Santa Skadden!

/ offers turkey leg drenched in egg nog to Nervous.

.. I've only spent one T-Day away from family. I volunteered at a soup kitchen. Helping those less fortunate has a strange way of making one feel "fortunate."

Otherwise ... have some more egg nog.
---Elie

I've always wanted the Glass Cock avatar to be directly under the Elie avatar. That's hot.

thanks elie, you're alright!

:)

it's no fun being stuck here in ann arbor. your blog updates at least give me something to do other than studying.

-nervous T-10 1L
email job leads to nervoust101l@yahoo.com

I wonder if out of town 2L SAs will get flown in for the Skadden parties? I continue to be glad that I accepted there.

I assume SkaTTTen DC will be cutting holiday party expenditures

6: no, you won't. But it's a nice thought.

nervous - go hit the blind pig. unless its closed. then just hit the bottle alone.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that my government office holds a holiday party, in our building. Booze me!

ropes and gray is having a holiday party at the intercontinental in boston. sweet.

Hey Elie, I wanted to say thank you for the thoughtful comments regarding the Mumbai tragedy. Your condolences mean more than you would think.

Skadden holiday party is at the firm every year, it's a nice spread, but, not overly extravagent so there would be no need to cancel anything.

Milbank's holiday party is on December 5, at the Ritz downtown. All indications are that the firm had 3 strong quarters to offset the 4Q slowdown, so the smart money is betting that they'll match the Skadden boni earlier that day.

13 - milbank is using all the money it saved from laying off associates over the last few months to pay for its holiday party.

14 - Milbank hasn't laid off anyone. Discovery attys don't count. They barely count as human.

Debevoise never has a holiday party, instead there is a firm dinner in February.

Lol. Milbank isn't matching Skadden! Not a chance in hell!

Cravath's holiday party is at the Rainbow Room (per usual) on December 18.

I banged a partners wife at last years party at the waldorf. cant wait for this year

Wouldn't Cravath associates prefer no holiday party + more $ for bonus?

20 here. I meant Half-Skadden, not Cravath.

Skadden-Mart here checking in. Just wanted you all to know that I'm detached from my blackberry, vacationing at home with my family, and basically acting as if I still were a 3L.

19 - which firm partied at th waldorf last year ? initials of partner please

20: I doubt that Cravath's holiday party costs the roughly $12.5 million it would have cost to match Skadden...

That said, Cravath can't even cough up an extra $12.5 million? Or it must not think $12.5 million is worth its (former) reputation as a leader? Either way, not a good sign.....

oh silly Half-Skadden and Skadden-Mart wishing that Santa Skadden would come through the chimney...

Santa Skadden came in your mother's chimney and stole your father's watch.

No matter what you say:

Skadden associate = Person who didn't get a callback or offer at Cravath.

And newsflash, the amount of money a firm pays in bonuses for one year that pretty much was the Great Depression 2.0, has nothing to do with the prestige of a firm. Prestige comes from quality legal work, and for that Cravath will always be better than Skadden. I know tons of people who could care less what the bonuses are this year and are overwhelmingly still happy with their choice of Cravath over Skadden.

Lata

Kirkland's holiday party is on the 11th, and it will be badass.

Dear Half Skadden Associate (aka 27):

Prestige != getting sodomized by partners, which is what Half Skadden associates just had done to them.

27 -- Daily Math Reminder:

Cravath = (Skadden / 2) - prestige + low associate moral + reluctantly taking it in the a$$ + lower pay than V50 firms soon to match Skadden

DPW will match Skadden on Monday.

oh screw the holiday party -- just hand me the extra $$$

27: I can see you boiling with rage as you type. I guess it's not so prestigious to be a CSM associate after all...

The Debeboise announcement related only to the Litigation Department. The party isusually at a restaurant, but this year the firm is donating the savings to a charity (in light of the hard times facing many nonprofits).

27 is the type of person who sits at a poker table for three hours struggling to figure out who the mark is.

Skadden associate = Person who got rejected from Cravath

Even if it were true that all Skadden associates got rejected from Skadden, what does that get you? Can you spend selectivity? Seriously - what is the obsession with selectivity by the XOXO posters who have come to ATL? Who cares who got rejected from which firm? If you got a job at Skadden, you're obviously pretty successful. Who gives a shit beyond that?

23 - your firm and your wife you fag

Got a hunch that here’s how it’s going down: DPW & S&C match Skaden. Then Cleary, Paul Weiss and Debevoise have to match Skadden (no matter how you cut it, they compete for the same candidates). Then the rest of the V30 tries to salvage some recruiting credibility and stave off top associate departures by announcing a Skadden range match or qualified match, which in practice equates to the following: they Skadden 20% of their associates (the over 2000 hrs billers/over-performers/favorites), Cravath 30% of their associates (those that are good and motivated but had the [good [mis]fortune of being in slow practice areas), and Blankfein 30% of their associates (those that they’d be cool losing). So what happens to the bottom 20%? I’m guessing they’ll White & Case the top half and Fried Frank the bottom half.

sTTTb even cancelled the hardcopy holiday cards, they have to send clients an e-card.

The funny thing is that nobody ever actually has a good time at these shitty parties, and people only attend because they feel obligated to show up.

I like the picture of the chihuahua with the turkey feathers on his butt.

This blog could definitely use more pictures of chihuahuas wearing ridiculous things.

Also, why does anyone care about Skadden and its holiday parties?

That picture of the chihuahua is racists against asians.

Let's rewind the tape. Skadden made an enormous strategic error by announcing what they did, when they did. Does anyone seriously think that they would be paying the bonuses they are paying if Cravath had announced first? Not a chance in hell, people.

Skadden is not a firm that other firms look to to set associate comp. They overreached, and it blew up in their face.

Skadden took a calculated risk to try to set the market down by not paying the 2006/2007 "special bonus."
They then launched a propaganda campaign to try to make this bonus level stick. Eg, look at posts #1, 15 and 19 here: http://abovethelaw.com/2008/11/associate_bonus_watch_here_com.php#more

The Skadden partner or press guy who sent out the memo was clearly checking ATL constantly to see when news of the memo would be posted, so he could immediately applaud it. Does anyone think an associate wrote that line, and wrote it within 2 minutes of the original ATL post? Does anyone think a regular ATL poster would hit the "post comment" button 3 times?

If you then read through the pre-Cravath announcement comments, Skadden was getting roasted for having lowered the ante.

What happened next surprised the hell out of Skadden. Instead of the traditional compensation leaders outbidding them (as Skadden feared) or coalescing around them (as Skadden devoutly wished), Cravath comes out and undercuts them. "Holy shit!", you can almost hear Bob Sheehan exclaiming. "We just left fucking millions on the table!"

Now the Skadden associates, who only days earlier were pissed off that they weren't going to receive the full 2007 bonus they thought they'd earned, are now congratulating themselves for having made the astute (right!) choice to accept that Skadden offer (be honest, folks, how many of you had offers from Cravath?).

Now the other firms are sitting back, wondering how to play it. My guess is that Cravath, and now Simpson, have given enough cover for firms to move to the lower level, which is certainly what makes sense for any business facing 2009 (this is a Depression, folks, and the legal profession will not escape this unscathed).

Any short-term recruiting benefit that Skadden achieves in the 2009 season will quickly fade by, I would guess, next November. There is no way on earth that Skadden will leap first into the bonus pool next year. They'll do exactly what they wish they'd done this year -- hang back, and let the real compensation setters set the market.

44 is absolutely right, BUT, he is missing two key points: 1. Skadden could afford to pay the bonus they decided to pay (2x Cravath and Simpson bonus) and 2. this was the bonus they thought their associates deserved (even if they would have happily paid less had they known they could). Either 1 or 2 or both are not true of Cravath and Simpson, correct? Or they would have matched? So however hard you try, there is no way to avoid giving Skadden props on this one.

45 -- a brief rejoinder.

(1) Cravath could "afford" to pay the Skadden bonus. It's not like Cravath would have run out of cash if it paid bonuses at the Skadden level. Cravath's PPP will be down this year compared to 2006 and 2007, but Cravath partners will still earn in the range of $2-3M on average.

(2) No firm pays its associates the bonus it thinks "they deserve." Firms are not charities. Compensation-setters pay bonuses only in order to garner some needed recruiting-season prestige (Cravath is a distinctly unhappy place to work and the only way they can attract enough sufficiently intelligent people each year is by waving wads of dollars at them). Compensation-followers (ie everyone else) pay bonuses because none can afford to be branded as paying less than market. You will not find a single partner at a single V20 firm who honestly believes that a first or second year associate is worth their base salary, let alone bonus.

kirkland's holiday party is at the plaza. we won't get bonus annoucement until december, but i'd gladly swap no holiday party fo $10 higher in bonus :(

44, you have still not offered an explanation for why Cravath and Simpson did not match Skadden. They clearly knew there would be a pr hit to not doing so, so they had a pretty substantial reason to that outweighed the pr hit. So they either felt the financial hit more strongly or cared less about associate morale - back to the same points I made before. THey are not compensation leaders at this point, right? Skadden is, which is where it never wanted to be.

48 -- The reason Cravath did not match Skadden is that they don't have to match Skadden. Skadden simply is not viewed as a compensation leader by other NY firms, because it doesn't have the prestige of other NY firms. Look, it's a fine firm and it gets its share of good work, but the University of Kansas is never going to hold a candle to Princeton, is it? The other NY firms will fall in behind Cravath, and Skadden will be left as an outlier. This condition will exist for precisely one year, whereupon harmony and balance will be restored.

The Cravath people pretending Skadden isn't prestigious are hilarious and sad. What an empty life you all lead... As everybody knows, every firm at the top of the vault with the exception of Wachtell is the same shit, same work, same exit opps. The only difference has been pay per hour, with Cravath associates usually getting destroyed by billing more hours than their counterparts and making the same money. Now they're also making less money absolutely.

I understand why you're bitter. It's just funny when you try to claim some of the top firms in the world aren't "prestigious" just because they are a couple of spots off in a stupid opinion poll prestige survey.

-S&C Associate

I think 49 is discounting the fact that we are operating in a completely different economic environment than in years past...Maybe the shakeup in the financial industry has changed things...

KIRKLAND & ELLIS

50 is the only comment on this board that makes sense.

2009 Skadden Chicago summer

50 is a typical Skadden associate; posting as a Cravath/S&C associate in hopes that they are in the same category.

Happy Thanksgiving Elie.

WLRK...masters of the universe.

50 -- ha. There is not an associate at S&C who doesn't firmly believe that some firms (one in particular) are more prestigious than others. Quick -- what floor is Ben Stapleton's office on?

Magic Circle jerk here- we don't get our bonus announcement until the end of the UK fiscal year (May).... and they will be loath to match.

As for holiday party, should be ridiculously decadent as always.

Magic Circle jerk here- we don't get our bonus announcement until the end of the UK fiscal year (May).... and they will be loath to match.

As for holiday party, should be ridiculously decadent as always.

44 - You're a 'tard. Could you explain why Cravath gave their ominous warning about next year? Everyone knows 2009 will be tough too, so why bother with that? The answer does not have to do with your inadequate explanation, but rather with signaling. After their absolutely enormous summer class this past year, they are trying as best they can to trim the fat. Notwithstanding their pathetic attempts ("We're growing!") to claim that the 160-person class was intentional, it's clear that they substantially over-hired. They are trying to make up for it by pushing associates out the door.

Why? Because there's no work. And the little work there is, is going to dry up soon. If they are OK with taking a recruiting hit, it's because they would prefer fewer associates. And they would prefer fewer associates because they know that they won't pay for themselves in terms of billables. The same is simply not true of Skadden.

When Weil and Cleary match Skadden, you'll see that you're wrong.

44 - "They then launched a propaganda campaign to try to make this bonus level stick. Eg, look at posts #1, 15 and 19 here:"

Wow. Are you actually a law student? Do you also believe UFO exists and 9/11 was the work of the goveremnt?

Skadden launched a propaganda campaign on ATL? That has to be the dumbest comment of the year. I am flabbergasted you even exist. No wonder Cravath is such a TTT.

DPW is planning on matching Skadden early next week. Confirmed.

60 -- they gave the ominous warning about 2009 because they're letting their associates know that they should rein in spending and live within their base salaries. Cravath should be thanked for this, not pilloried. Yes, they ended up with a far larger summer class than they need, but they will handle this in the true Cravath fashion by torturing their 1st, 2d and 3d years and moving them out the door as quickly as possible (a Cravath associate will have an easier time finding a job than a Skadden associate).

61 -- open your eyes.

Shearman & Sterling celebrated its 135th anniversary two weeks ago at Cipriani. The firm-wide holiday party has always been an in-house affair, but departments have their own holiday parties outside the Firm at various locations.

since i heard other firms would match skadden, will CSM (Half-Skadden) and STB (Skadden-Mart) then be forced to raise?

Half-Skadden is committed to being a Half-Compensation leader.

Maybe Skadden Mart will come around, though.

44 = typical of a wannabe Cravath associate.
Wow...what did they put in your kool-aid?

No wonder no one likes you 44 - you are an insufferable and crazy POS.

Flabbergasted.... Simply flabbergasted that you are so delusional.

Prestige? HAHA Who cares how prestigious Cravath is when you are working for DPW, Skadden, STB, Clearly, S&C etc....

64-
How does it feel to be at a sinking ship for strivers who couldn't even get to half-Skadden?

Why is Cravath considered prestigious again? They will take anyone above the median at a T6.

The Debevoise litigation department holds a holiday party every year (there never has been a firm wide holiday party). This year, after polling the associates, they decided to do it in-house and donate any savings to a local charity. I'm sure this development has a direct correlation to any bonus announcement.

Daily Math Reminder:

Cravath = (Skadden / 2) - prestige + low associate moral

Weil"s party is on hte 11th as well.

Skadden has always been at the top end comp-wise, and nationwide is a leader as ALL Skadden offices pay the NYC base. Further, they will likely slash some people for "performance-based" reasons, and up the required billables for the full bonus from 1600 to 1800 or 2000.

Say what you all want about Skadden, but, Skadden associates are clearlly happier than some of those at other firms this year. Argue prestige al you would like, in the end, cold hard cash is still what pays my bills!!

Skadden mid-levels are quite pleased. We'll take twice the bonus over half-skadden and skadden mart...and who cares about the damn prestige you are all arguing, our exit opps are the same, and, we now have less reason than you all to be looking for a new home!! LOL.

Skadden doesn't have to cancel its holiday party. They saved money by cheaping out on the new associate retreat. Where the hell was that casino night that I heard all about?!?

(And I've heard about Skadden stealth layoffs too.)

Skadden stealth layoffs have been going on simce late summer, and there will be a landslide come review-time...

Smart associates everywhere will be saving their bonus for a rainy day, as it seems a monsoon is coming!!!

Skadden will pick up a ton of bankruptcy work this year! They will be fine.

67 -- it may make you feel better to rant about my postings. But honestly (and I mean that), I am trying to help you and your fellow deludinoids with a modicum of realness. I have no affiliation with Cravath beyond being someone they pursued as a second year and again as a law clerk. I respect them, but (happily) chose another firm, where I continue to practice today. The law world as we knew it ceased to exist on October 15. Recalibrate, people.

Skadden associates may want to step back a bit from their partying-like-it's-1999. The firm is spending way too much on your bonuses. A goodly number of you will be fired within 6 months. Bank those bonuses.

79- your "realness" seems a bit delusional as well. All the big shops are about the same as far as exit opps go, and comp used to be fairly equal until this recent shake up. They all work associates to death, and generally are what they are. Go in, make your $$, get the right connections and get the hell out. First years, plan to save ALL your extra cash, as I see a comp cut coming in the very near future...ny back to 145?? Better yet, get into that JD/MBA program NOW!

80- a good # of them won't be getting those bonuses because they'll be getting a pink slip instead...and they'll be gone before June. Can you say unemployment?

80- can you say "not in good standing"...good standing is a pretty subjective concept!

Bankruptcy is a good practice choice for 1st years at this point. Those groups are still hiring!

81 -- I don't disagree. A junior associate at any of the top firms has the same exit opportunities. But in the meantime any junior would be well advised to save as much as he or she can. Do not buy a condo. Do not rent a 1BR w EIK in one of the fancy new dormitories. I believe that NY will come back in a few years, but only the savviest will be around till then. As Spike Lee once said, WAKE UP.

can someone please recklessly speculate on the next firm to layoff people. This is the only reason I read the comments.

86: Paul Hastings.

86: Milbank.

Dewey to Del Frisco's. Looked like the merger worked out.

86: Milbank laid off approximately 15 associates in litigation over the past 2 weeks. I assume the trend will continue, so hang in there!

Milbank associate (on the transactional side) here. I have not heard of any layoffs in litigation.

91 is delusional. I'm sure you will on Monday...

are there really skadden stealth layoffs? In just NYC or all offices?

93: EVERYWHERE. Skadden is laying off its associates on Mars and Jupiter, and my understanding is that Pluto is next (they are debating downsizing due to the recent revocation of its status as a planet).

After reading ATL for a few months now (3L here), I am wondering if there are ANY happy biglaw associates? Is everyone really this miserable?

ex-Milbanker here, transactional side, laid off earlier this yr, but landed on my feet. didn't care much for the people there.

very thoughtful of you to mention the Mumbai massacre. certainly puts the holiday party arguments in perspective.

When are we getting the Latham story? Aren't there supposed to be stealth layoffs at a bunch of their offices?

skaTTTen associate = top 90% at northwestern, carbozo, etc....

skadden is easily in the top 50-75 law firms in the country. all these posts knocking it are just sour grapes.

how does elie have no info about the cravath christmas party (ie, the party that the entire firm, not just associates, are informed of)? it appears that the well has run dry--time to bring back lat!

Did anyone else shudder when they read Elie's comment about offering a "turkey leg drenched in eggnog" to Nervous T-10 1L??? Why the hell would a turkey leg be drenched in eggnog? That sounds incredibly foul. I am beginning to understand our EIC's weight problem now...

95: i have some bad news

95- It's self-selection - the people who actually post here are those people whose lives are so devoid of meaning that they have to argue with internet people for entertainment. How happy can they (we?) be?

68 -- are you on crack? Shearman hasn't announced, like most firms. Axe to grind much? Shearman's not a sinking ship; we just tossed dead weight like you overboard.

http://dogslol.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/lil-supa-hero.png

Any information on the Latham rumors?

how much do these holiday parties generally run, anyways? i mean is it like the cost of one partner's salary, then who really cares.

105 -- This year, I am thankful that we're not colleagues. You seem to be a grade-A douchebag.

All this talk about a great depression is hilarious. A big rebound is coming and when it does firms like Skadden will be well positioned and the layoff firms will regret their short-sighted decisions.

110; I agree. By Q3 of 2009 everything will be back on track. Not a complete recovery, but business will pick up across the board (both corporate and litigation).

110 -- LOL. A big rebound is coming? Keep dreaming bud.

No recovery until 2012.

Skadden veteran here (served my time in early to mid 2000s) . People who bill less than 1600 will get bad reviews and not get the full bonus. Then they will stealth fire 5-10% of the corporate and securities peeps (as well as nameless lit drones) by mid next year. This was all optics, folks. Maybe 80% will get the bonus. The rest are likely to be canned. Wake up.

i totally agree - skadden will profit handsomely from this apparent largesse; a top 75/90 ranking is sure to follow in the next 3-8 year cycle!

Senior Milbank Associate here: no news of big layoffs in litigation that I have heard -- much less 15 in two weeks. But I will check. . .. 90 (11-28-9:24PM), what is your support for this news?

Also, 95 (11-28- 11:20 PM), yes, many BigLaw associates are miserable (even those who don't post here. . . ) -- the money never really made up for it, but now that there is a chance the money is going away, people are going apeshit.

115 -- How slow are things over there?

there is never going to be a rebound. if banks aren't lending with $700 billion+ federal money they'll never start lending. The optimists here obviously do not know recent Japanese history.

117 must have studied economics under the tutelage of Trig Palin.

SERIOUS QUESTION:

upcoming 2L summer invited to firm's holiday party...do I dance or not? If I do, I might be that inappropriate guy, but If I don't I might be that weird anti-social guy. Do I mingle and go up to associates/partners I don't know, or let them come to me? This is an awkward setting for first impressions.

HELP

119: Simple answer to your problem: TEQUILA. Take a few shots; dance the night away. Where will you wake up? Who knows - but since you only have a 50% chance of getting an offer in this market, I say go for it.

119 - "this is an awkward setting for first impressions." EXACTLY - so why the hell are you attending?

119 - are you human or are you dancer?

ps: my sign is vital, my hands are cold.

3rd year associate in Texas: Plenty of work, plenty of hours, and while all you gay NYers are worried about getting fired, I'm rolling in the $$$$. Would never work in NY.

123 - but you live in Texas....

123 also has a poster in his office: "Sarah Palin 2012"

109 - All I heard coming from your mouth was 'waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.' Get a life.

the economy will never recover! NEVER

this is EXACTLY like the great depression and will play out EXACTLY like the great depression - only a world war can save us! buy gold!

Daily Math Reminder:

Skadden = (Cravath*160 summers)/(Simpson + No more clients) - $17,500

127- I know this not worth the time I'm wasting typing it, but you are a moron. How can something be happening in 2008 "exactly" (excuse me, "EXACTLY") as it did in 1930? Go buy your gold, hide in a bunker, and don't ever waste the good people's time on this website ever again. To reiterate my point: you are a moron.

There have been no layoffs (so far) at Latham.

Quinn Emanuel Los Angeles holiday party at the Edison -- a club downtown. Last year was at the Roosevelt in Hollywood, so I'd say this is a small step down. But I doubt it will stop the inappropriate behavior.

129 = fuctard unable to detect obvious over the top sarcasm

that 129 is posting on a biglaw board, however, is a sure sign that biglaw needs to further reduce headcount...

90 is on crack -- milbank litigation is really busy right now, and I haven't heard of any layoffs. That said, it wouldn't surprise me if a few mid-years were eased out based on performance. Heck, what do you expect when you have ZERO attrition?

is it true the whole "layoff" thing is being used by the triggian associates who get shitcanned as cover?

134 -- you are an idiot.

I second that; 134 - you really are an idiot (especially considering many of the firms conducting layoffs have already publicly acknowledged that they were due to economic conditions).

134 is correct. every underperforming associate who gets shit-canned likes to talk about "stealth layoffs". It's better than admitting you weren't good enough.

109 = TTT graduate who should not even be on this board since he does not even work for biglaw (and he sucks cock)

Any predictions for ratio of offers/summer associates for the 2009 summer? Someone said 50%, but that seems a little low to me...

131 - the edison is ghetto - quinn definitely stepped it down.

139 - the financial meltdown happened before recruiting season ended - firms already reshaped their programs accordingly.

132-

Again, you are a moron. Don't try and back up your lame joke.

Here is an analogy to settle the Cravath/Skadden debacle and controversy:

If Yahoo doubled employees' bonuses for one year, would people start deleting their gmail accounts, start searching on Yahoo, and going back to MapQuest for their maps and directions?

While America has ravaged its image on the world stage and ensnared itself in 2 wars abroad, has it now suddenly become #2?

Nope. I expect plenty of backlash from Skaddenites out there. I had offers from both and chose CSM. Luckily, this year's bonus has 0 effect on me, and I am still happy to be going to the Google/America firm down the road. The people at Yahoo can sing and dance all they want, but at the end of the day, it's Yahoo!

143, honestly your attempt at creating a proper analogy is so ill-conceived, I do not even know what to say. Are you one of this kids that Cravath picked up from a TTT like Fordham?

*those kids

10, any bonus announcements yet from Ropes?

143, that's an awful analogy for so many reasons. I've read it twice, in a sort of disbelieving awe. I hope you work in corporate.

143 = HofstraMagna3L

146 - I've heard rumors that the firm will match Skadden, but who knows until the memo is distributed.

Ropes is doubling Skadden's bonus and raising to 190.

Also, Weil is prestigious.

144, 147= clueless.

are you a-holes serious? this is my first time on the site, and can't believe what low-lives you are. get a f-in grip, and appreciate what you have! i hope you all lose your jobs.

I'm a Skadden associate who (as a LR editor at a toop-5 school) rejected offers from all the other (now) V5 firms. Still glad I did.

Thanks 146, that is what I thought would happen. They seem pretty well-run/financially secure. I am curious about whether they will pay out the NY bonuses again this year...

154 here, I meant thanks 149

I can verify 150. Pretty stoked.

156, can you verify the weil part (cause I have a vault membership and can confirm that as well) or the Ropes thing?

119: Big firm partner here. You should definitely go up to people you don't know and introduce yourself at the holiday party. I know it' s hard to do, but it is also socially graceful and appropriate, which always helps you make a name for yourself in the long run. You should do this even if some of the associates and partners - your hosts - are not so gracious and are clustering in their own little knots. (And go light on the tequila - you will be remembered for what you have done even if your own memory is a blank...) As for dancing, it really varies at these things. Take your cue from others, and if there are a couple of dozen people on the dance floor at some point, join 'em for a little while. Good luck.

158 = pls confirm you are an "income" partner

ta, in advance pal

159: Income partner at a V5. (What, you think we are too old and too busy to read these things?)

#64--you must be a Shearman Stepfordite based on how dry and unexciting your post was --to add the proper gloss- Shearman has its separate departmental parties "away" from the firm because this gives married male partners the opportunity to force themsleves on unmarried female associates who need to keep their job or who want to eventually become partner --that's the "Shearman" way for the most part - I can only think of a few female partners who didn't have to perform non-legal services in order to become partner