Nationwide Layoff Watch: Sheppard Mullin Is Finishing Up Rolling Layoffs
Sheppard Mullin could have gone the full “stealth” layoff route. The firm has been laying off people incrementally over the past couple of months for a variety of reasons: some performance based, others because of the economy. The firm could have left former employees confused and current employees frightened about what is going on at the firm.
But this evening the firm decided to come clean and present the information in a reasonable and straight forward manner. In response to an inquiry from Above the Law, the firm released this statement:
At yesterday’s meeting of the Sheppard Mullin Associates’ Forum, firm management announced that by the end of this week about 25 attorneys firmwide will have been let go since the beginning of the year. Some of these terminations were performance-related; others were true “lay-offs,” done in order to adjust professional staff levels in practice groups whose level of business has been adversely affected by the economic downturn.The terminations have been carried out incrementally over the last two months, because firm management has very carefully assessed each associate’s performance in the context of the level of work projected for the associate’s practice group.
As we said a long time ago, there are attorneys out there who would have been fired during any economy. But given the current economic climate, there are a lot of people being let go that would have been able to hang on if times were better.
With this statement, Sheppard Mullin is at least replacing a lot of speculation with solid facts.
Good luck to the 25 people let go — regardless of the reason. The economy can’t stay this terrible forever.
Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of law firm layoffs
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Comments
That's too bad.
There seems to be a total lack of interest with regard to this firm. No comments at all?
What's left to say about layoffs, at this firm or any firm?
guess they were MULLIN over who should get laid off
dickstein shapiro is doing the same thing, but just not letting it be known
hahaha
any first years?
Sheppard Mullin RichTTTer and Hampton.
C'mon people. I'm tired of picking up the slack.
Did Count Layoffula die or something? I miss him.
Is this a real firm?
hahaha
That "Dealbreaker ad" = WORST AD EVARRRRRRRR
That "Dealbreaker ad" = WORST AD EVARRRRRRRR
That "Dealbreaker ad" = WORST AD EVARRRRRRRR
__________________________________________
Yeah, what's with the loser white guy feeding a pimply Asian chick cranberries or whatever? It doesn't even explain what they're trying to advertise.
did they lay off first years? second years? #5, same question for dickstein.
15 - Yes and Yes.
SMRH is one of the pre-eminent law firms in California....at least, that's what the narrator on PBS used to say during the McNeil Lehrer news hour.
2-
I'll chime in. This firm sucks.
WTF is TTT?
SHEPP
SHEPP
SHEPP
SHEPPARD MULLIN.
SHEPP
SHEPP
SHEH-EH-EH-EH-EHPP
SHEPPARD MULLIN.
I'm very bored today.
20 then do some work
No way, 21. I've been working my ass off the last couple weeks, so this is my time to unwind. In fact, I think I'm going to waltz my tight little ass right out the door and go home. Later.
Sorry Elie, but the economy can stay like this forever, relatively speaking. No use providing false hope.
This is yet another firm on ATL that I have never heard of. Just another TTT firm trying to be Cravath or Sullivan.......
Word is that something is going to go down at Katten Muchin very soon.
25- I heard too ... but was hoping to see something big when they dropped the "Z" from KMZ few years back.
24 = 1L d-bag who will never get a job with either Cravath or Sullivan
Have fun in Civ Pro, loser.
24. I interviewed at this firm, and declined an offer, but this firm is quite well known. They structure 90% of all major movie deals for the major film companies, so pretty prevalent in the Entertainment realm, far from a TTT.
Haha 24 has no idea what he's talking about!!! I guess Cooley's Carrer Office doesn't communicate with Sheppard Mullin!
Katten...watch this space
I'm watching, but there's nothing happening. Is this thing on? Hello?
this firm sucks
this news clearly means that Sheppard Mullins won't be going through with their plans to open a philly office. this is horrible news for UPenn State's satellite campus in philly. if they don't get their employment numbers up (which won't happen if philly doesn't improve) surely they will lose their ABA accreditation! they are already a tier 4 i believe.
The ship be sinking...
Kinda shitty the way they try to make it sound like it's a combo layoff/performance thing. It's like a half-apology: "I'm sorry for what I did, but I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't started it!"
This is far from a straight-up, "we're struggling and not too proud to admit it" statement. They're like a sulking kid who's being made to share his toys with his little brother.
35 - Agreed. They're clearly not interested in doing the right thing by their former associates. Considering what I've heard from associate there, that doesn't really surprise me.
Agree with 35 -- Sheppard would not hesitate for a second to sell it's associates down the river to avoid a negative headline. Pathetic.
I hear that 37, a reliable source said sheppard is laying off quietly and doing severance on the cheap regardless of tenure.
this is what happens when a good firm takes on a load of terrible heller ehrman shareholders.....
The downtown firm(main office) just had a million-dollar renovation