Nationwide Layoff Watch: Hunton & Williams
We wonder if law firms think of our Nationwide Layoff Watch feature like the Eye of Sauron, from Lord of the Rings. If so, "The Eye" has come to rest on Charlotte.
We hear rumors that Hunton & Williams is laying off associates down in CLT. From a tipster:
Hunton & Williams in Charlotte is conducting layoffs, including first-years [from the class of 2007]. The first-years may work until June 30, but then they must leave the office; however, they will have access to email and phone and pay until December 31.
Pay through December 31? Seems odd. It would amount to six months of severance, even though "market-rate" severance in recent law-firm layoffs hovers around three months. Is Hunton raising the bar?
In addition, we hear that two incoming H&W first-years in Charlotte had their offers rescinded. If true, it's not surprising; other firms have previously rescinded offers to CLT associates. See, e.g., Sonnenschein.
Layoff talk centered on Hunton's Charlotte has also surfaced at Infirmation / Greedy South, here and here. Back in January, there were rumors of firings in Atlanta (labor and employment).
We contacted Hunton & Williams. Their comment: "We don't comment on rumors." C'mon, really? What do you comment on, then?
If you have any more information on the H&W situation, please send us an e-mail (with Hunton & Williams in the subject line). Thanks.
Update: No layoffs -- yet -- according to managing partner Walfrido Martinez, who spoke to Am Law Daily. But he acknowledged that the firm is "redeploying" an unspecified number of asset securitization lawyers in Charlotte to other practice areas: "Option number one is always redeployment. If redeployment does not work, we will talk about transition arrangements."

FIRST to the unemployment line :(
And with that this obscure firm joins the list of TTTs populated by SNR, CWT, OMM, Mckee Nelson. All these firms are gonna get blasted once the economy picks up...
We need to find out if anyone's uterus was scraped within x days before the firing (we'll figure out x later, just get on it)!
Charlotte = Biglaw's Rust Belt.
NY to 12 months' severance!
Mrs. 话/北方 say deceased husband Roger Lou no like Mr. Hunton William law firm. Roger was 2 year at America's University (Washington College of laws), number ones in U.S. of A. and finding job at number ones best law companies like Wachtell and Sutherland. Dearest comrade to Roger called Hostra Magnon tell Roger PPP was 10 million dollar (28 millions yuans). Mr. William bad for doing the lay of hardworker fellow China people like Shinyoung Ho after Mr. Hasting firm did.
With Respect.
Mrs. Roger Lou (话/北方)
Holland & Knight is laying off staff today.
This is unfortunate situation.
I personally think that associate lay offs are something that happens. A firm is not TTT just because it has to make a business decision to let people go. Banks, factories, etail are letting people go. Why is a law firm any different.
What makes you TTT is if you (a) try to make it out that it is for performance reasons only and/or (b) you rescind summer or first year offers. The latter is probably worst thing because you have just fucked up a persons career because they trusted you when they had options. After one year, anyone is fair game and can move easily. Trying to explain why you have no job at graduation is nearly impossible to do.
6 months severance seems very generous? Can that be right? That aside, this is not a rumr, and friends at H&W have confirmed the firings.
2:25,
You post reads like sh*t and you've pissed me off. Retard.
Mrs. 话/北方:
說文解字/说文解字 形聲字/形声字 指事字?
會意字/会意字
2:32, I am so sorry I pissed you off. Please advise what i did to cause such an unfortunate outcome? I am bending over my desk right now, please feel free to come by and spank me for my errors.
2:25
2:32, I am so sorry I pissed you off. Please advise what i did to cause such an unfortunate outcome? I am bending over my desk right now, please feel free to come by and spank me for my errors.
2:25
2:25,
If you don't know, I am not going to tell you. Bending over your desk? Holy crap, are you my secretary?
Dearest 2:34-
說文解字/说形聲字/形声字字/会意說文解字/说形聲字/形声字字/会意說文解字/说形聲字/形声字字/会意說文解字/说形聲字/形声字字/会意形聲字/形声字字/会意說文解字/说形聲字/形声字字/会意說文解字/说形聲字/形声!!
Hope that clear thing up for you.
With respect.
Mrs. Roger Lou (话/北方)
Who are Mr. and Mrs. Roger Lou??? They sound like hilarious people to me!!
This would never happen to someone who is Cravath material. Cravath associates are always relevant, always on the cutting edge of the legal industry.
Good luck to all you TTT wannabe Biglaw attorneys.
2:56,
They are just bored souls pretending to be Chinese by using crappy English (which is quite insulting) and pretending to speak/write Chinese by using Google Language Tool.
3:01=naive law student
3:01's post is the most hilarious post I've seen on this board in at least a few days
Thank you, my law student friend, for making my day
Just divert Sauron's Eye away from Frodo the associate long enough for him to take his resume up to Mount Doom in Mordor to meet with Gollum the recruiter, then you begin the firings as delivered by the your troop of orc partners. In any case Frodo will be quite busy and he will get his furry feet wet with FEMA claims as the Shire attempts to rebuild post-Sarumain.
3:02:
我不使用Google的語言工具。如果您知道其實中國人,您顯然不,您將會看到的權利,通過我以前的帖子!我只是裁剪和粘貼維基百科!
3:02:
我不使用Google的語言工具。如果您知道其實中國人,您顯然不,您將會看到的權利,通過我以前的帖子!我只是裁剪和粘貼維基百科!
Just divert Sauron's Eye away from Frodo the associate long enough for him to take his resume up to Mount Doom in Mordor to meet with Gollum the recruiter, then you begin the firings as delivered by the your troop of orc partners. In any case Frodo will be quite busy and he will get his furry feet wet with FEMA claims as the Shire attempts to rebuild post-Sarumain.
Just divert Sauron's Eye away from Frodo the associate long enough for him to take his resume up to Mount Doom in Mordor to meet with Gollum the recruiter, then you begin the firings as delivered by the your troop of orc partners. In any case Frodo will be quite busy and he will get his furry feet wet with FEMA claims as the Shire attempts to rebuild post-Sarumain.
3:09,
Glad that you confess the fact that you don't use Google's language tool, otherwise your post would be an insult to Google. If you only cut and paste from Wikipedia (as you claim), at least try to use proper Chinese Grammar.
3:01=naive law student
親愛的3點02分-
i真正的人一樣,死者的丈夫陸觀樓。他二升在美國的大學(華盛頓學院的法律) ,數目的最佳在美國和答:他要到哈佛(數目的最佳在亞洲) ,但他非常抱歉的信。他是好丈夫和更好的法律系學生。他還致力於宣傳海報的ATL和有很多朋友,包括hostra磁振, shinyoung議員,總結當福及frat研究。他期待著工作在頂級的wachtell (如購買力平價超過10萬元人民幣) ,或在薩瑟蘭死亡前由皰疹。
與尊重。
夫人,陸觀樓 (Mrs. Roger Lou)
For American speaking friends
Dearest 3:02-
I real person like deceased husband Roger Lou. He was 2L at America's University (Washington Colleges of laws), number ones best in U.S. and A. He wanted to go to Harvard (number ones best in Asia) but he got very sorry letter. He was good husband and better law student. He also dedicated poster on ATL and had many friends including Hostra Magnon, Shinyoung Ho, Sum Dum Fuk and Frat Study. He look forward to working at top tier of Wachtell (where PPP exceed 10 million yuan) or at Sutherland before death by herpes.
With Respect.
Mrs. Roger Lou
For American speaking friends
Dearest 3:02-
I real person like deceased husband Roger Lou. He was 2L at America's University (Washington Colleges of laws), number ones best in U.S. and A. He wanted to go to Harvard (number ones best in Asia) but he got very sorry letter. He was good husband and better law student. He also dedicated poster on ATL and had many friends including Hostra Magnon, Shinyoung Ho, Sum Dum Fuk and Frat Study. He look forward to working at top tier of Wachtell (where PPP exceed 10 million yuan) or at Sutherland before death by herpes.
With Respect.
Mrs. Roger Lou
to the fake Mrs. Roger Lou, or 2:51/3:09/3:27,
You did not just say that your dear respectable all-so-talended husband died from 皰疹 (herpes), or did you?
If he died from herpes, I highly recommend that you have yourself check-out, or not.
Don't you idiots have anything better to do with your time? Some of us are interested in comments that actually have something to do with this story, and don't care about whether or not you're able to use wikipedia or google.
Don't you idiots have anything better to do with your time? Some of us are interested in comments that actually have something to do with this story, and don't care about whether or not you're able to use wikipedia or google.
I think this is the tip of the icebergs.
oh, so sorry, I though "idiots" are those who treat this blogging thing seriously. Relax! You don't want to die of a heart attack or worst, become one of those heartless aXX partners when you grow up.
Dearest 3:35-
Sadly me and Roger no have sexy for some time.
With respect.
Mrs. Roger Lou (陸觀樓)
PH and HW are TTT, what more is there to say?
As long as Cravath is still at the top of the mountain, it doesn't matter who is falling off.
So glad I don't work at a TTT like this sh*thole firm.
Chief Wanna Hakka Lugie say Hunton Williams be TTT.
今天早些時候,我去參觀了克萊斯勒沖壓廠在英鎊更上一層樓,我聽到的鄉親告訴我是何等的難獲得由在這方面的經濟體系。和創紀錄的油價意味著它的更難汽車製造商和autoworkers -尤其是在的時候,他們正在掙扎,以滿足二十一世紀的經濟。自今年年初開始,成千上萬的克萊斯勒公司的工人失去工作。整個產業已經裁減了30.0萬就業機會在過去的八年-約三分之一,其中被淹沒在美國密歇根州。這是數以十萬計的工人,誰將不再能指望得到一支票,以支付保健費用的增加和學院;燃氣及雜貨。和那些誰有幸避免下崗職工仍感覺壓力轉型。
אני
הרגר
לו
Kash, you're on a real roll today. But you're too hot to be Sauron.
Richmond is next!
Richmond is next!
3:36 - They're probably corporate associates with nothing to do. I am, too, but instead of dorking it up I'm perfecting my pre-season football rankings.
Richmond is next!
Anyone know how many were let go, what years and practice groups? I can assume finance, but wondering if it's spilling over.
Since H&W and McGuireWoods are basically mirror image firms (unless you want to say that Hunton is a little better, and normally grind their associates harder), does this mean that McGW is next?
http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2008/05/hunton-williams.html
Did they really rescind offers?
Guess I should have read the link. Why didn't they comment to ATL. Isn't it better than allowing people to slam a firm.
ROGER LOU IS NOT DEAD !!!
I like this firm. It's a shame they took the PHJW route here.
Dearest friend called Mr. 6:27 PM (and, if you have a vagina then you are a Ms.),
I am the Roger Lou of much talking about in bad language of Chinese on this board. I am writing to clarify many of the falsities said of me by the person who is saying she is the "Mrs. Roger Lou", which no is true, and that "Mr. Roger Lou is dead", which no is true also. I also needing to talk of Hunton & Williams and why the Roger no would work there if you pay me!
First. The Roger no is married to the woman writing on this board claiming to be the "Mrs. Roger Lou." Roger's wife no is allowed on the internet ever since Roger sawing her writing to a man on www.myspace.com who claims to be "Gen. Tso". I know no who this man is, but he talking of wanting to eat Mrs. Lou's fried rice and saying to her that he has a "member" named Lick Me Balls. The Roger thinks this is bad behavior and punishes her for it. Point being this is a phoney Mrs. Lou.
Second. The Roger no would working at a firm in Virginia named Hunton / Williams. The Roger only would work at the "Big 3" -- Wachtell, Cravath, or Sutherland. Hunton is what the America's University students are calling a TTT (toilet bowl firm). It is toilet bowl because it no is headquarted in the Big Apple or in the Washington DC (best places in U.S. of A.).
Third. Roger no is liking his new founded celebrity on www.abovethelaw.com. He wanting to change careers now from law studies at America's University to becoming a paralegal for the FEMA (best disaster-relief organization in the U.S. of A.). May be Roger one day will be Director of FEMA and travel this great country to Oklahoma!
God bless the U.S. of A. and PLAY BALL !!!
With respect,
诶比西
I'm a HW associate and can say that the firm, generally, is pretty busy. It appears this "situation" is limited to Charlotte.
He's Alive... ROGER LOU IS ALIVE !!!
who is roger lou?
Could Roger Lou et all please fuck off. I know this board has frothy gossip stories, but this is not a place for your crap. This story deals with people losing their job, students getting fucked based on who they accepted an offer from, support staff told just to leave, etc.
I know those affected, and your shit is tasteless. Fuck off and get a life.
Roger Lou is funny.
12:27 -- I don't know who you are, but I suspect that you have a small prick.
Actually, Roger Lou is not funny, just irritating
Note the end of the AmLaw article. H&W profits were up almost 20% and partner profits up over 13% year to year. The Charlotte team that fired people and rescinded offers has been one of, if not the, highest billing and profitable groups for the last several years. There was no need to fire the people they did.
This firm, though it sells itself as having a family atmosphere where the associates aren't just considered billing units, has clearly had a change of heart and has gone the TTT route.
The associates in the group that fired people (make no mistake, people were fired and the "redeployment" line is B.S.) averaged the number of hours that the firm as a whole averaged. This is a political play by the head of this Charlotte group who gains political capital with the firm leaders by firing associates after a slightly off year. The move has been described as him being able to show he can "manage his business." This is laughable as this guy kept hiring associates going into the market turmoil (as late as midsummer) against the advice of associates who didn't see a need. Less than a year later he is firing people Those let go (other than the incoming associates) ranged from a first year up to a senior associate who had been with the firm for several years. If our firm considers this good business management, God help us.
4:11, try no prick - but thanks for playing you fucking piece of shit.
Agree with 6.29, they let go senior associates and kept thouse the idiot hired a few months ago.
8:10. 4:11 here -- I suspect that you are a fat bitch with lots of facial hair.
8:10. Its me again, 4:11 / 8:29.
I also suspect that you're insecure with your job stability or got shit-canned from Hunton (probably the former, though). In any case you seem to have a lot of rage and you should know that its quite unattractive, especially for a woman.
8:10. One more thing.
Roger Lou says: GO FUCKING YOURSELF.
4:11, 8.29 - I don't give a shit what you think of me. You strike me as a fat balding prick who thinks that everything is funny, which is why your partner is fucking your neighbour and everyone at work thinks you suck.
This is beside the point, I am secure with my job, sadly working today, hitting hours, have my own clients. However I know people who were fired, and there are some crappy back stories. No miscarriages, and no one interested in burning bridges, but this is not something to have stupid Roger Lou racist posts on.
Show some compassion for those let go, if you can handle such a concept.
9:07.
1. I'm in good shape.
2. Slightly balding (in a 9 years out of law school sort of way).
3. My "partner is fucking [my] neighbour". I don't have a "partner", I have a WIFE. Your referring to a "partner" inforces my belief that you are a raging lesbian.
4. You're working at 9:07 PM on a Sunday -- I suspect your "partner" is munching someone else's carpet right now.
5. I will show compassion for those let go, but not you, since you are an ugly whore.
Sincerely,
AMD
Wow, sounds like the partner that fired the people is upset about being called out. Stand by your dish,
9:47, I pity your wife, and your firm. You are a dick, and you have very poor comprehension skills. I am not look for any compassion for me, just those let go.
The Roger Lou posts are racially offensive, your abuse towards me is offensive, your slights of gay people is offensive, your lack of wit or wisdom is offensive. You have no idea who I am or what I do, I am not a lesbian, I am just fine in my job (sadly too well as my client requires this done before European markets open), I just know some people let go and I think this is a serious matter.
You don't, you think you should just randomly throw out insults, you act all smug, but you are just some smuck who thinks that calling someone a lesbian is the smartest comeback.
Regardless, a lot of senior people are wondering why those coming near partner were let go, and those who came in a few months ago are safe.
Redeploments a lie also. I heard from the horses' stablekeepers mouth.
COMMENT: "a lot of senior people are wondering why those coming near partner were let go" (10:17)
RESPONSE: perhaps PH felt that the folks it let go are not PH "partner material". i'm sure those associates who were let go are fine attorneys, but i've been in the business long enough confidently to say that no firm ever lets its superstars go.
10:43. this is H&W not PH. Guessing you are no superstar yourself.
You are right, no one with a BoB was let go, but still, if you hire someone on June, shouldn't they be first to go? Guess Huntpn think that they want to remain a good place to lateal. Sends a great message - come to Hunton where we will get rid of those who servered us for years first
So Lat, are you planning to clean up the comments around here or will you permit your website to decay?
11:03, I have always wondered why Americans have such a low acceptence of bad language, yet accept being told to f*ck off, and that they are stupid c&^ts, and you can tell someone to suck your coc&.
Are you so thick that fuck is bad but f&ck is acceptable?
I know I'm working late on a Sunday and all, but this comment thread is quite bizarre.
Comments in ATL have always been a free for all. The nice thing is that you don't have to read them if you don't want to.
Sunday, 6:29, are you insane? You think HW bills itself as a family firm where associates aren't just billing units? LOL. HW is by FAR the biggest sweatshop in Richmond, and I am sure that attitude carries into other markets as well.
8:49. Come work with me for a month in NYC, and you'll learn what a sweatshop is!
I would hope MW doesn't start in Charlotte, as one poster suggested, they just absorbed a local firm.
HUNTON & WILLIAMS IS TTT.
So the layoffs are limited to just that practice group? And the layoffs are the result of an stupid blowhard? I guess that's good news. What's the rest of the office like?
"What's the rest of the office like?"\
-- read through the words of the likes of 9:07 / 10:13 PM. people obviously are nervous. i think lots of attys are scared that more layoffs are forthcoming.
What law firm fires people when there are summers about? I thought that the arrival of summers meant that we were all safe for the next 8-12 weeks.
What law firm fires people when there are summers about? I thought that the arrival of summers meant that we were all safe for the next 8-12 weeks.
I heard that Killen and Jones is also laying people off.
Hey 9:05, I wouldn't worry. I mean they only have double the amount of income partners, double the amount of senior associates in finance, and double the amount of associates not billing anything that they had a fdew months ago. Of course they won't get rid of anyone.
"Hey 9:05, I wouldn't worry. I mean they only have double the amount of income partners, double the amount of senior associates in finance, and double the amount of associates not billing anything that they had a few months ago. Of course they won't get rid of anyone."
Will this stop national firms coming to Charlotte?
Eh, yeah I would say so.