
The coronavirus has spooked most law firms and the pending merger between Troutman Sanders and Pepper Hamilton has seen a four month delay until 1 July but it has also seen voluntary departures from the firm.
A report from AbovetheLaw carries a report from the firm that it is implementing voluntary temporary leave of absence as a program for its professional staff across all the firm’s offices.
“The voluntary leaves are expected to be three months, however Troutman Sanders plans to call people back earlier if circumstances allow,” the firm statement said.
Merger partner Pepper Hamilton has already cut associate salaries by 20 per cent.
- Sports Law Deal Sees Simpson Thacher Score Triple Partner Hire for M&A Boom

- 2026 BigLaw Salary Scale: When Is the Next Raise Dropping? r/biglaw Weighs In
It’s April 2026, and the usual spring fever has hit r/biglaw, except this year the chatter isn’t about bonus season (that already came and went). It’s all about the next salary scale. Log in to see the 2026 scale . . . - Simpson Thacher Announces Plans to Open Singapore Office

- Macfarlanes Hits £3.1m PEP – Proof That Staying Small Can Beat The Magic Circle At Its Own Game
he 150-year-old City firm just posted profitability numbers that will make some London big law partners wince, but the strategy is deceptively simple. While the Magic Circle firms continue their global expansion arms race, adding offices in places most partners couldn’t find on a map, Macfarlanes has been quietly doing something almost heretical in modern BigLaw: staying focused, staying small, and getting spectacularly rich in the process. Log in to read more . . - Record £534m PE Cash Floods UK Law Firms With AI As the Rocket Fuel
If you’re a lawyer watching your firm’s P&L or thinking about the next tech upgrade, here’s the headline you can’t ignore: private equity poured a record £534 million into UK law firms in 2024, which is a chunky 42% jump from £377m the year before. Over the past five years that’s more than £1.2 billion of fresh capital heading into the sector.