US law firms continue to announce layoffs with recruiters and others saying more layoffs lie ahead with overcapacity among noneqjuity partners. One of the issues is that lawyers working from home are less reliant upon staff members at law firms.
Altman Weil principal Eric Seeger told Law.com that he has spoken with about three dozen managing partners in the last month, and all are reviewing staffing “with the intention of a head count reduction.”
Similar grim news was announced by Peter Zeughauser of the Zeughauser Group, who told Law360 that law firms are moving resources to strong practice areas and cutting in areas that are less productive and the practice has also served to protect higher-earning rainmaking partners and also to prevent poaching.
The latest law firm to announce layoffs is Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom which is laying off just under 4% of its professional staff across its U.S. offices, a spokesperson said last week.
Nixon Peabody is also reportedly planning to lay off some furloughed staff members, even as other furloughed staffers and lawyers were returning to work. The plans were revealed in a confidential memo that also announced that full salaries would be restored for many staff members.
In addition, Baker + McKenzie are laying off 6 per cent of their workforce in North America and Mexico, including lawyers and other legal professionas.
Davis Wright is laying off almost 40 staff members who had been furloughed and Venables is also laying off furloughed employees.
- How Law Firms Can Avoid Legal AI Adoption Missteps
Achieving Real Benefits From Legal AI Philip Goldberg, LawFuel contributor The rise of legal AI has generated intense excitement among law… Read more: How Law Firms Can Avoid Legal AI Adoption Missteps - What to Know About Injury Law and Your RightsArticle: The Siegel Law Group P.A. Injury law protects individuals harmed due to someone else’s negligence, ensuring they receive fair compensation.… Read more: What to Know About Injury Law and Your Rights
- How a Line-by-Line Challenge Saw Lawyer’s Cost Challenge Backfires Spectacularly
Let’s talk about the fine art of picking your battles—especially when those battles involve a 1,400-item costs bill and a judge… Read more: How a Line-by-Line Challenge Saw Lawyer’s Cost Challenge Backfires Spectacularly - How Complex Litigation Skills Advance Legal Careers
Article: Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, Attorneys Mastering complex litigation is a game-changer for legal professionals. Image Source: Unsplash It’s not just… Read more: How Complex Litigation Skills Advance Legal Careers - LA Riot Arrests – Federal Complaints Charge SoCal Residents with Assault,Throwing Molotov Cocktails at Officers During Recent Civil UnrestLOS ANGELES – Two Los Angeles County men have been charged via federal criminal complaints with possessing Molotov cocktails during the recent… Read more: LA Riot Arrests – Federal Complaints Charge SoCal Residents with Assault,Throwing Molotov Cocktails at Officers During Recent Civil Unrest
Skadden laid off its most vulnerable employees while making huge profits and promoted thirteen lawyers to partner. Sounds a little fishy to me.