Nationwide Layoff Watch: Blank Rome Lays Off 12 … So Far
Last night and this morning, tipsters informed us that significant layoffs were taking place at Blank Rome. A firm spokesperson is now able to confirm the news:
As we continue to focus on helping our clients manage through these challenging economic times, and in order to position the Firm for continued success in 2009, it is important that we take the necessary steps to adjust our attorney and staff complements in the context of our clients’ current and anticipated needs. These are purely economic decisions - this is a group of talented attorneys and staff who have made valuable contributions to our Firm.
Our tipsters report that at least 12 associates and staff have been let go so far. But:
Also, there is an unconfirmed report that when this ends the total of layoffs will be 50. Good lord.
The firm could not provide us with official numbers of how many people will be let go by the end of the day.
But we do understand that the layoffs will affect all departments and class years — we know some non-equity partners have already been shown the door. Blank Rome’s Philadelphia office was hardest it, but layoffs happened in New York as well.
Maybe if Mos Def would pay his bills, this wouldn’t be happening.
Read the full firm statement after the jump.
BLANK ROME — STATEMENT — LAYOFFS
As we continue to focus on helping our clients manage through these challenging economic times, and in order to position the Firm for continued success in 2009, it is important that we take the necessary steps to adjust our attorney and staff complements in the context of our clients’ current and anticipated needs. These are purely economic decisions - this is a group of talented attorneys and staff who have made valuable contributions to our Firm. We have not taken these decisions lightly, and while Blank Rome remains in strong financial condition having concluded a satisfactory year in 2008, we are not immune to the global economic downturn.
Like any other business, we must assess and respond to the economic realities and the plain fact that we are in the midst of a recession, and that is what we have done.
Earlier: Mos Def is Johnny B. Bad when it comes to his Blank Rome legal bills
Prior ATL coverage of law firm layoffs




Comments
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Milbank Rocks!! Firstieee
thirdsty
Elie, the number laid off is meaningless without the total number of attorneys at the firm and, when appropriate, at the offices affected. With each layoff post, hundreds of your readers are forced to look up this information if they want to understand the magnitude of the layoffs, which they do not have the time to do. Your looking it up and including it in the post would be much more satisfying to your readers.
LOBSTER?!?!?!
Blank Rome WTF is that an urban term for someone who is sterile?
i.e. They've been trying to have a baby, but apparently, the dude's a blank rome.
DAMN IT ELIE
I'M GETTING TIRED
OF ALL THESE DAMN
LAYOFF STORIES
POST SOMETHING FUNNY
OR INTERESTING FOR ONCE
WE DON'T
NEED A DAMN ENTRY
FOR EVERY LAID OFF ASSOCIATE.
5 = tarded
Good point, 3. Zoidberg, you are probably the most annoying, unfunny commenter I've seen on these boards.
7 = asswipe
Neil Gerber in Chicago just axed "a handful" of attorneys
http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202427495668
4 YOU are a douche!
3:
Would it have killed you post the info that you say is missing and that you say you already looked up?
Dang, now I have to go look it up myself. Ok, I'm back.
D'oh. You're right.
BITCH SPREAD THE BUTTCHEEKS SO I CAN SMELL THE JUICY INSDIES!
11, 4 isn't a douche, he's an asstard.
And 4, no lobster for you.
Maybe a crab puff from Elie's ass?
first to say ROME IS BURNING
9=5
3 - If you have time to read the posts and comment on them, you have time to look it up.
This would never happen at WILDMAN HARROLD
This would never happen at WILDMAN HARROLD
I have to say - the lobster guy has got to be the stupidest gimmick poster in the history of ATL.
JIM ROME IS BLANK
5 = hilarious
this is a free flowing blog that occasionally touches on mature subjects
I thought CWT NY 05 female associate guy was the stupidest.
I find KASH's ASSLOBSTER to be fascinating.
Blank Rome froze salaries today as well
22=5
KASH SPREAD DEM BUTTCHEEKS SO I CAN BUTTER UP THAT LOBSTER IN YOUR JUICY INSIDES!
skeet skeet skeet
Kash's Ass paella must be delicious.
Ballard Spahr will be next.
12 and 17: I didn't look it up. I don't have the time. Attempting to solve this repeat problem in one comment thread I do have the time for.
3
I bet Cahill will be the next firm to announce layoffs...
LAYOFFS? Don't talk about -- LAYOFFS? Are you kidding me?!? LAYOFFS?
anything in their princeton office?
I hate you #40.
anything in their princeton office?
@23 Bill Simmons?
anything on CWT dissolving?
Somebody tossed a lobster in Kash's salad? Huh?
Skadden just canned half its staff attorneys. Welcome to the new half-Skadden. Severance includes an ass lobster infested SHEEP.
The layoffs dont matter. Obama-Reid-Pelosi are going to create millions of jobs. Good jobs at good wages. They will even have GREEN jobs. The ONE will make everything better.
39 - correction: severence includes a three-month supply of SHEEP, but no ass lobster bonus. it's the half-skadden with a cahill twist.
can someone please explain all of the lobster references and Kash's ass?
42, it's like a credit derivative swap.
basically, a bunch of nonsense that some douche makes up, that nobody understands, but that everybody repeats like gospel until the economy is busted.
more discriminating commenters just stick to the crab puffs from elie's cravath.
and by discriminating comments, i mean that 14 is a racist.
What the hell happened to ATL? Why are 90% of the comments completely ridiculous? What a waste; bring back Lat.
well played, 32.
Why do I have this feeling that when Jack Thompson reads this story, he's going to comment some $hit about how he was the one who brought about the layoffs...
32 = hilarious
supposed carnage at irell l.a. yesterday. look it up.
40 Agreed. The ONE is the solution. How many stupid associates who are now layed off voted for the ONE?
andrews kurth salary freeze
from Legal Intelligencer-"Blank Rome has confirmed that it laid off both staff and associates.
There were rumblings in the Philadelphia legal community Thursday that the firm had conducted layoffs with the highest noted number coming in around 50. The Legal now has reason to believe that 20 associates and 40 staff members were laid off.
While a Blank Rome spokesman wouldn’t get into to specifics as to the breakdown or which practice groups were affected, he said cuts at the 500-lawyer firm were made this week and were done across the firm. He said all of the people affected were provided with a severance package and outplacement counseling. "
THE LIST: This list does not include "redeployments," mergers, staff, or staff attorneys.
Announced | Firm | Location | Total | "Review-Based"? | Acknowledged?
1/11/2007 Kenyon & Kenyon US 16 No Yes
10/1/2007 Thacher Proffitt & Wood US 24 No Yes
10/17/2007 Kirkland & Ellis Chicago 6 to 8 Yes No
1/10/2008 Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft Charlotte 9 No Yes
1/10/2008 Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft NYC 26 No Yes
2/14/2008 Winstead PC Dallas ~3 Yes Yes
2/29/2008 Dechert US 13 No Yes
3/20/2008 Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner US 26 No Yes
4/4/2008 Dewey & LeBoeuf Jacksonville 10 No Yes
4/4/2008 Dewey & LeBoeuf Hartford 22 No Yes
4/4/2008 Dewey & LeBoeuf Austin 16 No Yes
4/25/2008 Sutherland Asbill & Brennan Atlanta 8 Mix Yes
4/25/2008 Sutherland Asbill & Brennan DC /=12 No Yes
THE LIST: This list does not include "redeployments," mergers, staff, or staff attorneys.
Announced | Firm | Location | Total | "Review-Based"? | Acknowledged?
1/11/2007 Kenyon & Kenyon US 16 No Yes
10/1/2007 Thacher Proffitt & Wood US 24 No Yes
10/17/2007 Kirkland & Ellis Chicago 6 to 8 Yes No
1/10/2008 Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft Charlotte 9 No Yes
1/10/2008 Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft NYC 26 No Yes
2/14/2008 Winstead PC Dallas ~3 Yes Yes
2/29/2008 Dechert US 13 No Yes
3/20/2008 Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner US 26 No Yes
4/4/2008 Dewey & LeBoeuf Jacksonville 10 No Yes
4/4/2008 Dewey & LeBoeuf Hartford 22 No Yes
4/4/2008 Dewey & LeBoeuf Austin 16 No Yes
4/25/2008 Sutherland Asbill & Brennan Atlanta 8 Mix Yes
4/25/2008 Sutherland Asbill & Brennan DC /=12 No Yes
Hey 4, top this:
********relevant lobster comment********
worst job ever? pulling lobsters from jayne mansfield's *sshole..."a lot of lobsters fancy her bum".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SentQjMIioY
I cannot believe that (i) i stumbled across a youtube vid/skit so relevant to our new favorite topic and (ii) I finally have something relevant to add to the comments section.
Whohoo! Go me!
Wait, so it's Blank Rome that's having layoffs, not Cahill?
Note to laid off associates: You have the right to spend ALL of your health care flexible spending account for the entire year even though you don't work at your firm all year. So if you signed up for $5,000 for 2009, go ahead to the doctor/opthalmologist/dentist/drugstore and spend it all and submit your receipts ASAP. It doesn't matter that you will only be contributing a few paychecks worth; you can spend it all anytime in 2009, so do not leave this money on the table.
Scary times....
The bulk was in philly where there are about 400 lawyers. The layoffs were mostly staff that had been there 15+ years and people that the decision makers do not often see. Helpdesk and networking were hit so next time there is a blackberry issue or you need a laptop, good luck. There were a few partners that were asked to leave soon but no one was walked out the door. NY was done the day before and lost maybe 15 and DC was the day after losing another 10. DC lost a few secretaries on Friday but had been quietly losing paralegals for the past few months. Princeton is brand new and can't afford to lose anyone since they are still trying to get their staff to come over to the Blank Rome side. They will be safe until they move to their new digs in a few more months.
thx 58!
to 51 ..."severance package and outplacement counseling"...???? who told u ths lie?? don't believe the hype man. Blank Rome cannot afford it and Blank Rome has no worthy dignitaries...per Blank Rome.