January 2009
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Salary Freeze
Nationwide Pay Freeze Watch: Morgan Lewis Freezes Even Though They Said They Wouldn't
Thanks to the power of “the internet,” I’m able to remind you that in October the law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius informed associates: As in past years, base compensation adjustments will continue to be effective as of January 1 and will be reflected in your January paycheck. In fact, I reminded you just last […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket 1.15.09
* Jackpot! “A Mississippi woman thought she had won a slot machine jackpot when a display lit up $1 million, but the casino says the maximum payout was clearly posted: $8,000.” [The Associated Press] * Eric Holder, President-elect Obama’s appointed attorney-general, will have his confirmation hearing today. Senate Republicans are expected to accuse him of […]
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9th Circuit, Alex Kozinski, Fabulosity, Federal Judges, Federalist Society
Kozinski & Lat: The Podcast
While David Lat’s west coast rampage continues — he just finished speaking at UCLA — the good people from the Federalist Society furnished us with a podcast of Lat’s lunch talk yesterday with Chief Judge Alex Kozinski (9th Cir.). If you weren’t able to make it yesterday, or you live in the part of the […]
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 01.14.09
* Things lawyers like might include austere legal tomes or presidential biographies. But really, the tipping point has reached the tipping point and has now fully jumped the shark. We need to stop drinking the kool-aid and throw the tipping point under the bus. [Litination] * It looks like the new DOJ will be well […] -
Staff Layoffs
Nationwide Staff Layoff Watch: Seyfarth Shaw
In December, Seyfarth Shaw laid off 30 attorneys. Today, the wheel came around to a number of staff: As a result, we have made the very difficult decision to reduce the number of support staff positions in a limited number of offices, including ours. In Chicago, this has affected nine secretaries and five members of […] -
Musical Chairs
Musical Chairs: Cadwalader Loses More Lawyers
The Lawyer is reporting that seven partners in Cadwalader’s London office have defected for Paul Hastings: The Lawyer can exclusively reveal that the partners leaving the firm are Karl Clowry, Conor Downey, Michelle Duncan, Justin Jowitt, Tom O’Riordan, Christian Parker and Charles Roberts. The defections leave US firm Cadwalader with just four partners in London. […] -
Biglaw
Ropes on the Rise: Ropes & Gray wants to take a big bite out of the Big Apple
Ropes & Gray is looking mighty healthy these days. As we reported earlier, there was no freeze for the Boston-based firm; their associates got class year raises as expected. And this week, the New York Observer reports the firm is stretching out its legs in New York, taking a new floor in its 1211 Avenue […] -
Associate Advice, pls hndle thx
Pls Hndle Thx: She's Trying to Destroy Me
[Ed Note: Do you have a question for next week? Send it in to advice@abovethelaw.com] ATL – I’ve just been staffed on a relatively long term project with another associate. She and I went on one date a few months ago and hooked up, but that was it because she is batsh*t crazy. Since then […] - Sponsored
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Layoffs
Nationwide Layoff Watch: I'm Shipping Up To Boston
First, some good news for Boston based attorneys. Ropes & Gray has joined the growing list of firms not freezing associate salaries. The firm sent out a whole memo about it and everything: We are pleased to announce that base compensation for partnership-track associates in 2009 will reflect normal seniority increases as follows But while […] -
Biglaw, Blogging, Rankings, Technology
New Rankings Reflect Law Firms' Web Presence
Muzeview, which calls itself a “competitive intelligence services provider working with professional services firms,” has completed a new analysis of the internet strength of major law firms. “This new index gives a clear view into the weight each firm gives to its visibility on the Internet, as well as the effectiveness of the effort,” said […] -
Billable Hours, Job Survey
Associate Life Survey: Time is on your side . . . or not.
We received over 2,200 responses to Monday’s ATL / Lateral Link survey, which asked you how many hours you billed last year. In fact, we received more responses than most of you billed hours. Although today’s Am Law Litigation Daily points out that litigation in federal courts actually rose by 9 percent last year, that […] -
Tax Law
NY Court Tries To Destroy The Internet
Monday, the New York Supreme Court upheld a state statute requiring online retailers to collect taxes from New York residents. The law applies to companies that don’t have offices in New York, but have at least one person in the state who works as an online agent — someone who links to a Web site […] -
Barack Obama, Bernie Madoff, Gay Marriage, Guantanamo Bay, Joe Biden, Morning Docket, Supreme Court
Morning Docket 1.14.09
* The Madoff case will garner lawyers lots of money in fees. “This is a financial 9/11 for our clients” said a Proskauer Rose litigation partner, licking his lips. [Bloomberg.com] * Meanwhile, the U.S. is challenging the New York Judge’s decision to keep Madoff free on bail. [Bloomberg.com] * Legislators in Maine are introducing a […]
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San Francisco Attorney Sues Nixon Peabody Los Angeles for Sexual Discrimination
With all the layoffs rippling through the Biglaw community, we are likely to see more lawsuits from attorneys directed at their former employers. Right now, Nixon Peabody is in the spotlight. A former associate is suing the firm. The National Law Journal reports: Henry Har, now an associate in Holland & Knight’s San Francisco office, […] -
Dewey & LeBoeuf, Layoffs
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 […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 01.13.09
* Well, well. It looks like my monkey, has evolved into a man. A poor man. [Swordplay] * Governor Paterson is ready to name a new chief judge to replace Judith S. Kaye. It’s Caroline Kennedy … no, sorry, wrong wire feed. It’s Jonathan Lippman! [New York Law Journal] * Liberal blogger of some note, […] -
Salary Freeze
Nationwide Pay Freeze Watch: Perkins Coie And Fulbright Freeze, Schulte Does Not
After saying nice things about top Texas firms yesterday, our inbox was flooded today with news of a salary freeze at Fulbright & Jaworski. As we understand it, the firm is only freezing salaries through the first quarter of 2009, so it’s a Slurpee freeze. So much for Texas being the beacon of hope for […] -
Is Milbank Setting Up For Stealth Layoffs? Not According to Milbank
As we’ve pointed out in the past, it’s difficult to tell the difference between “normal business practices” and “stealth layoffs” in these difficult economic times. Milbank has made a change in their annual review process, but what that means — if anything — is anyone’s guess. At this point, we don’t know if Milbank is […] -
Job Searches, Law Schools
University of Kentucky College of Law Updates Facebook Status
It’s been a tough year for Kentucky. They were on the wrong side of the Obama-wave. They killed a horse. Rick Pitino isn’t walking through that door. And it’s not like University of Kentucky College of Law students are immune from the larger problems in the legal market. But unlike Churchill Downs, the UK Law […] -
Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
One Last Plug
Despite our late start, our readers are leading a furious ATL comeback in the 2008 Weblog Awards. On Friday ATL was getting slammed, but now we’re running a strong second with almost a third of the vote. If you’ve already voted for ATL, thanks. If you’d like to vote again, that would be wonderful. Sure, […]