Nationwide Layoff Watch: Dewey & LeBoeuf Parts Ways With L.A. Associates
More bad news coming out of California this evening, this time from Dewey & LeBoeuf.
Multiple tipsters tell us that the firm laid off 8 associates from its Los Angeles office. As one tipster puts it:
The attrition at Dewey & LeBoeuf continued yesterday as the firm laid off almost 30% of the associate corps in its Los Angeles office. Eight attorneys were let go, ranging from newly minted second years to more senior associates.
Our figures suggest that 30% is a little bit high, but eight associates does represent a significant chunk of Dewey’s L.A. associate presence.
A firm spokesperson confirmed that eight associates were no longer with the firm.
While our Dewey sources in New York are worried that their office might be next, it’s worth noting that Dewey already let go of 11 New York associates at the beginning of December. The worst might be over.
Dewey has not frozen salaries for the associates that remain.
These are the kinds of choices that Biglaw is facing right now, freeze salaries, fire associates, or come up with other ways of spreading the economic pain around.
Good luck to the recently unemployed.
Earlier: Nationwide Layoff Watch: Dewey & LeBoeuf Lays Off 12 Associates
Prior ATL coverage of law firm layoffs
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pretzels. firsty
Keep these layoffs coming!
Balls deep!
Balls deep!
any news on what type of package they were given?
Have you heard anything about possible Cahill layoffs?
5:
See 3/4. Possibly 1, also.
Law School was a total mistake. Worst decision I made since I decided to see if my hair was flammable.
7 again. It appears that ~8 of the associates on the D&L website are w/o bios. May be just co-incidence.
Also, at least one of the empty bio associates is already on another firm's website. So there's someone taking advantage of the package (whether pretzels, balls or cash) and already earning another paycheck.
"Waiter! My LeBoeuf is overcooked!"
6 - Wait, what do you mean, Cahill layoffs? Cahill's having layoffs?
Nice time for a clerkship, suckas.
Where is Count Layoffula? We need him now more than ever.
Funny, associates are let go and the managing partner of that office has not been able to pass the California State Bar after taking it 4 or 5 times.
The Glass Cock would have had a pithy comment about the package.
11 --
Do you have any further info on these supposed layoffs at Cahill?
My thoughts drift back to erect nipple wet dreams about Mary Jane Rottencrotch and the Great Homecoming Fuck Fantasy. I am so happy that I am alive, in one piece and short. I'm in a world of shit... yes. But I am alive. And I am not afraid.
-Dewey 2nd year
16, there are no layoffs at Cahill. These people are talking trash. Don't believe them.
Only Penn State Philly grads were laid off from Cahill. Not even the Ivy League is safe in this recession...
http://abovethelaw.com/community/
16 - There haven't been any layoffs at Cahill Gordon so far this week; that's all anybody knows for certain. Further updates will be available as more information develops.
Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs! I just hope we can win a game!
Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs! I just hope we can win a game!
Anyone hear that McKee Nelson may soon collapse. Partners are leaving left and right and their structured finance business is dead.
DLA Piper has laid off over 200 people. There are 7 more confirmed so far this week, with an insider projecting 15 more by the end of the week. DLA piper will not admit they have lost business due to their obscene rates, they are calling the layoffs performance based. Yeah Right.
Currently a class action suit based on the profile of those laid off is being explored by a more succesful law firm --one that did not cancel its Holiday Party and Freeze pay.
Ha -- 25, that was pretty funny. I bet there are some law students and corporate associates who actually bought that.
25: More imporantly, there were layoffs at Cahill. Details to follow.
You guys realize that for every one "declared" layoff there probably have been ten "stealth" and "undeclared" layoffs, right? It's like cockroaches
30 - Wait -- you have word on layoffs at Cahill? What is it?
I haven't heard about any layoffs at Cahill. Is it true?
These guys will be fine; there's plenty of jobs available off of the University of Kentucky Facebook page.
DLA is awesome!
Is this the same firm as Dewey Ballantine?
33, yes. Dewey merged with LeBouf a year or two ago, iirc. Never a particularly appealing place to work, at least in LA.
LAYOFFS? Don't talk about -- LAYOFFS? You kidding me? LAYOFFS?!?
33, Dewey Ballantine merged with LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae in 2007 to form Dewey Laimoff & Howe.
Layoffs? You kidding me? Layoffs? I just hope we can win a game!
Or both fire and freeze, a la Orrick.
JONES DAY OPENS OFFICE IN MEXICO CITY! NO JOKE.
why is it a joke to open an office in Mexico City?
Would it be worth it to go to Dewey to do tax law?
The Student Bar Association will confirm that the Dean of Admissions has been laid off. Additionally, our ongoing efforts to secure adequate parking for all students in good standing continues unabated. Unfortunately, OCI has been suspended until further notice.
-SBA Presiedent
36,
Well done, sir. Well done.
13 - this is why everyone who voted for layoffula sucks. that twatwaffle got the (undeserved) glory, then bounced when it was time to get it up and deliver. fuck you layoffula. fraternity lothario 4 eva.
39. Mr. ALL CAPS. Why shouldn't a firm open an office in Mexico?
This whole thing is over. Forget Biglaw. It is not sustainable. The transactions that are necessary to sustain the cost structure, including high salaries, will not come back in a meaningful way for years, and these firms will all fail along the way. It was good while it lasted but it is over. Think about what you can do now, or soon when the rug is pulled out from under you, but stop having dreams of lofty salaries -- it is not reality.
my fries from mcdonalds were a bit dewey today.
Don't worry 47. Superjew is on the case.
46....i remember when folks say in 2001 that 125k was as good as it gets. sorry man, but biglaw isn't dying.
DEWEY, SPREAD UR LEBOUF, SO WE CAN SMELL THE JUICY INSIDE!
Law firms are finally able to choose who they hire and fire. You chumps (clearly not the brightest or most dedicated law students) will be on the outside looking in. Sorry about that!
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 <7 Mix Yes
5/12/2008 Paul Hastings US 22 Yes Yes
5/28/2008 Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal US 37 No Yes
6/5/2008 Blank Rome Philadelphia 6 Yes Yes
6/5/2008 Blank Rome NYC 2 Yes Yes
6/5/2008 Blank Rome DC 1 Yes Yes
6/11/2008 Thacher Proffitt & Wood US 36 No Yes
6/23/2008 Powell Goldstein US <10 No Yes
7/1/2008 Patton Boggs Dallas 4 Yes Yes
7/1/2008 Patton Boggs US 5 Yes Yes
7/14/2008 Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LA, SF, San Diego 15 Unk No
7/16/2008 Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman East Coast <10 Unk No
7/30/2008 Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft NYC, Charlotte, London, DC 96 No Yes
8/4/2008 DLA Piper London 1 No Yes
8/6/2008 Sullivan & Worcester Boston & NY 7 Yes No
8/12/2008 Simpson Thacher & Bartlett global 30 Yes No
8/21/2008 Morgan & Finnegan NYC ~4 No Yes
9/22/2008 Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer unknown <5 No Yes
9/25/2008 Heller Ehrman US ~600? No Yes
10/2/2008 Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal US 25 No Yes
10/14/2008 Clifford Chance NYC & DC 20 No Yes
10/20/2008 Dewey & LeBoeuf Charlotte 8 No Yes
10/20/2008 Katten Muchin Rosenman US 21 No Yes
10/21/2008 Jenner & Block US 10 No Yes
10/22/2008 Dechert US 10 to 30 Yes No
10/23/2008 O'Melveny & Myers LA 5 Yes Yes
10/27/2008 White & Case Milan 14 No Yes
10/28/2008 Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner US ~500? No Yes
10/30/2008 Bell Boyd & Lloyd Chicago 10 No Yes
11/3/2008 McKee Nelson NYC 13 No Yes
11/3/2008 McKee Nelson DC 4 No Yes
11/11/2008 Loeb & Loeb US 8 Yes Yes
11/11/2008 White & Case US, London 70 No Yes
11/12/2008 Moore Van Allen Charlotte 20 No Yes
11/13/2008 Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe US 40 No Yes
11/14/2008 Greenberg Traurig NYC unk No No
11/19/2008 Brown Rudnick US 20 No Yes
11/20/2008 Mayer Brown US 33 No Yes
11/20/2008 Squire Sanders US <30 Yes Yes
11/21/2008 Dewey & LeBoeuf NYC 5 to 11 Unk No
11/21/2008 Fried Frank US 15 Yes No
12/1/2008 Fried Frank US 15 Yes No
12/3/2008 Reed Smith UK 11 No Yes
12/4/2008 Proskauer Rose US 35 No Yes
12/4/2008 Dewey & LeBoeuf NY 11 No Yes
12/4/2008 Dewey & LeBoeuf LA 1 No Yes
12/5/2008 Seyfarth Shaw US 30 No Yes
12/10/2008 Pircher Nichols & Meeks LA, Chicago 8 No Yes
12/10/2008 Howrey Unk ~10 Yes Yes
12/15/2008 Wolf Block US 15 No Yes
12/15/2008 Drinker Biddle US 20 No No
12/17/2008 Gunderson Dettmer US Unk Yes No
1/7/2009 Kirkland & Ellis Chicago 15-25 Yes No
1/7/2009 Dickstein Shapiro NYC & DC 10 No Yes
1/8/2009 Parker Poe NC/SC 13 No Yes
1/8/2009 Baker & McKenzie NYC 6 No Yes
1/8/2009 Clifford Chance London ~80 No Yes
1/8/2009 Cahill Gordon Unk Unk Unk No
1/9/2009 Wildman Harrold Chicago 10 Yes Yes
1/9/2009 Loeb & Loeb US 4 Unk No
1/14/2009 Dewey & LeBoeuf LA 8 Unk Yes
In the last year alone Dewey & LeBoeuf has had layoffs in Jacksonville, Hartford, Austin, Charlotte, NY (twice), and LA (twice). What a poorly run firm.
Shit. That last one should say 1/13/2009.
What did you people think was going to happen? Economic slow down + Fall out from Merger + Having to make room for incoming summers and the constant stream of new associates + Little to no attrition in the associate ranks = Layoffs.
D&L doesn't pay out bonuses until February, at the earliest. This probably means the laid off associates didn't get their bonuses for 2008. Three month severance, at least? Anyone know?
Seriously, what kind of serverance do people get? Is there a "standard" package for most firms?
56
Severed head.
-Kirk Cameron.
46 remembers 2001 very well. This isn't 2001. 2001 was a dotcom disaster and a technology recession. This is far deeper and affecting every firm in every department in a bad way. I would be happy with 2001 right now.
12 - What exactly do you think you're going to do after your clerkship? How many other people do you think you're going to be competing with to land those lit associate positions? Yeah... thats what I thought. The sad part is you won't even be eligible for an unemployment check.
52, where did you get that list? It is very informative. Many thanks.
52, where did you get that list? It is very informative. Many thanks.
www.lawshucks.com
52, you forgot:
November, 2008 - McDermott Will & Emery - US - 20 something - Yes - No
52,
Pillsbury has continued to lay folks off. Nobody's talking about it, but it's happening.
Word is Dewey gave 3 months severance. At least they didn't short change associates like other firms on that. Still got to wonder about how that firm is run and whether more lay offs are on the way. The 11 NY lay offs were just in the structured finance practice.
While some of these layoffs are economic-based, the other layoffs and office closings are just based on the re-organization of the merged entity. Under-performing offices and associates were let go so the firm could be more efficient. As a D&L associate, I'm glad to see the new firm trimming the fat and closing offices that were no longer profitable.
66 you have your head up your ass. Some of the smaller D&L offices were very profitable and are being shut down anyway. You have no idea what you're talking about.
67 speaks truth.
66 speaks from (typical) NY-centric ignorance and will soon learn D&L now has to trim some limbs, not just fat, due to some serious strategic misteps.
66- Truly some ignorance coming from you. Are you a first year or something (one of those who is "safe" only because Dewey does not want to piss off the lawschools)?
The fact of the matter is that LeBoeuf LA was fine until the merger happened. Dewey LA was floundering. In the end, too many associates, not enough work and partners not pulling their weight to find work created the instant situation.
The days of big law hiring new inexperienced people for "show" are coming to an end.
^Agreed. 66 is clueless.
Thanks 52, for the list. That's about 80 Dewey lawyers let go so far, not including the stealth lay-offs that Dewey made in 2008 and even just as recent as last week.
Getting rid of a target number of 200+ lawyers can't be kept a secret for long, Dewey.
66 is from DL's marketing office. The firm is poorly run. The steady stream of lay-offs will continue. They should cut their losses and streamline but they won't - they are too short sighted to so. In the end I'm not sure why anyone cares about the place, it hasn't been relevant for years.