Nationwide Start Date Watch: Heller Ehrman
(And OCI withdrawals, too.)
We recently heard the following about Heller Ehrman:
1. Start dates for incoming associates have been pushed back to January 19, 2009. Associates are being offered a $10,000 stipend.
2. The firm has pulled out of on-campus interviewing (OCI) at several law schools, including UVA and UC-Davis.
We contacted the firm for comment. Spokesman Patrick Bustamante informed us that Heller has delayed the start date for fall associates to Tuesday, January 20, 2009 (because Monday the 19th is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day). These associates will receive a monthly stipend between November and January.
He also confirmed that the firm has withdrawn from OCI at some schools:
It’s not unusual for firms to change or cancel their on-campus interview plans as they refine their hiring goals in late summer. [Ed. note: “Guys in my high school…”]Because we plan to hire fewer summer associates next summer, we did cancel our plans to interview at some schools and to focus on schools where we have been the most successful in the past.
A little bit more, after the jump.
One of the affected incoming associates expressed concern to us:
The partner who called me told me that the executive committee “has made a decision to decrease expenses” and “all other firms are doing it too.” [Ed. note: “Guys in my high school…”]Personally, I doubt that there will be any partners left come January. Two more have jumped ship this week: Darryl Snider in L.A. and Blaine Templeman in N.Y., both to Sheppard Mullin.
Heller Ehrman is a fine firm, home to many excellent lawyers and decent people, including much of its leadership (which can’t be said of every firm out there). We wish them good luck in getting past the current instability.
P.S. Props to Heller for Operation Backpack — not as major as their China earthquake response, but still worth commendation.
Update: More info about the Heller moves is available at Legal Pad.
High-Profile Antitrust Trial Lawyer Darryl Snider Joins Sheppard Mullin Los Angeles [MarketWatch]
Intellectual Property Partner Blaine Templeman Joins Sheppard Mullin New York [MarketWatch]
Heller Ehrman Helps Launch First-Graders Back-to-School [Business Wire]
(93) 
Comments
First to say enough Heller already
that sucks.
these pretzels are making me thirdsty
Have they withdrawn from UF? I'm in the top 68% and have big plans to work in BIGLAW. Thx.
The partner is right, everyone is pushing back start dates:
http://abovethelaw.com/start_dates/
If the (realistic) alternative to this is to fire associates, then good for Heller.
Heller = TTT.
Frat Stud = TTT
I know Darryl Snider. He likes turtles.
Guys in my high school used to invoke the "guys in my high school" meme in blog posts about biglaw all the time. It was no big deal.
FRAT STUD
Can we have a full list of schools at which it won't OCI?
for the record, what other biglaw firms are pushing back start dates? I can't think of any.
for the record:
http://abovethelaw.com/start_dates/
http://abovethelaw.com/start_dates/
http://abovethelaw.com/start_dates/
http://abovethelaw.com/start_dates/
http://abovethelaw.com/start_dates/
http://abovethelaw.com/start_dates/
http://abovethelaw.com/start_dates/
http://abovethelaw.com/start_dates/
http://abovethelaw.com/start_dates/
http://abovethelaw.com/start_dates/
http://abovethelaw.com/start_dates/
just, you know, in case you missed it...
11, Thelen Reid.
ARE THEY SAYING THAT UVA IS A TTT?
Did I pop my collar too much?
-UVA Rising 2L
Heller has a hard time convincing UVA students to work for them. Now they've thrown in the towel.
BMW = TTT. Why the hell does everyone lease a 3-series? Be original.
Bush-league fact checking and horrible typos. The partners that jumped ship were Dee Snider and Mickey Tettleton and it wasn't to Sheppard Mullin, their cross-dressing designated hitter practice is laughable.
John McCain said he'd follow Bin Laden to the Gates of Heller. McCain 2008.
UVA is a TTT. If I had to go to a state school, I'd go to Berkeley or Michigan any day.
17 -- Total agreement. BMW = the Honda Civic of junior associates and college prime donne everywhere.
13: Is Thelen still around?
Leave the frat stud jokes to the commenters.
ATL editor Frat Stud Jokes = TTT
heller ehrman = brobeck.
a once great firm now lost.
UVA = TTT.
17, 21 - Maybe it has something to do with its U.S. News ranking... you know how biglaw associates feel about those...
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/2008-BMW-3-Series/
Heller may as well cancel all of their OCI dates. Who would accept an offer from them at this point?
26 - Funny stuff. Why is the Nissan Maxima on that list? Has anyone ever heard of a Lincoln MKZ?
Damn Heller ! First he exposes us all to the dangers of an untrammelled 2nd Amendment; now he's pushing back start dates !
(shakes fist at clouds)
Just in:
I am sending this e-mail to all students who bid for Heller
Heller has cancelled their interviews scheduled for 8/26. Earlier this month Heller cancelled three other schedules.
-- Michigan's Career Services Office
These deferred first years should definitely test out the water elsewhere. A lot of the more litigation-heavy firms are super busy and would probably be interested in additional first years. At least in the Bay Area, there doesn't seem to be any slowdown in litigation.
Incoming first year here. I'm ready to bill more than anyone. 3000, 4000, it doesn't matter. I've been sitting in a classroom for the past three years just watching and waiting for a taste of the action, a taste of the glory. The time is now. I'm ready to hit the ground running.
I am a UVA 2L signed up to interview for Heller's DC office, and I haven't heard anything about my interview scheduled for Monday... which leads me to believe that Heller is indeed interviewing here.
LOL @ 32!
32 - Hope you're not planning on corporate. I'm lucky to bill 30-40/month. 3 months of severance will be like hitting the lottery.
The tipster is right. Unless they can convince another firm to take them on, Heller will not be around much longer.
Ugh. The pushed-back start date would've killed me, especially if the stipend is taxed.
The stipend is taxed
In these United States, we pay the taxes on our incomes. (And we'll pay even mores if the American Idiots elect Mr. Barack Hussein Obama, citizen of the world.) Some of us get to pay state and local income taxes, too, because we don't want to live in the Texas.
cold offers are flying left and right - thanks bush for f*cking the economy!
Cold offer = no offer in this economy. Just try to be a 3L without really unusual connections seeking a job this fall.
40 = high school senior deciding between "pre-law" and history majors.
Heller is a great firm. It's truly unfortunate that it has come on such hard times.
Incoming associates, if you got an offer to join Heller you must have excellent credentials. You will be fine no matter what happens. However, it's probably not a bad idea to shop your resume around to a few other firms. Good luck!
whats a "pre-law" major?
Incoming associates, don't listen to 43. You will not be "fine no matter what happens." Big firms don't like to hire brand new associates that haven't been through their summer programs and most big firms don't need more first year associates. Be aggressive in terms of looking for a back-up job and don't go out and buy a BMW or go on vacation for three months until January if its going to put you into debt that you are counting on your job to pay off.
Another UVA 2L here - The email sent out indicated that Heller was only canceling interviews for its Seattle and CA offices, not all offices.
Another UVA 2L here - I like pink polo shirts.
Another UVA 2L here - I love to get totally "split" at Foxwoods' horse races.
Another UVA 2L here - I like state schools that kind of suck.
Scaling back summer programs?? Didn't Heller SF only have 1 summer associate this summer?
A Michigan 2L here - I like Michigan hoodies that cover up my blueberry muffin
Another UVA 2L here - I'm mediocre.
Another UVA 2L here - I'm kind of....not that impressive.
Mickey Tettleton the former major league C/DH??
Another UVA 2L here - I didn't get into CCNMB
Another UVA 2L here - I have a class with a guy who carries stuffed animals with him everywhere that he goes.
Another UVA 2L here - I can impersonate Mickey Tettleton's batting stance perfectly. Flat bat, bat parallel to ground, hands near hips, feet close together, huge chaw in cheek.
Another UVA 2L here - I've convinced myself that Charlottesville is, um, "quaint" and "cute" and is full of "hot" undergrads. But at least I didn't have to go to Georgetown. HAHAHA.
Another UVA 2L here - most of my classmates got pre-screen dinged from Heller anyways so this doesn't have much effect on us.
Another UVA 2L here - Just got a callback from Brobeck. SO EXCITED!
UVA 3L here - I just got an offer, as a 3L at a very prestigious firm, so shove it. While you are taking in 160K, I get a 60K base and UNLIMITED potential for bonus at JG Wentworth. I had so many offers too. Binder & Binder, the Cochran Firm, D.C. Public Defender, Legal Aid, and Cadwalader (Anchorage, AK office). So shut up. Bet you didn't get that many sweet offers. Oh, and I have over 35 Lacoste shirts!
Heller completed interview schedules here at CLS this past week (my interview was on Tuesday), and is definitely interviewing at NYU as well.
SF to Heller-Thelen!
61, D.C. Public Defender (Federal) is actually a tougher job to score than just about any firm job in DC outside of Kellog Huber.
8, is it true that Darryl Snider likes to do hoodrat stuff with his friends?
61, it's Kellogg Huber, kid. Get it right.
#65 to Hold Steady!
Heller Ehrman pulled out of OCI for WashU, too. Go ahead and make fun, just thought you would appreciate the info.
So far MOFO hasn't had any layoffs. Some people used to put mofo in the same class as Heller, but the past year has shown mofo to be superior. Mofo is working to snag several Heller partners right now.
I truly is a sign of bad things (and bad form) for Heller to change their start date so late. Many recent grads are still on their bar trips and spending like they are expecting an income soon. Had they known about this earlier, they could have adjusted things. With loans coming due, the last thing they need is less income.
The timing also makes things look like the Baker merger may have been intended as a life presever. With that no longer around, the firm is looking for other ways to survive. Either that, or the commenteds predicting Couldert (sp?) version two may be right on the money.
New IL here. What's TTT?
They dropped out of OCI at Duke a week before interviews started.
They dropped out of OCI at Duke a week before interviews started.
71: Where do you go to school? That's the answer to your question.
71 here. I attend Charlotte School of Law
UVA 2L here... I was told that Heller's Cali offices aren't going to be interviewing here, but since I have 27 other interviews in SF I think I can deal. I'm guessing they just want to save some recruiting $$ from travel, etc to schools where they don't get many recruits.
bush has done a great job on this economy - vote mccain for more of the same!
71/75: Is that a real law school? If so you attend a TTT. Good luck with that.
HTH.
74: I just graduated from Boalt and I never knew what TTT meant either. Really, what does it stand for?
76 = douche
Actual UVA 2L here:
Heller's CA offices (or at least SF) pulled out AFTER already confirming their selections for OGI. I had already cancelled my interview because of all the instability before they pulled out.
Is the Bay Area TTT?
They also just withdrew from the University of Michigan, where they have recruited a large number of students in the past.
zomg heller is cutting costs what pussies
70 -
If you are taking a long, expensive post-bar vacation in this economy, you are as dumb as the average joe-six-pack american drinking the kool-aid and thinking the housing market will turn around in the next 12 months.
You get what you deserve...
69, at this point, you'd be a fool to go to either MoFo or Heller if you could go to Orrick instead. MoFo does take the cake for the lowest amount of responsibility and highest amount of doc review, though.
Hey Lat, What's with Best Best and Krieger in Los Angeles. I just heard they laid some junior associates, first years off.
Heller and Howard Rice,
Instead of focusing on grades, perhaps you should have focused a bit more on attorneys that could develop books of business. Take your A in criminal procedure to the unemployment line.
85. I'm a first year at MoFo and I disagree. I've gotten to do a lot of research (client) and drafting (heavily pro bono). I don't think MoFo is any different than other BigLaw, we just have nicer people.
I would agree that, of the west coast firms, Orrick is doing pretty well. Big Props to them for pushing salaries up. But MoFo has been doing equally well. Maybe it is because MoFo is moving away from a westcoast business model to a NY business model.
4 and 75. You be lucky to get a job after law school, forget about BigLaw.
#86, if you (or anyone else) knows anything more about layoffs at best best krieger, could you email me?
amanda.m.becker@gmail.com
heller sf pulled out of uchicago's oci
88, research and pro bono drafting = no responsibility. You're almost a second year.
You're all being so mean! Can't we all just get along?