The Grades Game: The Importance of Law School Grades

Late last week, the American Lawyer reported the story of Loren Friedman, a lawyer who altered his law school transcripts to get a summer associate position at Sidley Austin in Chicago.

Friedman altered his University of Chicago Law School transcripts when he applied to be a summer associate at Sidley in 2001. Sadly, Friedman knew his real grades wouldn't get him into Sidley; so he faked his transcripts, altering every completed grade and changing C's to B's by whiting out the real grades and typing in new ones. Why did Freidman take such a risk? He did not think he could land a job at a big law firm without the big grades.

Were his grade assumptions correct? You bet.

John Levi, a Sidley partner who helps supervise recruiting, testified that there was "no way in the world" Sidley would have extended Friedman an offer if they'd known his real grades. (The firm's numerical grade cutoff for Chicago students is around 77, Levi testified.)

Friedman was hired by Sidley as a summer associate. He impressed the partners at the firm and was offered a full-time spot. He declined his offer, choosing instead to clerk for a federal bankruptcy judge. How impressed was Sidley by Friedman’s performance? Apparently, quite a bit. Sidley decided to roll over Friedman’s offer over for a year!

Clearly, Friedman was wrong in altering his transcripts, but what about Sidley’s grade requirements? Law firms rely heavily on law schools grades to determine which law students will make the best attorneys, and in almost every instance to decide whom they will be hiring as summer associates. The basic problem when hiring candidates out of law schools is the lack of data available to help firms gauge whether the candidate will be a strong performer. Law school grades are easy proxies to use.

However, as this story illustrates, law school grades are not always good predictors of performance. Yet, many law firms continue to enforce rigid grade policies. Sometimes the strict enforcement of these policies has the effect of stripping reason from the process.

When Friedman’s resume ended up in the hands of Michael Sweeney, a partner at Sidley, nearly five years later, Sweeney’s first response was to ask Levi how someone with Friedman's grades got in the door at Sidley. I may have wondered how someone who did no make the rigid “77 grade cut-off” ended up making such a good impression as to be getting an offer from Sidley – one that was extended for a year!

While there was “no way in the world” Friedman would have made it into Sidley by his grades alone, according to the firm's recruiting partner's own words, Friedman was nevertheless impressive enough in every other respect as to get an offer from the prestigious firm. Surprisingly Sidley had little so say about that.

Conventional wisdom would indicate that law school grades don't really matter after you’ve gotten a job following your summer internship. But law firm practices suggest otherwise, despite the fact that law firm grades have proven to be arbitrary and often unreliable indicators of performance – this case in point.

Traditionally, big law firms remain very attached to their grade requirements, and transcripts have an impact on not only the hiring of summer associates, but lateral associates as well. When an attorney has been practicing for a number of years and has a track record of performance, how important are grades? The answer varies, but most big law firms still take law school grades very seriously. Moreover, in a down market, the scrutiny given to law schools grades becomes even more heightened.

What about in-house? Companies hiring attorneys in-house generally tend to have more flexible requirements when it comes to academics. First of all, most law departments do not hire attorneys right out of law school, but rather experienced attorneys who have a track record of performance. Secondly, companies tend to be more interested in a candidate’s practical legal skills and abilities – in other words they are looking for lawyers that can do the job and do it well, whether they graduated from Cardozo or Yale, and earned A’s or C’s. It is a case where performance takes precedence over academics. Could companies have it right?

Law school rank and GPA have been shown to only be moderately predictive of success. This theory was tested in a study conducted about a year ago where the performance of more than 1,300 law firm associates was tested. One of the study's authors, Ron Paquette, told the ABA Journal that "The Harvard attorneys did not perform any better than those at the 30th-ranked law school." The study simply showed that those with top grades were not much more likely to succeed than those with simply good grades.

If law school grades are not good predictors of performance, when do they no longer matter?

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Story Update (April 29, 2009):

The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission suspended the attorney, Loren Friedman, from practicing law for three years after Friedman, a University of Chicago law school alum, admitted to all of the allegations against him during a committee hearing. But the commission's chief counsel doesn't think that sanction is strong enough, and has called for Friedman to be permanently disbarred. Commission officials are going to appeal the three-year suspension, according to this update from the Chicago Tribune. Friedman, is currently attending business school at the University of Illinois.

Government Jobs Elusive for Laid-Off Lawyers

You think a government job can take you out of the unemployment line? Think again.

Legal career counselors and agency officials say there's been a surge in lawyer applicants for government jobs, thanks to the crashing private sector economy, and the swelling talent pool is making the cumbersome process even tougher.

According to an article by the Legal Times, the perception that government hiring is booming right now isn't completely accurate either. Some lawyer-heavy agencies, such as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, are in hiring freezes. Others, such as the SEC, are still waiting for Congress to approve funding that will allow them to fill vacancies.

And the electronic applications systems being used to triage resume are not helping. The computerized process leaves no room for subjective analysis of applicants’ qualifications. However, short-staffed Federal agencies are not equipped to handle the massive volume of applicants any other way.

For those government agencies claiming to be hiring, it is unclear how many lawyer positions are actually open. And when positions do exist, they seem out of reach. As a Michigan law grad that has been trying for months to secure a government position said, "Any job that's public is hyper-competitive. Now, you have people coming from all over for these jobs."

Click here to see the complete story.

The Road To General Counsel

In today’s challenging business context, General Counsels have to come armed with tremendous legal and business skills, a strong understanding of the industry they serve, together with a wide array of personal strengths. In other words, companies today are expecting more from their General Counsels than ever.

These increasing requirements are consistent with the evolving role of the General Counsel. General Counsels have grown from legal administrators to strategic business partners. They are responsible for anticipating and mitigating risks, managing crises, as well as protecting a company’s standing and reputations in the marketplace. The majority of General Counsels or Chief Legal Officers operate as legal and business adviser to the Chief Executive Officer and as a trusted member of the board. They are increasingly involved in the strategic decisions being made and the crises being managed.

What does it take to become a General Counsel? As the role has evolved over time, so has the answer. It also depends on the company, the industry, and how the role will be viewed by the organization. For instance, a highly regulated business will require a counsel with a great deal of technical competency with respect to regulations and compliance. In fast moving industries such as high-tech and software, a counsel who can assess risk quickly and take a practical approach in order to move the business forward will be more valuable than a compliance-minded counsel. That said, what most companies want from their General Counsel is a legal adviser that can offer practical solutions and solve problems to help the business move forward.

The road to becoming a General Counsel is not necessarily linear or predictable, from law firm to in-house, to the top legal position at an organization. However, the ideal career path for attorneys who want to become General Counsels is to start with a big, well-respected law firm honing general corporate skills. While some litigators have been able to translate their skills and experience into General Counsel roles, the great majority of companies are looking for transactional attorneys. Why? Because today companies are faced with increasing corporate governance and compliance issues. Even private companies are hiring General Counsels with some experience or exposure to Sarbanes-Oxley. In addition, most of the day-to-day issues of companies, such as supporting the sales, marketing or distribution of products and services, require the skill set of a well-trained corporate generalist.

To be successful in the general counsel role, it's important to have a substantial understanding of a wide variety of legal issues, including finance, intellectual property, employment and corporate governance. A General Counsel needs to be able to manage a number of legal matters that can vary from full-blown acquisitions, mergers or disposals to a wide range of commercial issues, contractual issues, compliance, intellectual property, and employment issues. In other words, a General Counsel has to be a “jack of all trades” to effectively handle the variety of matters that will come across his/her desk.

While transactional experience is paramount, it is nevertheless a good idea as a young associate to gain some exposure to litigation and/or employment law while in private practice. Some law firms offer rotations to their junior attorneys – take advantage of this opportunity and round off your transactional experience with some litigation or employment experience.

After you have acquired 5-8 years of private law firm experience, you have two options available. You can make your first move in-house, move to a lower level position, and work your way up the legal department, or make a move laterally later until you accede to a General Counsel position. Alternatively, you can move to a smaller/mid-sized firm and act as an “outside” General Counsel for clients who do not have an in-house counsel but who may hire you in the future.

What is important is to make your move before you become pigeonholed in your private practice. I speak with a lot of law firm partners with more than 15 years of experience who want to move in-house and refuse to consider anything but a General Counsel position. Attorneys who are already in-house after 10 years of private practice, and who have worked their way to an Assistant General Counsel position, typically have a better chance of getting that General Counsel position than law firm partners.

The career path then is either to move upward within the company or to move to another company that offers better mobility or a more senior-level position. The key is to be careful not to move too often. Too many transitions will make your profile less attractive to companies. Therefore, it is important to take your time and to think about your career path strategically.

Another factor you need to consider is industry experience. Increasingly, companies are looking for General Counsels who have business and industry knowledge of the companies they are joining. Therefore, when making a transition in-house, be mindful not only of the number of transitions you make, but also about the type of transition you are making. The type of legal experience you acquire may also be impacted by your industry experience, and vice versa. For instance, regulated industries like health care will prefer to hire a General Counsel with regulatory experience or specialty experience (e.g., HIPAA, Medicaid, etc.). Industries that are fast-moving such as technology with prefer a General Counsel with strong M&A experience or IPO experience to help the company go public. If you are switching industries too often, you will not only lose the industry knowledge that is required of many General Counsel positions, but you may also not develop the type of legal skills required for the position.

A General Counsel has to have a good business mind. While you do not necessarily need to have an M.B.A. to land a General Counsel position, a business degree can certainly help. The key is to develop a clear understanding of the business issues that affect a company, ranging from understanding and interpreting a balance sheet, to comprehension of the commercial issues faced by the business. Even if you do not have a business degree, take business courses and pursue on-the-job training to gain a strong business sense and know-how. Finally, you need to develop leadership and management skills, first class communication skills, the ability to manage risk effectively, to provide practical solutions, and to know how to operate with fewer resources, especially today as General Counsels are struggling to “do more with less.”

The road to becoming a General Counsel is a long and challenging one. So start thinking about your in-house goals early, develop a strong transactional practice, think about "hot" industries in the marketplace, develop legal and business skills, and be strategic when making a career move - make fewer but smarter choices.

Lawyer Survives Plane Crash But Not Law Firm Layoff

Frank Scudere considered himself a lucky man. In a one-in-a-million event, Scudere and his fellow passengers survived the US Airways Flight 1549 emergency landing on the Hudson River on January 15th, and walked away with nothing worse than wet clothes.

What Scudere did not know was that his name was on the list of lawyers that his firm planned to lay off the next morning. When Scudere showed up for work the next day, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, told him that he was given a temporary reprieve from his immediate layoff, but that his position would nevertheless be eliminated. If things weren’t bad enough, the following Tuesday, his father died at age 77.

On March 26, a little more than two months after the US Airways drama, Scudere was called down to the HR office and informed that his position was eliminated. A Staff Attorney, Scudere said his performance reviews in his four years at Skadden had been very good. That did not save him from the chopping block.

Skadden has laid off nearly all of its staff attorneys, about 50 in all, along with some support staff. To cut costs, the newest associates have been offered a stipend not to start work for six months. Young associates are also taking a six-month rotation through Scudere's old department, Litigation. In other words, some of Scudere's work may now be done by lawyers right out of law school.

Scudere recognizes that the law firm was under economic strain and appreciates that it paid him for more than eight weeks beyond his last day, plus $500 in exchange for signing the standard letter agreeing not to sue. Nevertheless, bitterness creeps in. He'd like the firm to know that there are more civil ways to lay off a person than cutting off his medical benefits immediately, and giving him three hours to gather his belongings before security escorts him out.

"I don't feel like I deserved special treatment. I just deserved to be treated civilly," he said. "I'm a 48-year-old attorney and I've worked in Big Six accounting firms. I've been laid off before. I've laid people off before, but I've never treated people like that before. It's bereft of any dignity."

In this tough economic climate, Scudere, 48, is worried about being able to find work. Just how bad is it out there? The Labor Department said the number of unemployed lawyers jumped 66% last year to a 10-year high of 20,000. More than 3,000 lawyers have been laid off in the first three months of 2009. "There are no jobs, even temp work, in big cities for lawyers. I'm thinking of becoming a teacher or working for a nonprofit, but I need to support my family."

So just how lucky is Frank Scudere? You be the judge of that.

[Originally reported by MSNBC]

Interviewing To Land A Job

In today's ultracompetitive job market, getting an interview is an achievement. However, according to hiring managers many top candidates blow their changes by being too aggressive, appearing desperate, or looking bitter about their situation. The saddest part is that most candidates don’t even realize what they are doing wrong.

The key to conducting a successful interview is to make an impression, but an impression made for the right reasons. When you consider everything that goes into an interview such as choice of dress, timing, conduct, questions, responses, and materials, you soon realize that there are several ways a person can make a wrong impression. However, there are also many ways a person can make an incredible first impression and land the job.

Before a big interview, a smart candidate carefully chooses his or her outfit, researches the company, prepares answers to questions the interviewer might ask, arrives on time, and brings a positive attitude to the process. However, under the pressure to succeed candidates trying to make a good impression are sabotaging their chances of success. What are they doing?

Take the case of Jane Doe who interviewed for an Assistant General Counsel position with a Fortune 1000 Company. After sending hundreds of resumes, Jane finally landed an interview and wanted to make a good impression. Jane arrived an hour before her scheduled interview time with a bound portfolio of her transactions ready to be distributed. When introduced to the interviewer, she said, “Thank you so much for seeing me. I really need this job.” Before she was asked for anything, she offered her bound portfolio and started to talk at length about her various transactions. After answering one of the questions, she added, “I hope I answered that sufficiently for you. I really want this job.” As the interview was ending, the last thing she said was, “Thank you for the opportunity to interview for this job. I really hope I get it!”

Jane, like many other candidates, believed that showing up early and letting the interviewer know she really needed the job would help her get it. Unfortunately, all Jane Doe got the following week was a rejection letter.

Here are a few tips to follow to improve your chances of landing the job during the interview:

1. Be On Time, But Not Too Early

Nearly 20 percent of hiring managers say they'd eliminate a candidate who was just 10 minutes late for an interview; so make sure you're on time. Want to make a good impression by arriving an hour early? Think again. All you are doing is putting pressure on the hiring manager, and not being mindful of his/her schedule. Imagine getting a call from the front desk telling you that your interview has arrived a full hour before you are ready for it. It would feel pretty uncomfortable, right?

While you should make an effort to arrive early for your interview, you should arrive no more than 10 or 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Double check the address of your interview, give yourself more time than you think you might need to arrive at the location, and if you arrive more than 15 minutes early, just make yourself comfortable at a coffee shop nearby and wait until that 10-15 minute window. If you do arrive a few minutes before the scheduled time, it is appropriate to tell the receptionist or other receiving party your name and that you are aware of your earliness. Do not expect anyone to bend over backward for you; you are simply at the person's disposal when he or she is ready.

In the oft chance you are running late, call and apologize.

2. Dress Professionally, Not Casually

I recently had a candidate ask me the company’s dress policy prior to his interview. We’ll call him John Doe. John wanted to know if the company had a “business casual” dress code. While that was the case, I quickly reminded him that even if his interviewers were all going to be dressed casually in jeans and Dockers, he should nevertheless be wearing his dark navy suit for the interview. John seemed a little surprised by my response, but nevertheless put on his suit. Fortunately, he made a better impression than his competitor who showed up wearing a pair of Dockers and a collared shirt to “fit in” with the company’s dress code.

Leave the casual pants, low-cut dresses, and jeans at home. While interview attire varies depending on the job for which you're applying, this rule of thumb always applies: It's better to dress up than be too casual. Dressing up not only shows that you respect the employer and the interview process, but also that you have style and polish. So dust up that interview suit and dress shoes, and always err on the conservative side.

3. Bring a Positive Attitude and Leave Your Woes At Home

If you are sitting in an interview chair in this tough market, you undoubtedly already have had your fair share of rejection: unanswered resumes, rejection letters, and no second interview offers. You may have been fired, laid off, or left unemployed to face increasing financial pressures. No matter what your personal situation or feelings, you need to leave your woes out of the interview process.

The interview is not a therapy session or a place to share your bitterness. This is not an opportunity to vent about your former boss, or the difficulty of being unemployed. You need to come to the interview room confident and positive about the process. This is a time to turn negatives into positives. For instance, if you were laid off, talk about what you’ve done to improve your skills or make yourself more marketable. You need to show a prospective employer that you can face challenges and overcome obstacles in a positive manner. People who can show toughness in the face of adversity are more likely to make a good impression over those who complain about their situation.

4. Do Your Homework and Sell Yourself

Assuming that you don’t show up in your jeans, with spinach in your teeth, telling everyone what a jerk your former boss was, showing up with a thorough knowledge of the organization and position for which you are interviewing can go a long way towards getting the job. Once upon a time, candidates could land an interview simply by skimming the prospective employer's annual report, wowing the hiring manager with a few company facts, and walking away with a firm handshake. Those days are over.

In a labor market tightly controlled by employers, candidates have to give it their all when preparing for interviews. Doing your homework before your interview includes mounting a broad, deep search for relevant information about the position, the company, the industry, and even the interviewer. Luckily for you, many resources are available on the Internet that can enable you to achieve that competitive edge if you're willing to put your nose to the grindstone. What should your research look like? Be sure to consult the company’s website, recent company press releases, annual reports, media coverage and industry blogs, and seek advice from members of your network.

If you have done your homework on the company, you need to take it a step further and demonstrate how your background and track record relate specifically to the position. In other words, you need to sell yourself. Some people don’t feel comfortable “bragging” about their accomplishments. It’s not bragging if you’ve done what you’re describing. Besides, there is a difference between openly bragging and simply describing your accomplishments with confidence to a hiring manager. You need to examine your career for examples of how you have solved problems, minimized risks, saved money, or improved processes for your former employers. Be sure to quantify your contributions, and to provide specific examples of your various accomplishments according to the position's requirements.

Finally, be careful not to oversell or come across as overeager. Don’t make false claims about your past job performance or skills. You will be found out. Employers will look up your references and check on your claims. Also, do not offer to work on a trial basis or to take a lesser salary than what a job pays. While these moves may seem bold and aim to convey “interest,” they also tend to undermine the value you bring to the position. No matter what the state of the economy, employers want to hire the best candidates available, not necessarily the cheapest.

5. Test Drive Your Interview Skills Before The Big Day

Beyond doing your homework on the company, you also need to prepare for your interview. The easiest way to approach a job interview with a high confidence level is to prepare answers to questions you might be asked, and then to practice answering them until you can do it naturally. It doesn’t matter whether you’re applying for a position as an associate with a law firm, a general counsel with a company, or a law student for a summer internship. Interviewers generally use the same type of general questions to assess candidates. If you prepare in advance for these questions, you’ll be able to tilt the odds of a job offer in your favor.

Before you do the real thing, try a practice interview. Invite a family member or friend to practice with you, each of you taking turns as the interviewer and the interviewee. That way, you'll become accustomed to both asking and answering questions. The key is to develop some ease with respect to potential questions and answers so that your interview becomes more natural and conversational.

6. Wait For The Job Offer Before Discussing Salary

There is no routine or schedule for when companies will discuss salary with you. Some companies will ask for salary requirements in a cover letter. Some will actually ask you to accept the offer before they even mention the word salary. However, you should always hold off on discussing salary until after you have been offered the position.

The first thing you need to do is to conduct research on the average pay range for the position, this will allow you to provide a reasonable range if you are asked to name your salary requirement. If you are asked to name your salary requirement in a cover letter or resume, do so. It may be the criteria used to weed out resumes. If you do not include the information at all, your resume will be quickly set aside because you don't follow directions. Put down a reasonable range, according to your research, and depending upon the responsibilities of the position.

Do not lie about your salary history. Employers can verify this information. If you do not wish to tell your salary history, answer with the salary range you are willing to negotiate within. If it is a reasonable range, employers will more than likely drop the question of salary history. Once you have been offered the position, and it is time to discuss the salary, you should ask what the typical range is for others in the company with that position, what they had budgeted for that job, and let them know your willingness to consider any reasonable offer.

7. Follow-Up After Your Interview, But Don’t Become a Stalker

When closing the interview you probably asked for information about what happens next in the interview process. How do you conduct a proper follow-up? When and how should you follow-up to keep the focus on your application but avoid becoming annoying?

If you know approximately the time frame for the hiring decision you will have a better idea of how soon to follow-up. For example if they have told you they expect to make the decision within the next week you will need to follow-up more quickly, after a couple of days. If it is a longer time frame or they have not given you a specific time frame, it is usually best to wait about a week before making contact.

After an interview, make sure to promptly send thank-you letters. Use the business cards you gathered during the interview to address your letters to the right individuals, spelling their names correctly. Also, make sure to proofread your thank you letters thoroughly to avoid typos, spelling mistakes, or grammatical errors.

Finally, don't stalk the interviewer. After waiting a reasonable amount of time following the interview, one to two weeks, it’s okay to email or call an interviewer or recruiter and ask for a status update. What’s not okay, though, is stalking an interviewer after the interview. Do not try to reach employers multiple times without leaving messages, today everyone has caller ID and will be able to tell if you are calling repeatedly. Also, if you get voicemail, leave a message. Sending a thank you letter and following up once by phone is more than enough. Anything more and rather than coming across as enthusiastic, you will start to look desperate and annoying. Remember to be patient in awaiting the company’s response.

What are the worst interview stories you've ever heard?

Asia’s Legal Demand Still On The Rise Despite The Financial Crisis

The underlying demand for infrastructure and the increasing wealth throughout Asia are likely to drive growth over the next 25 years. The demand for those areas appears almost endless, and will certainly continue to grow as the current crisis is sorted out. As a result, the possibilities for legal work in Asia appear almost limitless.

The sophistication and rapid growth of middle-class wealth in Asia is also providing more opportunities for the financial services industry to do more routine banking, as opposed to developed economies where they've come to the end of what they could do, since everyone has a bank or super account.

The combined demands of infrastructure and banking services are making Asia one of the most attractive legal markets in the world.

The Asian economies, with some exceptions, seem to be maintaining their growth and activity, and perhaps are more likely to rebound from the crisis, particularly in China and Hong Kong. Both of those economies are poised grow in the foreseeable future, with M&A and corporate transactions as areas that China is likely to need legal services in.

Australian, American and U.K. law firms are pushing further into the Asian market either by setting up offices or establishing joint ventures with local law firms. China has been recognized by many international firms as one of the most important market for growth. As a result, foreign firms continue to come into China, and the ones already doing well there are trying to expand. So far this year, 10 US firms have obtained licenses to open offices in China.

The entrance by international firms seems to be welcomed by general counsels in China, particularly general counsels in domestic companies. To them, international firms can expand the diversity of advisory services in China and better facilitate Chinese companies’ international expansion.

As law firms look towards Asia in response to the downturn, it is likely that competition will become more heated in the short term. The perennial issues of profitability, fees, recruitment and retention of staff continue to be top concerns for law firms setting up shop in this area. In addition, as the market gets more crowded and competitive, managing partners of international firms’ China offices are finding it increasingly challenging to make the cut. But as one of the few markets still poised for growth over the short and long-term, Asia remains a bet most law firms are willing to take, despite the many challenges.

Attorney In Charge of Merrill Lynch Eyeing BofA CEO Job

Despite a climate of uncertainty, there is one lawyer who is feeling pretty good about himself: Brian Moynihan.

Brian Moynihan, 49, is the lawyer put in charge of Merrill Lynch & Co. following the ouster of John Thain, the last chairman and chief executive officer of Merrill Lynch before its distressed merger with Bank of America

Life is good for Moynihan and possibly getting even better soon. Moynihan is slated as a potential successor to Bank of America’s Chief Executive Kenneth D. Lewis according to the Wall Street Journal. Lewis, who has led the bank since April 2001, has indicated that he could leave once the current financial crisis is over and definitely plans to depart within three years.

Not bad for a lawyer who seems to be rubbing some of the Merrill Lynch executives the wrong way.

What has Moynihan done to create tension with some of the highest-ranking executives who have remained at Merrill Lynch?

• Moynihan suggested paying bonuses or making financial guarantees to some top investment bankers if they agreed to stay for a certain length of time.

• Moynihan flew on a private jet to London for a meeting to discuss a range of issues, including compensation.

Compensation has been a hot issue at Merrill Lynch ever since the company paid $3.6 billion in bonuses to employees at the end of December despite piling up a net loss of $27.61 billion in 2008. So suggesting bonuses, regardless of its well-meaning intentions, probably tasted a lot like an AIG offering to the Merrill Lynch executives. We’ve all seen what’s happened at AIG as a consequence of these bonuses, and no one really wants that in their own backyard.

Taking a private jet to a meeting in London, even if the travel decision was in fact "efficient, effective and the best value” according to a BofA spokesperson, was probably not the image Merrill Lynch wanted to promote on the heels of the financial meltdown it helped create.

If Moynihan has been receiving criticism from Merrill Lynch executives, he has been getting plenty of love and support from BofA.

For instance, Moynihan was the one who accompanied Lewis to his recent meeting at The White House, and apparently did most of the talking, according to the WSJ.

Moynihan is so important to BofA’s upper ranks that Lewis scrambled in December to keep him after telling the board that Moynihan turned down a new job and might leave the bank – supposedly because he did not want to relocate his family while he was building a new house outside Boston.

What did BofA do to keep Moynihan onboard? The Company promoted him the next day to general counsel, a job Moynihan held for only 43 days before taking over Merrill.

Clearly, Moynihan has his supporters both inside and outside BofA. "He has proved in difficult environments he is very capable," said Anthony DiNovi, co-president of Boston private-equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners LP, who has worked with him on past deals. "When Lewis has a tough job at hand he turns to Brian, and Brian has always been there for him."

So will Moynihan replace Lewis as BofA’s CEO? More importantly, if he does, what impact will this have on Merrill Lynch?

Stay tuned.

The Wheel Turns On Another Recruiter Fee Dispute

Just when you thought everyone had learned a valuable lesson in the Mark Bruce International Inc. and Blank Rome recruiter fee dispute, comes yet another salacious account of purported contracts and reluctant client fees.

This time, it’s Major Lindsey & Africa crying foul.

When Latham & Watkins IP partners David Nelson and Sean Pak joined Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges two months ago in a deal brokered by the legal recruiting company of Major Lindsey & Africa, managing partner John Quinn seemed thrilled. According to reports by the American Law Journal, John Quinn said it was "almost unheard of" to find two young IP lawyers with "significant trial experience." It seemed to be a great acquisition for the firm, and a happy day for everyone.

So how did the litigation firm of Quinn Emanuel reward Major Lindsey & Africa? By filing a lawsuit. Clearly no good deed goes unpunished.

While Quinn Emanuel might be very excited about its two new hires, David Nelson and Sean Pak, the firm is trying to limit the finders fee it has to pay by claiming a “buy one, get one free” deal from Major Lindsey.

According to Quinn Emanuel’s complaint, the firm seems to thinks that Major Lindsey does not deserve the fees it's demanding for Sean Pak or other Latham laterals. While Quinn Emanuel is willing to pay for at least one of the two partners, David Nelson, this was not just a generous gesture. Quinn Emanuel already had a contract in place with Major Lindsey that covered David Nelson, and arguably Sean Pak as well; the rub is whether or not this transaction came attached with a whole new contract to include Sean Pak and others at Latham.

Does any of this sound familiar? It should, as I reported in a previous blog post “Good Faith Went Up In Smoke In Lost Recruiting Fees” Mark Bruce International Inc. was involved in a similar type of email discussion over a proposed merger with the law firm of Blank Rome. Blank Rome argued that the emails did not form a contract, and proceeded to award $729,931 to Major Lindsey for completing a merger with Healy & Baillie in September 2006. The court agreed with Blank Rome and Major Lindsey came out on top. This should have served as a warning to Major Lindsey: beware of email communications with law firms!

So what happened during this deal?

According to court documents Quinn Emanuel’s courtship of Nelson began when Major Lindsey recruiter Mark Jungers e-mailed Nelson's resume to John Quinn, the founder of Quinn Emanuel. Attached to the e-mail was a purported new contact between Major Lindsey and Quinn Emanuel, which asserted that the law firm would be deemed to have accepted the contract by continuing with the recruiting process.

The new contract did not limit the recruiting firm's fee to a percentage of the compensation of only the first two lawyers of a larger group, unlike Quinn Emanuel's standard recruiter arrangement. (Major Lindsey's fee, according to Quinn Emanuel's filing, amounts to 25 percent of the initial annual compensation of attorneys it places.).

After Nelson and Pak joined Quinn Emanuel in February, according to Quinn Emanuel's complaint, Jungers demanded the 25 percent fee for both attorneys. He also suggested Quinn would have to pay a fee for any other attorneys in their group who later joined Quinn Emanuel. But Quinn Emanuel claims in the complaint that Major Lindsey should not receive any fees for Pak, because it didn't represent him. Quinn Emanuel also asserts that it never assented to Major Lindsey's contract.

What’s really going on between law firms and recruiters?

Love them or hate them – legal recruiting firms provide valuable services to law firms and attorneys. Even Quinn Emanuel can’t argue with that; they use legal recruiters and come away with hires that generate a great deal of business. Case in point, Quinn Emanuel’s hire of David Nelson, a major rainmaker with a client list that includes Symantec, Oracle, and Google. Clearly, neither party would have come together in this happy marriage but for the services of Major Lindsey.

It should have been a mutually beneficial arrangement. So what went wrong?

Recruiting top talent through headhunters is expensive. Law firms tend to look for ways to curb expenses, and legal recruiting firms are fearful of not being paid. Legal recruiting firms get burned often, more than is reported by the media. More than 90% of the time recruiting firms opt to forfeit their fees or forego the right to sue altogether for fear of losing a client permanently, and to avoid any kind of bad publicity. It’s a case where there is little trust . . . on either side.

It’s also a case of misunderstanding as to what recruiting services are all about, and how they should be compensated. And sometimes both sides take advantage of this confusion. What counts as a recruiting service? Mentioning the name of a potential candidate, submitting a candidate resume, making an informal introduction?

Information is tantamount in these transactions. The key is to provide a law firm with information about a potential candidate it would not otherwise have had. Remember tort and causation? This is rather similar to the basic cause-in-fact “but for” test which asks the historical question: was the defendant’s conduct something that was a cause of the plaintiff’s injury? According to this test, the quality of the defendant’s conduct has no bearing on this question. When it comes to legal recruiting services, cause or "procuring cause" tends to be mentioned frequently. To determine whether the legal recruiting firm was the cause or "procuring cause" of a hire, the "but for" test helps to make that determination.

Did Major Lindsey’s conduct lead to the hires made by Quinn Emanuel? Yes. But for Mark Jungers’ discussion of David Nelson and Sean Pak with Quinn Emanuel, would the firm have hired any of the two partners or considered other members of the group? According to the facts stated, that's a no. Major Lindsey opened the door that Quinn Emanuel walked through to make these hires, and that’s what Major Lindsey is looking to be compensated for.

As with the tort theory, the quality of the legal recruiter’s conduct has no bearing on the question of cause. Once the cat is out of the bag, it’s easy to argue about who did what to make the deal work. Arguably, a legal recruiting firm can help a great deal in helping a candidate go forward and close, but ultimately it’s the law firm that is responsible for making the actual hiring decision. Providing legal intelligence to make these deals possible is where the rubber meets the road. Everybody knows that. But not everyone is willing or wants to pay for it. Hence come discussions of contracts, resume submissions, and candidate approvals. These issues are typically raised to mask what really makes these transactions happen and to circumvent having to pay a fee.

So what about the contract provision?

For better or worst, Quinn Emanuel had a stingy contract in place that it used to create relationships with legal recruiters. For attorney group placements, Quinn Emanuel only paid a fee for the first two hires made, the rest came free. If you did not sign it, not only were you not supposed to do business with them, but in the oft chance that you did, you would not be paid a cent. Clearly, to protect yourself and begin a working relationship with the firm you had to sign this contract. That’s what Major Lindsey did.

Yet, are all contractual relationships of this nature set in stone? Clearly not. It is far from unusual for recruiter contracts to be changed or modified, often as the result of a particular transaction. This is especially true when there is a sizeable transaction on the horizon and a contract in place that does not adequately cover it. Is a law firm defenseless in this particular situation, as Quinn Emanuel seems to claim in its complaint? Far from it. In fact, as most court rulings seem to support, a law firm in this position has everything to gain and very little to lose.

Here, Major Lindsey knew that it has something special to offer Quinn Emanuel. As John Quinn said it, something "almost unheard of . . . two young IP lawyers with significant trial experience.” One of which was a bona fide rainmaker. Knowing that the firm would be salivating over this rare offering, in return for presenting these partners to Quinn Emanuel rather than to one of its competitors, Mark Jungers did what any competent recruiter would do: renegotiate the terms of the original contract.

Quinn Emanuel had three choices:

1. Reject the new contract and bypass the chance to recruit a rainmaker and other exceptional members of this group.
2. Expressly accept the new contract and agree to pay a fee for all of the hires made.
3. Tacitly accept the new contract and reserve the right to bind Major Lindsey to the old contract and pay a lesser fee.
   

Law firms, including Quinn Emanuel, know that in the majority of circumstances legal recruiting firms do not go to court to enforce these contracts. These disputes are usually resolved behind close doors, with recruiting firms trying to negotiate an arrangement, and usually walking away with less than they typically bargained for. The risk of an actual lawsuit is minimal, unless the legal recruiting firm decides to take stand, which is rare. This is why option three was the preferred choice for Quinn Emanuel; the firm had everything to gain and little to lose (at least for now).

John Quinn the founder of Quinn Emanuel received the initial email from Major Lindsey’s Mark Jungers with the proposed new contract and David Nelson’s resume. I assumed he read both documents. If the proposed new contract was not satisfactory to him or his firm, as the complaint seems to suggest, he could simply have responded to Mark Jungers’ email letting him know that he had no intention of agreeing to it, and that Major Lindsey remained bound by the initial contract.

Why did the 33-year litigation veteran fail to do that? Clearly because David Nelson’s resume was attached to the email, and he knew a good opportunity when he saw one. If Nelson was available, whom else could they possibly talk to in Nelson’s group to join the firm? What did John Quinn do? He forwarded the email to his partner A. William Urquhart, a 32-year litigation veteran, to have a telephone discussion with Mark Jungers, whereby Jungers discussed David Nelson, was well as Sean Pak (and maybe others, as this information was culled from Quinn Emanuel's complaint).

Clearly, these two legal veterans with over 60 years of combined experience read Mark Jungers email and understood what was expected by entering into these discussions. The language was clear. Quinn Emanuel was expected to pay a placement fee for each and every attorney candidate suggested by Major Lindsey and subsequently hired by Quinn Emanuel. However, both partners decided to turn a blind eye to the purported new contract, claiming that because they did not sign the proposed contract it was not binding.

Conclusion.

It’s unclear how this matter will be resolved in a court of law, but one thing is sure, Quinn Emanuel was hoping for a deal. The question is whether it will have been worth it at the end of the day? Biting the hand that feeds you “tough to find” rainmakers may not be the most judicious move you can make for your firm. It may also make other legal recruiting firms think twice before they send you their top-notch candidates. And we all know how valuable those candidates are - even Quinn Emanuel can't argue with that.

Legal Industry Loses 22,300 Jobs in the Last 12 Months

Legal services jobs nationwide have contracted by 22,300 jobs in the last 12 months, according to the numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

On the private law firm sector, some 3,500 attorneys and staff lost their jobs this past March. While there seems to be slowdown from the earlier layoffs of January and February, the bloodletting continues.

The loss comes as the national unemployment rate reached 8.5 percent, the New York Times reports. The story says the Federal Reserve expects unemployment to peak at about 8.8 percent, but many economists predict it will hit 10 percent.

The jobs report came after several weeks of economic data offered some positive signs for the economy. Stronger housing demand and a rebound in consumer spending after sharp declines since the fall fueled some hope that the economy may be approaching its bottom.

According to the Wall Street Journal, economists generally expect job losses to continue through most of the year, with a firmer recovery starting in early 2010. Friday's job report showed that every sector of the economy shed jobs, except for health care.

A broader gauge of unemployment — which counts Americans who want work but quit searching and people who want full-time jobs but settled for part-time work — climbed to 15.6%. That high level of slack underscores the difficulties of finding work, sidelining much of the labor force.

The 20 Most Influential General Counsels in the United States

The National Law Journal has compiled a list of the 20 Most Influential General Counsels in the United States.

What have these exceptional general counsels done to receive this honor?

According to the National Law Journal, they have proven to be steady and resilient leaders during this tough economy, as well as creative, looking at innovative solutions to keep their law department running effectively and efficiently.

Here they are:

• Brackett Denniston, 61, General Electric Co.
• Ivan Fong, 47, Cardinal Health Inc.
• James R. Jenkins, 63, Deere & Co.
• Michele Coleman Mayes, 59, Allstate Corp.
• Mark M. McGuire, 51, Eaton Corp.
• Barry Nagler, 52, Hasbro Inc.
• Roderick "Rick" Palmore, 57, General Mills Inc.
• Carol Ann Petren, 56, Cigna Corp.
• James G. Potter, 51, Del Monte Foods Co.
• Thomas L. Sager, 58, DuPont
• Amy W. Schulman, 48, Pfizer Inc.
• Bradford L. Smith, 50, Microsoft Corp.
• Mark Stachiw, 47, MetroPCS Communications Inc.
• Deirdre Stanley, 44, Thomson Reuters Corp.
• Laura Stein, 47, Clorox Co.
• Henry "Hank" Udow, 51, Cadbury PLC
• William A. Von Hoene Jr., 55, Exelon Corp.
• Robert Waterman, 55, HCA Inc.
• Angela F. Williams, 45, YMCA of the USA
• Danette Wineberg, 62, The Timberland Co.
  

See how these GC’s various accomplishment landed then on the Top 20 list of The Most Influential General Counsels in the United States:

Brackett Denniston, 61, General Electric Co.

As the leader of a 1,300-attorney legal department, Brackett Denniston has focused on globalizing his work force to reflect the international expansion of General Electric Co. (GE). At the same time, he has worked to ensure that operations in emerging markets reflect a respect for human rights and adherence to the rule of law. Since joining GE in 1996, Denniston has steadily scaled the corporate ladder to reach the posts of senior vice president and general counsel. His leadership during the financial crisis and the shifting regulatory landscape has enabled GE to avoid seeking bailout money from the Troubled Assets Relief Program. He has publicly advocated bringing more legal work in-house, arguing that it gives him more control over quality and efficiency. In addition, he has established a tracking system to ensure that outside counsel appoint diverse attorneys to work on GE's key matters. Active in the community, Denniston is a trustee and secretary of Kenyon College, chairman and trustee of the New England Legal Foundation and a member of the board of the American Arbitration Association.

Ivan Fong, 47, Cardinal Health Inc.

Nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as general counsel of the Department of Homeland Security, Ivan Fong arrived at Cardinal Health Inc. three years ago to find a decentralized legal department that was facing at least two dozen major lawsuits. As chief legal officer and secretary, he established regular department meetings and a pro bono program, implemented an electronic document and matter-management system and developed an innovative "career road map" that gave attorneys title parity with their business counterparts. Fong is credited with clearing the docket of cases against the $87 billion global manufacturer and distributor of medical and surgical supplies, and reorganizing and re-energizing the legal department. A former partner at Covington & Burling and a former deputy associate attorney general, he also saved at least $5 million in both outside and in-house costs by implementing tighter billing guidelines and an e-billing system and by creating a preferred provider network.

James R. Jenkins, 63, Deere & Co.

John Deere tractors were not quite what Congress had in mind last fall when it passed the Troubled Assets Relief Program -- a package of laws geared toward stabilizing banking institutions amid financial crisis. But Deere & Co. senior vice president and general counsel James R. Jenkins did some creative thinking and quickly realized that the legislation could benefit businesses outside the traditional banking sector. With the assistance of attorneys at New York-based Shearman & Sterling, Jenkins, who has headed Deere & Co.'s legal department since 2000, tapped into the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s new Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program, allowing the farm equipment manufacturer's financing arm to sell $2 billion in bonds in December. Those bonds were backed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. at low interest rates. Now, that $2 billion can be loaned to John Deere customers to purchase equipment.

Michele Coleman Mayes, 59, Allstate Corp.

Upon her arrival at insurer Allstate Corp. in 2007, Michele Coleman Mayes wasted no time conducting a full assessment of one of the country's largest corporate legal teams, with nearly 1,300 employees. When Mayes joined Allstate as vice president and general counsel, she carried decades of legal experience, including stints at the U.S. Department of Justice, Burroughs Corp., Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Pitney Bowes Inc. One of her goals was to broaden the department's pro bono efforts. The resulting program sponsors student debates at urban high schools. Mayes surveyed her department and outside counsel to assess their commitment to diversity. Keeping an eye on the bottom line, Mayes is a fan of alternative-fee arrangements when appropriate and has negotiated flat-fee pricing for much of the company's patent, government relations and insurance defense work. "We enter into multiyear rate agreements with our firms that include a variety of aggressive financial structures, blended rates, rate caps and rate locks," Mayes said.

Mark M. McGuire, 51, Eaton Corp.

Manufacturing engine components. Producing golf club grips. Developing green technologies. Diversified power management company Eaton Corp. does a bit of everything, and so does the company's executive vice president and general counsel, Mark McGuire, whose responsibilities span the globe and the legal spectrum. McGuire oversees 50 attorneys around the globe on issues ranging from trade regulation and litigation to corporate governance. Intellectual property is a top priority, since Eaton must protect patents and trade secrets covering green technology such as hybrid electricity and hydraulics for automobiles. Before joining Eaton in 2005, McGuire spent 12 years as in-house counsel at International Paper Co.

Barry Nagler, 52, Hasbro Inc.

Those who miss the days when they could waste hours playing Scrabble-knockoff Scrabulous online with their Facebook friends can blame Barry Nagler. Nagler, senior vice president and general counsel at toy maker Hasbro Inc. since 2000, led the legal charge against Scrabulous. In a move that garnered national attention, the online game was pulled off the popular social networking site last summer after Hasbro, maker of Scrabble, filed a lawsuit claiming copyright infringement. Protecting Hasbro's intellectual property is just one of Nagler's many duties at Hasbro, which sells toys and games ranging from Monopoly to the Easy-Bake Oven. Nagler is expanding Hasbro's brands globally and throughout the entertainment world -- where his legal team negotiated with filmmakers to bring Transformers and G.I. Joe to the big screen, and with video game and technology companies to feature Hasbro brands. In addition, Nagler launched a team of attorneys who monitor and influence the many new toy safety regulations around the world.

Roderick "Rick" Palmore, 57, General Mills Inc.

In just one year on the job after 12 years as general counsel at Sara Lee Corp., Roderick "Rick" Palmore has made big moves at General Mills Inc. as executive vice president, general counsel and chief compliance and risk management officer. He is about to inform all outside counsel working for the company to propose alternative-fee arrangements in order to reduce legal costs. "We're looking at better ways of aligning our interests," he said. Having worked for half of his career at law firms, Palmore calls himself the firms' "worst nightmare." "I know how the game should be played," he said, adding that he demands responsiveness, diversity, talent and cost savings from outside counsel. Diversity is something Palmore has emphasized throughout his career, having helped launch the "Call to Action" initiative four years ago to improve representation and mobility of minorities and women within the law firms providing services to major corporations.

Carol Ann Petren, 56, Cigna Corp.

Carol Ann Petren has played nearly every major legal role during her 36-year law career. She has spent time as a federal prosecutor, a law firm attorney and in-house counsel at several major corporations, including MCI Communications Corp. and Sears, Roebuck & Co. Her experience has come in handy in her current role as executive vice president and general counsel at insurer Cigna Corp., where she handles litigation matters, regulatory compliance, corporate governance compliance and public policy issues, among other responsibilities. Her time as a prosecutor taught her to be a tough negotiator, while her law firm stint provided insight into what clients need. Petren puts all of that to use overseeing Cigna's approximately 240-member legal department, a job she has held for three years. Cigna, like many other companies, is trying to rein in legal expenses. Petren has implemented a prioritization program in which resources are directed to the most important legal areas.

James G. Potter, 51, Del Monte Foods Co.

James G. Potter has made most of his own breaks in life while simultaneously demonstrating a passion for helping others. Potter, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of Del Monte Foods Co., grew up an orphan in Muncie, Ind., but graduated at the top of his high school class. He went on to the University of Chicago and Harvard Law School. At Del Monte, he has been a proponent of alternative-fee arrangements. He also was one of 12 general counsel working with the Project for Attorney Retention at the University of California Hastings College of the Law to devise a list of best practices for law firms and in-house counsel to promote diversity and work-life balance. Potter serves as chairman of the steering committee of the California Minority Counsel Program.
Thomas L. Sager, 58, DuPont

Thomas L. Sager started his career with E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. 32 years ago, working his way up from an attorney in the labor and securities group to his appointment in 2008 as senior vice president and general counsel. Focused on cost savings, Sager is a big proponent of outsourcing document review to offshore firms and temporary workers. Outside firms willing to agree to alternative-fee arrangements "can realize bonus in the millions depending upon the size of the recovery or risk to the company," he said. Sager is so well known for his efforts to promote diversity that the Minority Corporate Counsel Association named an award after him. He chairs the association, which advocates hiring, retaining and promoting minority attorneys in corporate law departments and the law firms that serve them. In 2001, he received the Spirit of Excellence Award from the American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession. In addition, Sager steered the company's pro bono efforts towards minority scholarships and in-house lawyer representation of indigent clients.

Amy W. Schulman, 48, Pfizer Inc.

Amy W. Schulman has a lot to command as the senior vice president and general counsel of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. -- not the least of which is the company's $68 billion takeover bid for drug maker Wyeth. Among other aspects of the pending deal, Schulman has found herself negotiating with the banks involved. Although she's been at the helm of Pfizer's legal division for less than a year, Schulman has made it her mission to "rewrite" the relationship between law firms and their clients. She has drastically pared back the number of firms Pfizer relies on and has largely done away with the billable hour. The company's outside counsel operate on flat fees and incentives. Pfizer is not Schulman's first high-profile gig. She was previously a go-to litigator at DLA Piper with a huge book of business. In addition to her work with Pfizer, Schulman is involved with a number of nonprofit groups, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Equal Justice Works.

Bradford L. Smith, 50, Microsoft Corp.

General counsel of Microsoft Corp. since 2002, Bradford L. "Brad" Smith has put to good use the company's technological advantages. Overseeing lawyers in 44 countries, Smith keeps in close touch with them through the use of You Tube-style video announcements and videotaped quarterly meetings. With so many employees in other countries, Smith has worked hard to strengthen the company's ties with governments around the world by investing in local economies and by meeting with officials there. In addition, he has worked to bring down patent costs, which are 31 percent below benchmarks at the company. Smith, who also holds the titles of senior vice president and corporate secretary of Microsoft, has put much of his energy into promoting diversity and pro bono work. He created a program last year in which outside law firms receive a 2 percent bonus for achieving diversity goals. In addition, Microsoft is the only company with a full-time diversity coordinator for its legal department. Last year, Smith worked with 35 law firms -- and actress Angelina Jolie -- to create a pro bono program geared toward children.

Mark Stachiw, 47, MetroPCS Communications Inc.

During his 2 1/2 years as general counsel of MetroPCS Communications Inc., Mark Stachiw hasn't slowed down. He spearheaded the $1.4 billion acquisition of wireless communications spectrum, allowing his Texas-based company to double its market by entering New York, Boston and Philadelphia. As vice president, general counsel and secretary of the company, Stachiw oversaw the largest nonfinancial initial public offering of 2007 (more than $1 billion in securities) and negotiated and closed on $1.5 billion in bridge loans to finance the spectrum acquisition, despite being sued by a competitor just days before the deal was set. Stachiw also led the settlement of that lawsuit, filed by competitor Leap Wireless International Inc. Within four days in 2009, Stachiw successfully sold $550 million of senior notes into the market. With 18 years' experience in the telecommunications industry, he is known for a deal-making ability that has helped make MetroPCS the sixth largest flat-rate wireless provider in the United States, with 5.4 million customers.

Deirdre Stanley, 44, Thomson Reuters Corp.

Deirdre Stanley spent the past two years playing a leading role in the transformation of The Thomson Corp. into Thomson Reuters Corp., the world's largest professional information company. Stanley, who joined Thomson in 2002, directed several legal teams involved in the company's sale of NETg Inc., a provider of electronic learning products, for $285 million; the sale of Thomas Learning Centers Inc. and Nelson Canada for $7.8 billion; and the sale of Prometric Inc., a provider of computer-based testing and assessment services, for $435 million. As executive vice president and general counsel, she led the legal team in Thomson's $17.2 billion acquisition of Reuters Group Ltd., overseeing multiple law firms in the United States and Europe. Stanley also is a member of the Thomson Reuters executive committee, which includes the eight most senior executives of the company. Outside of Thomson Reuters, Stanley champions such causes as the Girls Scout Council of Greater New York and the National Kidney Foundation.

Laura Stein, 47, Clorox Co.

Laura Stein is as busy out of the office as she is at work. Stein, senior vice president and general counsel of The Clorox Co., oversees the company's worldwide legal affairs and its women's employee resource group; co-sponsors the Clorox risk-management and social responsibility programs; is vice chair and executive committee member of the board of the Association of Corporate Counsel; chairs the American Bar Association Asia Law Initiative Council; and co-chairs the corporate pro bono advisory board and the general counsel committee of the ABA Section of Business Law. In 2003, Stein was named by the Harvard Law Bulletin as one of 50 alumnae who "have used their law degrees to take them to extraordinary places."
Henry "Hank" Udow, 51, Cadbury PLC

Henry "Hank" Udow started with Cadbury PLC in 1987 as an assistant counsel. Ascending to his current position as chief legal officer and group secretary, Udow last year oversaw a complex transaction that separated Cadbury's confectionery and beverage businesses into two independent companies. The deal required him to oversee switching the beverage business from Cadbury's global enterprise based in the United Kingdom to a new publicly traded U.S. company, Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. As part of the spinoff, Dr Pepper Snapple Group engaged in a $4.4 billion financing -- no small feat in an extremely challenging credit market and under a tight deadline. In addition to leading the deal, Udow bore overall responsibility for ensuring that the legal, compliance and governance processes were ready at the time of the spinoff. In that capacity, he oversaw outside and in-house legal teams in closing what was analogous to an initial public offering of a company with a $7 billion market capitalization. Udow had to juggle a myriad of issues related to corporate oversight, contracts, employee benefits, taxes, internal controls, compliance and regulatory issues.

William A. Von Hoene Jr., 55, Exelon Corp.

As executive vice president and general counsel of one of the nation's largest public utilities, William A. Von Hoene Jr. made a career-long commitment to promoting diversity while a partner at Chicago-based Jenner & Block, where he co-chaired the diversity committee. One result of his work was the annual diversity dinner that, among other prominent lawyers and judges, honored Barack Obama long before he became president. Von Hoene joined Exelon in 2002 as vice president and deputy general counsel for litigation. He was named general counsel in February 2006. His colleagues credit him with countless hours of pro bono representation of the indigent, with special emphasis on housing discrimination. He received the 2007 Association of Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Award, which recognizes the most outstanding corporate pro bono program in the country, and the 2008 Vanguard Award from the Chicago Bar Association, recognizing outstanding contributions in making the legal profession more accessible and reflective of the community at large.

Robert Waterman, 55, HCA Inc.

Robert Waterman, senior vice president and general counsel at HCA Inc., cut the Nashville, Tenn.-based company's outside legal fees by 23.3 percent -- some $42 million -- between 2006 and 2008. Those savings came despite the high regulation and litigious climate that surround the health care industry. At the same time, HCA, which owns and operates 166 hospitals and 107 freestanding surgery centers, was operating under a corporate integrity agreement with the government and went through what was the largest leveraged buyout in history. Waterman achieved his goals through a combination of bonus structures for the in-house legal team, aggressive risk management and innovative fixed-fee arrangements. Since 2007, he has tied 60 percent of every lawyer's bonus to tough legal fee goals. Additionally, increased management oversight led to a drop in incidents and cases. Waterman put into place policies by which HCA settles cases early and relies on more contract attorneys.

Angela F. Williams, 45, YMCA of the USA

With a lean, four-attorney in-house team, Angela F. Williams proves that a legal department doesn't have to be big to be mighty. Her team faces an array of legal work that might be expected at a Fortune 500 corporation. Despite the small size of her work force, Williams works with some heavy hitting law firms, including DLA Piper on intellectual property, Sidley Austin on tax and corporate and McDermott Will & Emery on nonprofit government affairs. She has negotiated sponsorships of various types with The Walt Disney Co., J.C. Penney Co. and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Williams is an expert on Internal Revenue Service compliance for nonprofits. Her department represents all independent YMCAs on IRS matters. Protecting the YMCA's marks and brands is a top priority for Williams, who drafts cease-and-desist letters, monitors the brand position and keeps track of registrations with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. "No other organization owns a letter of the alphabet," Williams said.

Danette Wineberg, 62, The Timberland Co.

Danette Wineberg enjoyed a long career as in-house counsel for companies such as Little Caesar Enterprises Inc. and Highland Superstores before going to Timberland in 1997. At Timberland, which is based in Stratham, N.H., Wineberg has initiated cost-cutting measures including electronic filing, which enables the company to better handle enormous volumes of work. Wineberg, who serves as vice president and general counsel, has also has pushed for flexible working arrangements such as attorney job share. She contributes to the community as clerk for the National Board of Trustees for City Year, a youth service nonprofit organization. Wineberg considers diversity when hiring outside counsel, but most important to her are "practical solutions, business savvy, responsiveness, experience and commitment to our values." Wineberg said she is embracing alternative-fee arrangements, such as "not-to-exceed" fees and "early-pay" discounts.

Law Firm Layoffs: April 2009 (Updated Daily)

While April 2009 may have been considered a slower month in terms of layoffs. We tabulated a total of 1,498 law firm layoffs, including 633 attorney and 865 staffers. The most significant contributor to our April numbers was Allen & Overy with a layoff that totaled 450.

In any event, the 3,500 figure for March compares to considerably lower tallies of roughly 2,000 law firm jobs eliminated in February, and 1,500 in January. Seven new law firms added well over 300 layoffs to the total for March. They were:

• Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson (41 associates and 58 staff)
• Gibson Dunn & Crutcher (36 staff)
• Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell (unconfirmed, 6% of associates says Above the Law)
• Reed Smith (26 attorneys and 74 staff)
• Robinson & Cole (11 attorneys and 19 staff)
• Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom (25 staff layoffs were confirmed, may be higher)
• Stroock Stroock & Lavan (10 percent of associates)

What else is going on in the market? Canceled summer programs, postponed first-year associate start dates and even pay cuts at all levels up to and including partners. In terms of salary reductions, we are starting to see the first cracks in the lockstep compensation model. To date, three Am Law 200 firms have cut salaries:

• Allen Matkins
• Thompson Hine
• WolfBlock (now defunct)
  

According to the American Lawyer, the top 10 large law firms cutting associates, to date, are primarily California and Midwestern firms. Big cuts are still expected to come from other large firms. Here is the top 11 so far in terms of percentage:

1. Orrick, 140 associates, 19.86 percent.
2. Holland & Knight, 70 associates, 15.12 percent.
3. Cooley Godward Kronish, 52 associates, 12.97 percent.
4. Bryan Cave, 58 associates, 11.22 percent.
5. Latham & Watkins, 190 associates, 10.84 percent.
6. McDermott, Will & Emery, 60 associates, 10.64 percent.
7. Wilson Sonsini, 45 associates, 10.09 percent.
8. O'Melveny & Myers, 90 associates, 9.53 percent.
9. White & Case, 200 associates, 200 staffers, 8.33 percent.
10. Allen & Overy, 250 lawyers, 8.18 percent.
11. Goodwin Procter, 36 associates, 7.41 percent.

The list below contains law firms who have begun layoffs in late 2008 through April 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.

___________________________________________________________________

THE FIRMS:

• Akin Gump
• Allen & Overy
• Alston & Bird
  
• Andrew Kurth
• Arent Fox
• Baker & McKenzie
• Baker Botts
• Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll
• Bell Boyd & Lloyd
• Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod
• Bingham McCutchen
• Blank Rome
• Bose McKinney & Evans
• 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
• Day Pitney
• Dechert
• Dewey & Leboeuf
• Dickstein Shapiro
• DLA Piper
• Drinker Biddle & Reath
• Duane Morris
• Dunlap & Seeger
• Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge
• Epstein Becker
• Faegre & Benson
• Fenwick & West
• Fish & Richardson
• Foley Hoag
• Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
• Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
• Gardere Wynne Sewell
• Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
  
• Goldberg Kohn
• Goodwin Procter
• Gunderson Dettmer
• Heller Ehrman (dissolved)
• Hinshaw & Culbertson
• Hodgson Russ
• Hogan & Hartson
• Holland & Knight
  
• Howrey
• Hunton & Williams
• 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
• McDermott Will & Emery
• McKee Nelson
• Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy
• Moore & Van Allen
• Morgan & Finnegan (dissolved)
• Morgan Lewis & Bockius
• Morrison & Foerster
• Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg
• O'Melveny & Myers
• Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
• Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein
• Patton Boggs
• Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker
• Pepe & Hazard
• Perkins Coie
  
• Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
• Pircher, Nichols & Meeks
• Powell Goldstein
• Proskauer Rose
• Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Hedges
  
• Reed Smith
• Robinson & Cole
  
• Roetzel & Andress
• Ropes & Gray
• Saul & Ewing
• Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis
  
• Seyfarth Shaw
• Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton
• Sherman & Sterling
• Shutts & Bowen
• Sidley Austin
• Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
• Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom
• Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
  
• Squire, Sanders & Dempsey
• Stroock Stroock & Lavan
  
• Sutherland Asbill & Brennan
• Synnestvedt & Lechner
• Taylor Wessing
• Thatcher Profitt & Wood (dissolved)
• Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner (dissolved)
• Thompson Hine
• Townsend and Townsend and Crew
  
• Troutman Sanders
• Vedder Price
  
• Venable
• White & Case
• Wildman Harrold & Dixon
• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
• Winstead
• Wolf Block (dissolved)
  

______________________________________________________________

LAYOFF DETAILS PER FIRM:

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

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

BAKER BOTTS
Baker Cuts 30 Lawyers
Above the Law (numbers unconfirmed by firm)
March 13, 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

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

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Shreck

BOSE MCKINNEY & EVANS
Bose Is Eliminating 10 Attorneys and 15 Staffers
The Indiana Business Journal
March 27, 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 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 (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 Lays off 20 Staffers in NY
Legal Week
April 22, 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
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

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

DECHERT
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

DLA PIPER
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

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 29 Attorneys
The Recorder
Feb. 13, 2009

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

FISH & RICHARDSON
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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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 to Redeploy Charlotte Associates
The American Lawyer
May 16, 2008

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 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
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 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

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

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

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
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

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

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

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

ROPES & GRAY
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

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

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 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

SONNENSCHEIN NATH & ROSENTHAL
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 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

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 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

WHITE & CASE
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 29, 2009

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

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

WINSTEAD
Winstead to Lay Off 20 in Dallas Office
The Dallas Morning News
Feb. 14, 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