Biglaw Perk Watch: Dewey & LeBoeuf to 18 Weeks
The latest major law firm to enhance its parental leave policy: Dewey & LeBoeuf. Remember the holiday party car controversy? All is forgiven. Eighteen weeks, plus Denim Day? You couldn't ask for anything more.
Actually, maybe you can. From a male tipster at the firm:
D&L just went to 18 weeks for parental leave: 8 weeks of medical leave for a birth mother, 4 weeks of childcare leave, and an additional 6 weeks of primary caregiver leave. This means that birth mothers get 18 weeks, adoptive primary caregivers get 10 weeks, and a parent who is not the primary caregiver gets 4 weeks.So beleaguered working dads still only get a month. Can I humbly suggest that the next big perk should be non-primary caregiver parents to 8 weeks? We still lose sleep and have to deal with, ah, a moody home environment...
Sure, that would be nice -- but first things first. Don't look a fringe-benefit horse in the mouth.
For a table listing the maternity leave policies of various large law firms, prepared by ATL survey guru Justin Bernold, click here. For a compilation of paternity leave policies, click here.
The Dewey & LeBoeuf cover email and memo, after the jump.
DEWEY & LEBOEUF LLP -- PARENTAL LEAVE POLICY FOR U.S. BASED ASSOCIATES AND COUNSEL
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 12:07 PM
To: DL US Associates; DL US Counsel
Subject: Parental Leave Policy
The firm is pleased to announce a significant improvement to our parental leave policy for US-based associates and counsel. Birth-mother primary caregivers are now eligible for up to 18 weeks of paid leave and all other primary caregivers are now eligible for up to 10 weeks of paid leave. Secondary caregivers are eligible for 4 weeks of paid leave.
Paid parental leave is made up of medical leave, childcare leave and primary caregiver leave components. For example, the following would apply to eligible attorneys:
· a birth mother who is the primary caregiver will be eligible for a total of 18 weeks paid leave through a combination of 8 weeks medical leave, 4 weeks childcare leave and 6 weeks primary caregiver leave;
· a non-birth parent who is the primary caregiver will be eligible for a total of 10 weeks paid leave through a combination of 4 weeks childcare leave and 6 weeks primary caregiver leave; and
· an adoptive parent who is the primary caregiver will be eligible for a total of 10 weeks paid leave through a combination of 4 weeks childcare leave and 6 weeks primary caregiver leave.
This policy is effective immediately and will be extended to all eligible attorneys currently on parental leave from the firm. The complete policy is attached and will be included in the Attorney Handbook.
(61) Comments
Maybe you associates could just not have any goddamn kids. You ever think of that? Huh?
Does any father really take more than a week or two? Or I guess the real question is does any father who plans/wants to make partner take more than a week or two?
Don't let their "generosity" fool you. They're not hiring and going down the tubes. What a TTT.
What IS a primary caregiver if both parents are working? Even if the mom is on maternity leave, is she the primary caregiver? What if both parents stay home after the baby is born?
Can we stop with all the maternity leave crap. NO ONE CARES LAT.
I heard they just announced the closing of their Hartford office
WilmerHale went to 18 weeks as well today for both birth AND adoption. But unlike D&B, it's 18 weeks for the primary caregiver (male OR female) which can be taken at any point up to a year after birth. Secondary gets 4 weeks (again, non-gender specific, but most likely will be used by dads) at or near birth.
Guys in my highschool used to get 18 weeks paid paternity leave all the time...It's no big deal.
3:00, unless both parents work at same firm, who's the wiser?
They announced to Hartford on Friday that they would not be renewing the lease. As is usual in Hartford they had no information about severance or transfers. Appearantly the remaining Hartford associates (they lost about 20 in 2007) are trying to flee like rats from a sinking ship.
Actually, from the website it looks like they have about six partners and 16 associates who fleeing like rats....
How does the closing of a small office in Hartford, of all places, suggest a sinking ship? Consolidating offices that are geographically close is good business, especially if a major client has left that city.
My firm has closed several small offices over the years . . . it's financially savvy.
The tipster is wrong - dads can take up to 10 weeks, they just have to be the "primary caregiver." Since that is a term that remains undefined (and if both parents work how can the firm claim otherwise?), he can take 10 weeks.
Marc Edelman hasn't been this PUMPED since the clipart disc (3.5 inch floppy, not CD) went on sale at Office Depot in 1996.
2:56,
They may not have hired you, but that doesn't mean they're not hiring.
Yeah, the firm is definitely still hiring. I see interviewees walking around my dept frequently, and my dept has hired two assocs in the past two months.
The firm has definitely raised its standards for potential hires, though, so 2:56 probably wasn't good enough to get a job here.
Wilmer just raised their leave policy to 18 weeks also.
From: Clayton, Carol
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 10:31 AM
To: WH All Lawyers US
Subject: Parental Leave Announcement
We are pleased to announce an increase in the amount of paid parental leave being offered to eligible lawyers in our US offices under WilmerHale's work/life balance policies. Lawyers at the firm who are serving as primary caregivers (i.e., the sole caregiver at home) may now take 18 consecutive weeks of paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child, provided that the leave is taken within one year of the birth or adoption. Lawyers who are serving as secondary caregivers (i.e., at home with a spouse or partner) may now take four consecutive weeks of paid leave, provided that the leave is taken at or near the time of the child's birth or adoption.
These increases in paid parental leave reflect the firm's commitment to assisting our lawyers in pursuing demanding legal careers while maintaining rewarding personal lives. The revised policies also reflect the firm's continued gender neutral approach to parental leave and its belief that our work/life balance policies must acknowledge the important role that fathers and mothers play in parenting.
These new benefits are effective retroactively to January 1, 2008 and will apply to anyone who was on paid parental leave as of that date. Details on the new policies will be distributed shortly.
Carol Clayton
WilmerHale
1875 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20006 USA
+1 202 663 6650 (t)
+1 202 663 6363 (f)
carol.clayton@wilmerhale.com
Qui gives a shit?
Jones Day - wake up you cheap chumps.
But if yesterday's post (and included comments) indicates anything it is that working dads are more productive than non-male parents. Why that is, I have no idea (the chance to escape? a sense of increased responsibility?), but it might undercut the plea for increasing fatherhood leaves.
Also heard that the Hartford associates got totally stiffed for bonuses this year. Apparently Hartford is the redheaded (now disowned) stephchild of the firm.
Why would a firm raise salaries in a satellite office to 160k for 1st years and then shut that office down like 8 months later? It's not just D&L; it happens at other firms, too, and I really wonder what the reasoning is behind that....Are firms really that short-sighted?
Why hasn't anyone in the New York office been informed of this Hartford shut-down? It seems unlikely that legacy LeBoeuf, with so many insurance clients, would shut down their Hartford office...
NY D&L: You would think the rest of the firm would know--but you'd be wrong. THAT would make too much sense.
NY D&L:
The Hartford office is closing soon (announced on Friday). The Hartford practice was mainly environmental, not insurance, based (with some corporate and litigation work).
D&L also just decided to shut the doors on its Austin office.
D&L has just decided to shut down its NY, DC, and LA offices. Associates were given a negative-two-week severance package and will also be expected to help de-construct their respective offices.
surprisingly, the hartford office does no insurance regulatory work
Lat - sounds like there is a story here - get on this one. 4:47 is right - it sounds bizarre that they would decide to shut down Hartford (and Austin?) just months after equalizing salaries. Maybe they are trimming some fat because of financial struggles or the market???
5:41: That announcement should be signed, "Kisses, Steve DiCarmine."
LaBoef is running around wearing Dewey's carcass trying to pretend they are a prestigious firm.
Hartford is a small and insignificant office with 20 total out of more than 1400 attorneys. It is more thank likely a positive development for D&L, if it is the case. Same goes for Austin.
6:29 = obviously dinged from Dewey or LeBeef.
5:41 is right. Lat, you should follow up on this. I'd write more but I'm trying to figure out how to take apart my desk.
LeBoeuf has been shutting down the less profitable offices in smaller markets for a few years now. It seems to have only increased the firm's profits.
I heard that on a per lawyer basis, Hartford was the most profitable D&L office last year.
Lat - I am with 6:16 - need a full story on what is going on at D&L. They are also soon closing their Jacksonville office too from what I understand.
D&L is hurting, far more than they let on. They totally underestimated the cost of the merger. They almost couldn't pay associate bonuses. Couldn't happen to a nicer firm. *cough*
Austin D&L office closing is for real, I've now heard it from multiple people
". . . Hartford associates got totally stiffed for bonuses this year."
Meaning what? They got no bonuses? Or they got lame bonuses? Either way, that sucks.
". . . Hartford associates got totally stiffed for bonuses this year."
Meaning they got no, I repeat, no bonuses.
6:29: I very much agree. LeBoeuf blows and any legacy Dewey associate you talk to will agree.
Funny thing is, pre-merger all both firms could talk about was "choosing the best things from each firm" going forward. What they meant was "doing everything the LeBoeuf way" going forward, and firing "redundancies" all along the way.
6:37 - you'll need a 3/4 inch socket wrench.
5:41 - you may very well be a prophet.
D&L to proper caskets!
DL is shutting down some of its small satellite offices to focus on integrating the big offices and building a presence in growth markets. The small offices that are targeted for firm-wide support these days are in Dubai and Almaty. I hadn't heard about Hartford (there has not been a firm-wide announcement about that) but the firm did announce recently that the Austin office will be closing.
Interesting the Hartford office is and has historically been incredibly profitable (prior to the merger it was the third most profitable LLGM office). Rumors of Hartford closing have existed for years (and its the reason many associates left in 2007).
legacy Dewey assoc -
You're more correct than you know. LLGM mgt. came in heavy handed and screwed lots of things up badly. also, has anyone noticed that the entire legacy Dewey Bejing office upped and left?
When is the Hartford office shutting down for good?
Officially when the lease is up in January/February 2009. The fear, however, is that if enough people leave the office will close even earlier (and potentially without any notice). In December 2006, LLGM laid off four Hartford associates with no notice essentially because their partner had fallen out of favor. People are worried something will happen quickly even though they've been told they have nine months.
My understanding from some rather candid conversations with higher ups is that the firm is doing more than just fine right now.
These closings are calculated and thoroughly considered actions taken on behalf of the firm with a view towards the future.
If you walk around the office late at night you still see many people plugging away.
My understanding from some rather candid conversations with higher ups is that the firm is doing more than just fine right now.
These closings are calculated and thoroughly considered actions taken on behalf of the firm with a view towards the future.
If you walk around the office late at night you still see many people plugging away.
My understanding from some rather candid conversations with higher ups is that the firm is doing more than just fine right now.
These closings are calculated and thoroughly considered actions taken on behalf of the firm with a view towards the future.
If you walk around the office late at night you still see many people plugging away.
My understanding from some rather candid conversations with higher ups is that the firm is doing more than just fine right now.
These closings are calculated and thoroughly considered actions taken on behalf of the firm with a view towards the future.
If you walk around the office late at night you still see many people plugging away.
My understanding from some rather candid conversations with higher ups is that the firm is doing more than just fine right now.
These closings are calculated and thoroughly considered actions taken on behalf of the firm with a view towards the future.
If you walk around the office late at night you still see many people plugging away.
D&L has also had substantial discussions of "consolidating" their moribund SF and SV offices. Both offices have been grossly mismanaged and have grossly shrunk in both attorney count and revenue. Any competent lawyers left those offices a long time ago, and management has characterized them as "second tier" offices (which is probably overly kind).
OMM just went to 18 weeks as well.
For the people on this board who call law firms with 1400 lawyers and PPP of $1.5m "TTT", which firms DON'T fit within your definition of TTT? Is it just the Vault top 5 (though I'm guessing some jackass would call them TTT as well)? Also kind of begs the question of which firms would even be considered second tier.
It's hard to believe that Hartford associates got NO bonus....Why don't they go elsewhere? There are other firms in Hartford that pay national rates; how would any associate stand for such treatment by their firm?
Dewey associate --
With the exception of a profitable M&A practice group, what did Dewey really bring to the table? Your management sucked and your ratio of associates from T15 as opposed to TTT law schools is sad. How many Dewey first years had to take the bar twice?
12:57:
Dewey didn't need to bring anything to the table. They should have kept their prestige and not merged at all. The firm cultures are completely different and Dewey's has been eaten up post-merger. Everything else is irrelevant.
The decision on the Austin office made no sense. It is profitable and more than twice as large as the Houston office - which will stay open, even though it is not profitable.