Craig
Fenwick & West
Fish & Richardson
Foley Hoag
Foley & Lardner
Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
Fulbright & Jaworski
Gardere Wynne Sewell
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Gilbert Oshinsky
Goldberg Kohn
Goodwin Procter
Gunderson Dettmer
Heller Ehrman (dissolved)
Herbert Smith
Hinshaw & Culbertson
Hodgson Russ
Hogan & Hartson
Holland & Knight
Honigman Miller
Howrey
Hunton & Williams
Husch Blackwell Sanders
Ice Miller
Jenner & Block
K&L Gates
Katten Muchin Rosenman
Kaye Scholer
Kilpatrick Stockton
King & Spalding
Kirkland & Ellis
Latham & Watkins
Linklaters
Locke Lord Bissell & Lidell
Loeb & Loeb
Lovells
Lowenstein Sandler
Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps
Manatt Phelps & Phillips
Mayer Brown
McCarthy Tetrault
McDermott Will & Emery
McDonough Holland & Allen
McKee Nelson
Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy
Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone
Mintz Levin
Moore & Van Allen
Morgan & Finnegan (dissolved)
Morgan Lewis & Bockius
Morrison & Foerster
Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg
Nixon Peabody
O'Melveny & Myers
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein
Patton Boggs
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
Pepe & Hazard
Perkins Coie
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
Pircher, Nichols & Meeks
Powell Goldstein
Proskauer Rose
Quarles & Brady
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Hedges
Reed Smith
Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson
Robinson & Cole
Roetzel & Andress
Ropes & Gray
Ruden McClosky
Saul & Ewing
Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis
Schulte Roth & Zabel
Seyfarth Shaw
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton
Sherman & Sterling
Shipman Goodwin
Shutts & Bowen
Sidley Austin
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
Snell & Wilmer
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
Squire, Sanders & Dempsey
Stroock Stroock & Lavan
Sullivan & Cromwell
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan
Synnestvedt & Lechner
Taylor Wessing
Thatcher Profitt & Wood (dissolved)
Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner (dissolved)
Thompson Hine
Thompson & Knight
Townsend & Townsend & Crew
Troutman Sanders
Vedder Price
Venable
Weil Gotshal & Manges
White & Case
Wildman Harrold & Dixon
WilmerHale
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Winstead
Winston & Strawn
Wolf Block (dissolved)
Womble Carlyle

_________________________________________________________________

LAYOFF DETAILS PER FIRM:

AKERMAN SENTERFITT
Akerman Lays Off 5 Lawyers
Above the Law
August 7, 2009

AKIN GUMP
Akin Lays Off 47 Associates and 57 Staff
The Legal Times
March 9, 2009

Akin Cuts 65 Support Staff
The National Law Journal
January 19, 2009

ALLEN & OVERY
Allen & Overy Axes 250 Attorneys and 200 Staff
Legal Week
April 30, 2009

Allen & Overy Lay Off 2 Staff and 3 Associates
Above the Law
January 23, 2009

ALSTON & BIRD
Alston & Bird Lays Off 14 Associates and 38 Staff
Fulton County Daily Report
April 6, 2009

Alston & Bird Lays Off 24 Staff and Less Than 10 Associates
Fulton County Daily Report
January 23, 2009

ANDREW KURTH
Andrew Kurth Lays Off 20 Lawyers
Texas Lawyer
March 4, 2009

ARENT FOX
Arent Laying Off 13 Associates and 15 Staff
The Legal Times
March 6, 2009

ARNOLD & PORTER
Arnold & Porter Axes 44 Staffers
Above the Law
September 11, 2009

BAKER BOTTS
More Layoffs at Baker Botts
Texas Lawyer
August 28, 2009

Baker Cuts 30 Lawyers
Above the Law
March 13, 2009

BAKER & DANIELS
Baker & Daniels Cuts 17 Jobs
The ABA Journal
April 17, 2009

BAKER & MCKENZIE
Baker Eliminates 38 Attorney and 86 Paralegals
The American Lawyer
April 8, 2009

Baker Cuts 2o Lawyers in London
Above the Law
January 23, 2009

Baker & McKenzie Axes 6 in NY
Above the Law
June 8, 2008

BALLARD SPAHR ANDREWS & INGERSOLL
Firms Continue to Scale Back Attorneys and Staff
The Legal Intelligencer
January 16, 2009

Law Firms See More Layoffs, Departures of Staff and Associates
The Legal Intelligencer
June 5, 2008

BARLOW CLYDE & GILBERT
Barlow Lays Off 49 Staff
Law Schucks
June 12, 2009

BELL BOYD & LLOYD
Chicago's Bell Boyd & Lloyd Lays Off 10 Associates
The National Law Journal
Nov. 3, 2008

Bell Boyd Confirms Layoffs
Above the Law
Oct. 30, 2008

BILZIN SUMBERG BAENA PRICE
Layoffs Confirmed this Month
The ABA Journal
Feb. 27, 2009

BINGHAM MCCUTCHEN
Bingham McCutchen Lays Off 16 Associates and 23 Staff
Above the Law
March 5, 2009

Bingham McCutchen Lays Off 10 Staff Members
The Wall Street Journal Law Blog
July 30, 2008

Bingham Lays Off San Francisco Bay Area Staff
The National Law Journal
May 21, 2008

BLANK ROME
Blank Rome Cuts 27 Associates and 52 Staff Positions
The National Law Journal
March 13, 2009

Boston’s Foley Hoag Lays Off 32 Associates and Staff
Above the Law
Jan. 16, 2009

Law Firms See More Layoffs, Departures of Staff and Associates
The Legal Intelligencer
June 5, 2008

BROWN RUDNICK BERLACK ISRAELS
Boston-Based Brown Rudnick Lays Off 20 Lawyers, 20 Staff Members
The National Law Journal
November 21, 2008

BROWNSTEIN HYATT FARBER SHRECK RUDNICK
Brownstein Hyatt Lays Off 15 Lawyers and 22 Staffers
Above The Law
April 10, 2009

BOSE MCKINNEY & EVANS
Bose Is Eliminating 10 Attorneys and 15 Staffers
The Indiana Business Journal
March 27, 2009

BRADLEY ARANT BOULT CUMMINGS
Bradley Arant Cuts 35 Jobs
Birmingham Business Journal
July 29, 2009

BROWNSTEIN HYATT
Brownstein Lays Off 15 Attorneys and 22 Staffers
Above the Law
April 10, 2009

BRYAN CAVE
58 Attorneys, 76 Staff at Bryan Cave Let Go
Above the Law
Feb. 12, 2009

BUCHANAN INGERSOLL & ROONEY
Buchanan Ingersoll Makes More Staff Cuts
The Legal Intelligencer
Feb. 20, 2009

Buchanan Ingersoll to Cut Legal Secretaries, Administrative Staff
The Legal Intelligencer
November 24, 2008

CADWALADER, WICKERSHAM & TAFT
Cadwalader Asks 34 Lawyers to Take a One-Year Sabbatical
ABA Journal
July 7, 2009

Cadwalader Set to Cut Staff From London Office
Legal Week
Feb. 12, 2009

Cadwalader Laying Off 35 in Wake of Slumping Markets
New York Law Journal
Jan. 10, 2009

Cadwalader Lays Off 96 More Lawyers
The American Lawyer
July 30, 2008

CAHILL GORDON
Nationwide Layoff Watch: Cahill Gordon, Round 2
Above the Law
July 6, 2009

Nationwide Layoff Watch: Cahill Gordon (12)
Above the Law
Jan. 12, 2009

CALFEE, HALTER & GRISWOLD
3 More Cleveland Firms Cut Attorneys, Staff
The Plain Dealer
Feb. 19, 2009

CHADBOURNE & PARKE
Chadbourne Lays Off 25 Attorneys
The National Law Journal
March 11, 2009

CHOATE, HALL & STEWARD
Boston's Choate Hall Lays Off Lawyers, Staff
The National Law Journal
Jan. 27, 2009

CLIFFORD CHANCE
Clifford Chance's New York Litigation Team Leaves the Circle
Above the Law
June 17, 2009

CC, White & Case in Talks Over Partner Departures
Legal Week
April 30, 2009

Clifford Chance Lays Off 20 Staffers in NY
Legal Week
April 22, 2009

Clifford Chance Lays Off 10 Attorneys
Legal Week
April 10, 2009

Clifford Chance Layoffs of 24 Transactional Associates in NY
The National Law Journal
March 27, 2009

Clifford Chance Confirms Layoffs of 20 Litigation Associates in NY and DC
Above the Law
March 19, 2009

Clifford Chance Confirms Layoffs of 35 Staff in NY and DC
Above the Law
March 19, 2009

Clifford Chance Lays Off 115 Staff in London Office
Legal Week
March 4, 2009

CC Set to Lay Off Up to 80 Lawyers in the City
Legal Week
Jan. 8, 2009

With '01 in Mind, Law Firms Alter Layoff Strategy
The National Law Journal
Oct. 29, 2008

COOLEY GODWARD
Partners In, Associates Out
Above the Law
September 2, 2009

Cooley Axes 52 Lawyers, 62 Staff
The Recorder
Jan. 22, 2009

COZEN O'CONNOR
Cozen O'Connor Lays Off 61 Staff
The Recorder
Feb. 13, 2009

CRAVATH
Cravath Conducting Stealth layoffs Since December 2008
Above the Law
June 16, 2009

CURTIS MALLET
Curtis Mallet Cuts Corporate Associates
Above the Law
August 20, 2009

DAY PITNEY
Day Pitney Lays Off 20 Attorneys
Above the Law
May 12, 2009

Layoffs Hit Conn. Law Firms (66)
The Connecticut Law Tribute
Feb. 20, 2009

DECHERT
More Layoffs at Dechert
The Legal Intelligencer
July 23, 2009

Dechert Lays Off 19 Associates
The Am Law Daily
Feb. 12, 2009

Law Firms Eliminating Staff Members
Philadelphia Business Journal
Dec. 16, 2008

Dechert Chairman: Layoff Rumors Are 'Bull'
The Legal Intelligencer
Oct. 22, 2008

Layoffs Hit Dechert Following Record Financial Year
The Legal Intelligencer
Feb. 29, 2008

DEWEY & LEBOEUF
Dewey to Drop 30 Attorneys and 100 Staff
The National Law Journal
March 4, 2009

Dewey to Shutter San Francisco Office, Keep SiliconValey Presence
The Recorder
Feb. 4, 2009

Dewey & Leboeuf Parts Ways with L.A. Associates
Above the Law
Jan. 13, 2009

Dewey & LeBoeuf Closes Charlotte Office
Above the Law
Oct. 20, 2008

Dewey Stay or Dewey Go? D&L Decamps from Hartford, Austin, Jacksonville
Above the Law
April 4, 2008

DICKSTEIN SHAPIRO
Nationwide Layoff Watch: Dickstein Shapiro (10)
Above the Law
Jan. 8, 2009

DORSEY & WHITNEY
Dorsey & Whitney Cuts 55 Staff Members
Above the Law
June 2, 2009

DLA PIPER
DLA Piper Cuts 121 in Second Round of Layoffs
The Recorder
July 9, 2009

DLA Piper Lays Off 8 Dubai Attorneys
Legal Week
April 3, 2009

DLA Piper Lays Off 20 Lawyers, 34 Staffers in Asian Offices
Am Law Daily
March 3, 2009

DLA Piper Lays Off 80 Associates and 100 Staffers
The National Law Journal
Feb. 12, 2009

DLA Set to Cut Up to 140 in New Redundancy Round
Legal Week
Feb. 10, 2009

DLA Review Sees Five Lawyers Redundant
The Lawyer
Aug. 4, 2008

DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH
Law Firms Eliminating Staff Members
Philadelphia Business Journal
Dec. 16, 2008

DUANE MORRIS
Duane Morris Lays Off Additional Staff
The Post Bulletin
March 20, 2009

DUNLAP & SEEGER
Dunlap Plans First Layoff; Cuts 2 Lawyers and 3 Staff
The Legal Intelligencer
Aug. 22, 2008

DYKEMA
Dykema Cuts 17 Attorneys and 30 Staff
Crain's Detroit Business
June 22, 2009

ECKERT SEAMANS CHERIN & MELLOTT
Eckert Lays Off 90 Temp Attorneys
Pittsburg Live
July 10, 2009

Eckert Plans to Lay Off 199 Attorneys By July 1st
The Triangle Business Journal
May 5, 2009

EDWARDS ANGELL PALMER & DODGE
Edwards Angell Lays Off 25 Lawyers and 35 Staffers In 6 Offices
The National Law Journal
March 27, 2009

EPSTEIN BECKER
Epstein Becker Lays Off 23 Attorneys and 30 Staff
The Recorder
Feb. 13, 2009

FAEGRE & BENSON
Faegre & Benson Lays Off 15 Attorneys
Legal Week
April 23, 2009

Faegre & Benson Lays Off 29 Attorneys
The Recorder
Feb. 13, 2009

FENNEMORE CRAIG
Fennemore Cuts 10 Staff
Phoenix Business Journal
May 13, 2009

Fennemore Drops 7 Attorneys
Phoenix Business Journal
Feb. 18, 2009

FENWICK & WEST
Fenwick Cuts 15 Associates and 7 Staff
The Recorder
May 6, 2009

Fenwick Cuts 36 Staff; Freeze Associate Salaries
The Silicon valley/San Jose Business Journal
Jan. 30, 2009

FISH & RICHARDSON
Fish & Richardson To Eliminate Entire Corporate Practice
ABA Journal
August 27, 2009

Fish & Richardson Lays Off 35 Attorneys and 85 Staff
Above the Law
May 13, 2009

Lawyer Layoffs; 49 Have Left Since November
The Daily Law Journal
Feb. 2, 2009

FOLEY HOAG
I'm Shipping Up To Boston (32)
Above the Law
Jan. 14, 2009

FOLEY & LARDNER
Foley & Lardner Lays Off 39
Above the Law
October 9, 2009

FRAGOMEN, DEL REY,BENSEN & LOEWY
Fragomen Del Rey Announces Associate Layoffs
The Am Law Daily
Nov. 21, 2008

FRESHFIELDS BRUCKHAUS DERINGER
Freshfields Lays Off Real Estate Associates
Legal Week
Sept. 22, 2008

FRIED, FRANK, HARRIS, SHRIVER & JACOBSON
Fried Frank Lays Off 41 Associates abd 58 Staff
Legalweek.com
March 31, 2009

Fried Frank Trimming ‘Less Than 10 Percent’ of Firm’s Staff
The Wall Street Journal Law Blog
Aug. 20, 2008

FULBRIGHT & JAWORSKI
Fulbright & Jaworski Lays Off 6 Associates and 4 Staff
Above the Law
July 23, 2009

GARDERE WYNNE SEWELL
Gardere Lays off 20 Attorneys and 40 Staff
Above the Law (Numbers unconfirmed by firm)
March 13, 2009

GIBSON, DUNN & CRUTCHER
Gibson Confirms Lay Off of 36 Staffers Across 9 U.S. Offices
The Legal Times
March 30, 2009

GILBERT OSHINSKY
Gilbert Lays off 4 Attorneys and 9 Staffers
Above the Law
August 11, 2009

GOLDBERG KOHN
Golberg Kohn Cuts 25% of Associates and Reduces Partner Salaries
The National Law Journal
March 24, 2009

GOODWIN PROCTER
Goodwin Procter Lays Off 38 Associates and 36 Staff
The Recorder
Feb. 13, 2009

GUNDERSON DETTMER
Gunderson Axes 8 Associates
The Recorder
Dec. 18, 2008

HERBERT SMITH
Herbert Smith Cuts 84 Jobs
Legal Week
April 20, 2009

HELLER EHRMAN
Big Wave of Layoffs Hits Heller
The Recorder
Oct. 17, 2008

Mass Layoffs at Heller
The Recorder
Oct. 13, 2008

HINSHAW & CULBERTSON
Chicago-Based Firm Joins Long List of Midsized Firms Making Cuts (28)
The National Law Journal
Feb. 6, 2009

Mass Layoffs at Heller
The Recorder
Oct. 13, 2008

HODGSON RUSS
Firm Cuts 5 Associates and 8 Staff
Business First of Buffalo
Feb. 3, 2009

HOGAN & HARTSON
Hogan & Hartson Nudges 30 Associates Out the Door
ABA Journal
July 10, 2009

Hogan & Hartson Cut 93 Staff
Legal Times
April 3, 2009

Hogan & Hartson Offers Buyouts to 240 Staffers
The National Law Journal
Feb. 10, 2009

Hogan & Hartson Offers Buyout of 250-300 Staff
Above the Law
Feb. 9, 2009

HOLLAND & KNIGHT
Holland & Knight Lays Off 243 Employees
Daily Business Review
Feb. 12, 2009

South Florida Law Firms Feel the Real Estate Slump
The National Law Journal
May 29, 2008

HONIGMAN MILLER
Honigman Cuts 11 Partners
Detroit News
June 23, 2009

HOWREY
Howrey Has Cut 25 Staff Positions
Above the Law
April 17, 2009

Nationwide Layoff Watch: Howrey Lets 10 People Go for 'Performance'
Above the Law
Dec. 10, 2008

HUNTON & WILLIAMS
Hunton & Williams Lays Off 23 Attorneys and 64 Staff
The Am Law Daily
May 14, 2009

Hunton & Williams to Redeploy Charlotte Associates
The American Lawyer
May 16, 2008

HUSCH BLACKWELL SANDERS
Hush Blackwell Lets Go of 17 Attorneys and 45 Staff
The Am Law Daily
July 15, 2009

ICE MILLER
Squire Sanders and Ice Miller Lay Off Staffers
The National Law Journal
May 16, 2008

JENNER & BLOCK
Jenner Eliminates 34 Support Staff Position in Chicago and D.C.
The National Law Journal
March 20, 2009

Jenner & Block Shows 10 Partners the Door
The National Law Journal
Oct. 21, 2008

KATTEN MUCHIN ROSENMAN
Katten Lays Off 23 Attorneys and 46 Staffers
The National Law Journal
March 20, 2009

Layoffs Hit Attorneys, Staff at Katten and Sonnenschein Firms
The National Law Journal
Oct. 20, 2008

KAYE SCHOLER
Kaye Scholer Trims Five Secretaries
The Wall Street Journal Law Blog
Jan. 21, 2009

KILPATRICK STOCKTON
Kilpatrick Stockton Lays Off 24 Associates and Counsel Across U.S. Offices
Fulton County Daily Report
April 29, 2009

KING & SPALDING
King & Spalding Lays Off 122 Firmwide, including 37 Lawyers
Fulton County Daily Report
March 9, 2009

KIRKLAND & ELLIS
Kirkland & Ellis Lays Off More Than 20 Associates in NY
WSJ Blog
September 2, 2009

Kirkland & Ellis Lays Off 80 Staffers
Above The Law
April 21, 2009

Kirkland & Ellis Fires Non-Equity Partners (10)
Above The Law
Jan. 7, 2009

Legal Recruiters Say Kirkland & Ellis May Lay Off 15 or More Attorneys
The National Law Journal
Jan. 9, 2009

K&L GATES
Staff Layoffs at K&L Gates: It's Not The Number, It's The Manner
Above the Law
July 14, 2009

K&L Gates Eliminates 20 Staffer Positions
Above the Law
April 20, 2009

K&L Gates Eliminates 36 Associate and 76 Staffer Positions
The National Law Journal
March 10, 2009

LATHAM & WATKINS
Latham to Cut 190 Associates, 250 Staff
The American Lawyer
Feb. 27, 2009

LINKLATERS
Linklaters Set to Make Job Cuts in Stockholm
Legal Week
Feb. 6, 2009

Linklaters Review Set to Claim up to 270 Jobs
Legal Week
Jan. 29, 2009

LOCKE LORD BISSELL & LIDELL
Unconfirmed Reports of Layoffs, 6% of Associates
Above The Law
March 31, 2009

LOEB & LOEB
Loeb & Loeb Lays off 4 Attorneys
Law Shucks
July 15, 2009

Loeb & Loeb Layoffs Round 2
Above The Law
January 12, 2009

Loeb & Loeb Cuts Eight Associates
The National Law Journal
November 11, 2008

Nationwide (Stealth) Layoff Watch: Shearman & Sterling and Loeb & Loeb
Above The Law
November 10, 2008

Loeb & Loeb Cuts Eight Associates
The National Law Journal
November 11, 2008

LOWENSTEIN SANDLER
Layoffs Confirmed this Month
The ABA Journal
Feb. 27, 2009

LOVELLS
Lovells to Cut Up to 94 Jobs in Staffing Review
Legal Week
Feb. 9, 2009

LUCE, FORWARD, HAMILTON & SCRIPPS
Luce Forward Lays Off 27
The Recorder
Feb. 6, 2009

MANATT PHELPS & PHILLIPS
Manatt Confirms Lay Offs Since October 2008 of 12 Attorneys and 35 Staff
Above the Law
March 19, 2009

MAYER BROWN
Mayer Brown Lays Off 45 Lawyers and 90 Staff in U.S. Offices
The Chicago Tribune
April 3, 2009

Mayer Brown Cuts 55 Lawyers and Staffers in London
Above the Law
March 20, 2009

Mayer Brown Lays Off 33 Lawyers
Legal Times
November 21, 2008

McCARTHY TETRAULT
McCarthy Lays Off 12 Attorneys
Globe and Mail Update
April 7, 2009

McDERMOTT, WILL & EMERY
McDermott, Will & Emery Lays Off 25 Attorneys, 47 Staffers
Am Law Daily
June 4, 2009

McDermott, Will & Emery Lays Off 60 Attorneys, 89 Staffers
The National Law Journal
Feb. 4, 2009

McDONOUGH HOLLAND & ALLEN
McDonough Lets Go 4 Associates and 13 Staff Members
Sacramento Business Journal
March 8, 2009

McKEE NELSON
McKee Nelson Lays Off Attorneys and Staff; Co-Founder Optimistic
The Wall Street Journal Law Blog
Nov. 3, 2008

McKee Nelson Lays Off 17 Associates
New York Law Journal
Nov. 4, 2008

MILBANK TWEED HADLEY & MCCLOY
Is Milbank Confirms Layoffs of 49 Associates and 40 Staff
The American Lawyer
May 6, 2009

Is Milbank Setting Up For Stealth Layoffs? Not According to Milbank
Above the Law
Jan. 13, 2009

Milbank Didn't Fire 'All' Its Staff Attorneys
Above the Law
April 18, 2008

MILLER CANFIELD PADDOCK AND STONE
Miller Canfield Cuts 13 Attorneys
Crain's Detroit Business
June 22, 2009

MINTZ LEVIN
Mintz Cuts 15 Attorneys 2 Weeks Ago
Above the Law
August 5, 2009

MOORE & VAN ALLEN
Moore & Van Allen Lays Off 20 Staff Members
Above the Law
Oct. 15, 2008

MORGAN & FINNEGAN
Nationwide Layoff Watch: Morgan & Finnegan
Above the Law
Aug. 21, 2008

MORGAN LEWIS & BOCKIUS
Morgan Lewis Lays Off 55 Attorneys and 161 Staffers
The National Law Journal
March 10, 2009

Morgan Lewis Lays Off Associates; Numbers Could Reach 50
Above the Law
Jan. 28, 2009

MORRISON & FOERSTER
200 Lose Job at Foerster & Morrison
The Recorder
Jan. 29, 2009

NEAL, GERBER & EISENBERG
Neal Gerb Lay Off 19 Attorneys and 32 Staff
The Chicago Tribune
Feb. 24, 2009

NIXON PEABODY
Nixon Peabody Layoffs
Above the Law
October 9, 2009

O'MELVENY & MYERS
O'Melveny & Myers Lays off 90 lawyers and 110 staffers
The American Lawyer
March 4, 2009

O'Melveny Cuts Associate, Staff Headcount
The National Law Journal
Oct. 27, 2008

Nationwide Layoff Watch: O'Melveny & Myers
Above the Law
Oct. 23, 2008

ORRICK, HERRINGTON & SUTCLIFFE
Orrick Announces Layoffs of About 100 Associates, 200 Staffers
Above The Law
March 3, 2009

Orrick to Trim About 40 Lawyers, 35 Staff--“Unrelated to Performance”
The Wall Street Journal Law Blog
Nov. 13, 2008

Orrick's Baxter: In This Economy, No Practice Area is So Robust it's Bursting at the Seams
The Am Law Daily
Nov. 13, 2008

Orrick Lays Off Associates, Staff
The Recorder
Nov. 13, 2008

PARKER POE ADAMS & BERNSTEIN
NC’s Parker Poe Lays Off 13 Lawyers
Triangular Business Journal
Jan. 9, 2009

PATTON BOGGS
Pain at Patton Boggs
Texas Lawyer
July 2, 2008

PAUL, HASTINGS, JANOFSKY & WALKER
Simpson Thacher Lays Off 15 Staffers
Above the Law
June 15, 2009

Paul Hastings Lays Off 44 Associates and 87 Staff
The National Law Journal
March 11, 2009

Paul Hastings Denies Reports of Layoffs
The American Lawyer
May 12, 2008

PAUL WEISS
Paul Weiss Lays Off Staff Attorneys
Above the Law
October 6, 2009

PEPE & HAZARD
Connecticut-Based Pepe & Hazard Lays of 5 lawyers and 7 Staff
Connecticut Law Tribune
March 11, 2009

PERKINS COIE
Perkins Lays Off 12 Attorneys and 26 Staffers
Above The Law
April 14, 2009

PILLSBURY WINTHROP SHAW PITTMAN
Pillsbury Memo To Lay Off 55 Associates, 10 Paralegals, and 90 Support Staff
Above the Law
March 5, 2009

Pillsbury Offers ‘Voluntary Departure Plan’ to Lawyers
Above the Law
Feb. 24, 2009

Pillsbury Confirms Layoff Leak (15-20)
The Recorder
Feb. 20, 2009

More About Pillsbury Winthrop (but at Least They Get iPhones!)
Above the Law
July 16, 2008

Pillsbury Winthrop Axes 15 in California?
Above the Law
July 14, 2008

PIRCHER NICHOLS & MEEKS
75 Lawyer Pircher Lays Off 8 Attorneys, 4 Staff
The National Law Journal
Dec. 18, 2008

POWELL GOLDSTEIN
Powell Goldstein Associates, Staff Feel the Pinch of Layoffs
Fulton County Daily Report
June 23, 2008

PROSKAUER ROSE
Proskauer Lays Off 23 Lawyers
Above The Law
Dec. 4, 2008

Proskauer Cuts 60 People
Above The Law
Dec. 4, 2008

QUARLES & BRADY
National Layoff Watch: Quarles & Brady
Above the Law
September 2, 2009

QUINN EMANUEL URQUHART & HEDGES
Quinn Lays Off 10 Staffers This Week
The National Law Journal
April 9, 2009

REED SMITH
Reed Smith Cuts Attorneys, Staff in U.S. and London
The Legal Intelligencer
March 31, 2009

Reed Smith Cuts Attorneys, Staff in U.S. and London
The Legal Intelligencer
March 31, 2009

Law Firms See More Layoffs, Departures of Staff and Associates
The Legal Intelligencer
June 5, 2008

Reed Smith Cans Staff, Associates, 'And Your Little Dog Too'
Above The Law
Dec. 4, 2008

Law Firms See More Layoffs, Departures of Staff and Associates
The Legal Intelligencer
June 5, 2008

ROBINSON BRADSHAW & HINSON
Robinson Bradshaw Cuts 6 Lawyers and Less Than Half a Dozen Staff
Charlotte Business Journal
June 26, 2009

ROBINSON & COLE
Rob. & Cole lays off 30; almost half in Hartford
Hartfordbusiness.com
March 31, 2009

ROPES & GRAY
Ropes & Gray Lays Off Between 30-40 Associates
Above the Law
May 22, 2009

Ropes & Gray Cuts 106 Staff Positions; 10 Percent of Nonlawyer Staff
The National Law Journal
Jan. 30, 2009

Staff Layoff Watch: Ropes & Gray Lays Off 106 Employees
Above The Law
Jan. 29, 2009

ROETZEL & ANDRESS
3 More Cleveland Firms Cut Attorneys, Staff
The Plain Dealer
Feb. 19, 2009

RUDEN McCLOSKY
Ruden Slashes Pay and Lays Off 8 Attorneys
Daily Business News
July 6, 2009

Ruden Lays Off More Than 20 Staff, Lawyers
Daily Business News
May 8, 2009

SAUL & EWING
Saul Ewing Cuts 7 Associates and 7 Staff
The Legal Intelligencer
March 24, 2009

SCHNADER HARRISON SEGAL & LEWIS
Schnader Harrison Lays Off 5 Associates and Less Than 1o Staffers
The Legal Intelligencer
April 23, 2009

SEYFARTH SHAW
Seyfarth Bucks Trend, Publicly Announces Layoffs
Law.com
Dec. 12, 2008

Seyfarth Shaw Lays Off 30 Attorneys
Above the Law
Dec. 5, 2008

Nationwide Layoff Watch: Seyfarth Shaw
Above the Law
July 10, 2008

SHEPPARD MULLIN RICHTER & HAMPTON
25 Layers Let Go Since January
The ABA Journal
Feb. 24, 2009

SHERMAN & STERLING
Sherman Shrinks Staff, 60 Staff in U.S. and 18 positions in the U.K
The National Law Journal
March 4, 2009

SHIPMAN & GOODWIN
Shipman Announces 26 Job Cuts
The Hartford Courant
April 4, 2009

SHULTE, ROTH & ZABEL
Schulte Lays Off 20 Attorneys
Above the Law
April 24, 2009

SHUTTS & BOWEN
South Florida Law Firms Feel the Real Estate Slump
The National Law Journal
May 29, 2008

SIDLEY AUSTIN
Sidley Lays Off 89 Associates, Staff Associates and 140 Staffers
The National Law Journal
March 13, 2009

SIMPSON THACHER & BARTLETT
Simpson Thacher Lays Off Staff
Above the Law
June 16, 2009

Simpson Thacher Denies Layoffs Report
The American Lawyer
Aug. 12, 2008

SKADDEN ARPS
Looses 11 Attorneys to New Boutique, and Lays Off 25 Staffers in D.C.
The Legal Times
March 30, 2009

Latest Layoffs: Skadden Staff Attorneys
Above the Law
Jan. 20, 2009

SNELL & WILMER
Snell & Wilmer Has Let Go 30 to 40 Staff Members
Phoenix Business Journal
May 8, 2009

SONNENSCHEIN NATH & ROSENTHAL
Sonnenschein Lays Off Lawyers
Kansas City Business Journal
September 2, 2009

Sonnenschein To Shutter Charlotte, NC Office (11 attorneys and 8 staff)
The American Lawyer
February 27, 2009

Layoffs Hit Attorneys, Staff at Katten and Sonnenschein Firms
The National Law Journal
Oct. 20, 2008

Sonnenschein Announces Layoffs -- More Than 100 Legal, Nonlegal Jobs Cut
The American Lawyer
May 28, 2008

SQUIRE SANDERS & DEMPSEY
Squire Sanders Lays Off 32 Attorneys
Above the Law
April 27, 2009

Squire Sanders and Ice Miller Lay Off Staffers
The National Law Journal
Jan. 21, 2009

Squire Sanders Asks 30 Associates, Paralegals to 'Explore Opportunities Elsewhere'
The National Law Journal
November 21, 2008

STROOCK STROOCK & LAVAN
Stroock Stroock & Lavan Layoff About 10% of Their Associates
Above the Law
March 30, 2009

SULLIVAN & CROMWELL
Sullivan & Cromwell Lay Off 15-20 Associates in NY
Above the Law
May 4, 2009

SUTHERLAND ASBILL & BRENNAN
Sutherland Trims Associate Ranks
Fulton County Daily Report
April 30, 2008

SYNNESTVEDT & LECHNER
IP Boutique's Fall Is Fox Rothschild's Gain
The American Lawyer
Aug. 27, 2008

TAYLOR WESSING
Taylor Wessing Becomes Latest Firm to Cut Jobs
Legal Week
Oct. 31, 2008

THATCHER PROFITT & WOOD
Thacher Proffitt Announces Expected Dissolution
Blog of Legal Times
December 22, 2008

Thacher Proffitt Loses Half its Lawyers as 100 Jump to Sonnenschein
The New York Times
December 22, 2008

THELEN REID BROWN RAYSMAN & STEINER
Thelen Lays Off 26 Associates, 85 Staffers
The Recorder
March 20, 2008

TOWNSEND AND TOWNSEND AND CREW
Townsend Lays Off 45 Staff and 16 Lawyers
The Recorder
April 9, 2009

THOMPSON & KNIGHT
Thompson Lays Off 17 Associates and 25 Staff
Above The Law
April 6, 2009

THOMPSON HINE
3 More Cleveland Firms Cut Attorneys, Staff
The Plain Dealer
Feb. 19, 2009

TROUTMAN SANDERS
Unconfirmed Attorneys Layoffs, Could Be as High as 4%
Fulton County daily Report
April 17, 2009

Troutman Plans Buyout of Staff, Layoff of Associates
Fulton County daily Report
March 20, 2009

VEDDER PRICE
Vedder Lays Off 9 Lawyers
Crain's Chicago Business
April 9, 2009

VENABLE
Venable Cuts 64 Employees, Including 16 Attorneys
The National Law Journal
March 11, 2009

WEIL GOTSHAL & MANGES
Weil Lays Off 79 Staff After Strong 2008
Boston Law Journal
May 29, 2009

WHITE & CASE
CC, White & Case in Talks Over Partner Departures
Legal Week
April 30, 2009

White & Case Lays Off 200 Associates and 200 Staff
The National Law Journal
March 10, 2009

White & Case Lays Off 70 Associates
The Am Law Daily
Nov. 11, 2008

Nationwide Layoff Watch: White & Case Brings Layoffs into the Vault Top 20
Above The Law
Nov. 11, 2008

Divorce, Italian Style
The American Lawyer
Oct. 24, 2008

WILDMAN HARROLD & DIXON
Wildman Harrold Lays Off 10 Associates and 7 Staffers
Above the Law
April 28, 2009

Wildman Harrold Axes 10 Attorneys
Above the Law
Jan. 9, 2009

WILMERHALE
WilmerHale Lays Off 57 Staffers
Above the Law
October 26, 2009

WILSON SONSINI GOODRIC & ROSATI
Wilson Sonsini Lays Off 45 Associates, 68 Support Staff
National Law Journal
Jan. 27, 2009

WINSTEAD
Winstead Lays Off 20 Staff in Dallas Office
The Dallas Morning News
Feb. 14, 2008

WINSTON & STRAWN
Winston & Strawn: The August Recap
Above the Law
September 9, 2008

WOLF BLOCK
Law Firms Eliminating Staff Members
Philadelphia Business Journal
Dec. 16, 2008

Nationwide Layoff List: Wolf Block Fires 15 Associates and Staff
Above the Law
Dec. 15, 2008

WOMBLE CARLYLE
Law Firms Eliminating 20 Positions
Above the Law
April 14, 2009

Newsline - 10/01/2009

2009-10-01T09:49:00.003-04:00

Citigroup and Big Law Discuss Fixed Fees. What Do They Say About Actions Speaking Louder Than Words? What happens when the chairmen of Arent Fox, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Kirkland & Ellis, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom gather to discuss fixed fees with Citigroup general counsel Michael Helfer? If history is any indicatory, you can expect lots of well-meaning discussions, but little results in the way that law firms will charge their fees. What’s interesting is the revelation by Citgroup’s GC, Helfer, that his legal department had been downsized from 1,100 lawyers a few years ago to its current size of 850. Will any of these discussions have a real impact on the future of fixed fees? Stay tuned… Corporate Counsel.

Clifford Chance Outsources 300 Deals to Indian Service Center. Some firms are discussing changing fees, others are outsourcing. Clifford Chance passed 12,000 hours of work to its Indian service centre in the last financial year, the equivalent level that would be done by seven London associates at 100 per cent utilization. Indian legal website LegallyIndia.com reported that lawyers in the Indian knowledge centre, which is based just outside Delhi, worked with 15 offices around the firm’s international network, doing work on over 300 client projects. The website quoted the firm’s annual report as saying that the knowledge centre, which has grown from four lawyers in 2007 to around 30 now, has enabled Clifford Chance to significantly reduce client bills. The Lawyer.

"Say It Ain't So" Hertz GC Demands Retraction After His Company Was Put On A List Of "Most Likely To Go Bankrupt." No one wants to hear that his company is going south, and that includes general counsel Jeffrey Zimmerman, of Hertz Global Holdings Inc. Zimmerman has demanded a retraction from a research firm that put Hertz on a list of companies "likely to go bankrupt or suffer severe financial distress." In a September 15th report, Audit Integrity listed Hertz and 19 other large companies that it considered at risk of bankruptcy. Now those same companies are considering lawsuits for defamation. Corporate Counsel.

Former Toyota Lawyer Under Fire; Accused of Being a "Money Grubber, Not a Whistleblower." Then punches are rolling, and this time former in-house Totota lawyer Dimitrios Biller is on the receiving end. BA California judge ripped into the former Toyota lawyer who has accused the automaker of destroying safety data that potentially could have affected the outcome of 300 rollover accident cases. Superior Court Judge John Segal in Santa Monica, Calif. accused Biller to be waging a lawsuit for "personal financial gain," not to ferret out criminal behavior. Toyota has lodged its lawsuit against Biller to try to keep him from disclosing its legal secrets. Looks like the battle has only just begun. USA Today.

BofA's CEO To Resign At Year's End. Everyone wants to know what happened in the BofA and Merrill Lynch merger, but the light that’s been shined on the matter is not making CEO Lewis looking very good these days. Less than a year ago, Bank of America’s chief executive, Kenneth D. Lewis, celebrated his daring takeover of Merrill Lynch as the crowning triumph of a long career. On Wednesday, that conquest proved to be his downfall, as he announced his resignation after months of legal and political scrutiny over the star-crossed merger. Lewis leaves as Congress, the attorney general of New York and investors turn up pressure on both him and the bank over not disclosing Merrill’s losses and bonuses to shareholders. The New York Times.