Nationwide Layoff Watch: Nixon Peabody Lays off 20 Attorneys, 36 Staff
Nixon Peabody announced layoffs of 56 employees today. Nixon Peabody adds its name to the growing list of firms that are eschewing stealth reductions in favor of open communication during an obviously difficult time. Managing partner and CEO, Richard F. Langan, Jr. furnished ATL with a statement minutes after the first reports surfaced of layoffs at Nixon Peabody:
While we enter 2009 with a solid platform to build upon, we are also faced with many business challenges that other law firms face-reductions in client demand for legal services which result in reduced work volumes for attorneys and paralegals, in the face of an increasing cost of doing business. Prudent management of our business requires that we downsize our associate, legal support, and administrative ranks, with the result that 20 attorneys will be leaving the firm, and we will be reducing our staff by 36 people through a combination of staff reductions and the creation of new positions.
One of our sources also reports:
A few unlucky first years who were in wrong group at the wrong time and never got the chance to prove themselves. It’s shocking that Nixon Peabody gets recognition as one of the better places to work…
Perhaps this kind of open communication from the firm is one reason Nixon is typically well regarded by the attorneys who work there?
We don’t know if any of the 56 employees let go from Nixon today were recent laterals from Thelen. Remember back in November, Nixon threw Thelen refugees a major life boat as Thelen was dissolving:
But now it is looking like Nixon is picking up 90 ex-Thelen lawyers (partners and associates), former Thelen support staff, and tripling its presence in Silicon Valley.
Good luck to all the former Nixon (and all the former Thelen) people looking for work. Please read the full statement from Mr. Langan after the jump.
NIXON PEABODY — STATEMENT — LAYOFFS
While we enter 2009 with a solid platform to build upon, we are also faced with many business challenges that other law firms face-reductions in client demand for legal services which result in reduced work volumes for attorneys and paralegals, in the face of an increasing cost of doing
business. Prudent management of our business requires that we downsize our associate, legal support, and administrative ranks, with the result that 20 attorneys will be leaving the firm, and we will be reducing our staff by 36 people through a combination of staff reductions and the
creation of new positions.
Our people are our most valued asset and the decision to downsize is hard. Our values and culture set us apart from other firms and we are all deeply affected by today’s events. Everyone leaving us is being treated fairly and with compassion.
Nixon Peabody remains a strong firm, focused on long-term profitable growth. Our success today and the legacy we create for the future is due to the exceptional team of people we have across all of our offices and practices around the world. Together, we remain committed to our
vision of extraordinary client service - all the time.
Earlier: Nixon Peabody Picks Up 90 Thelen Attorneys (This is Different From a Merger How?)
Prior ATL coverage of law firm layoffs
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Comments
formerly announced? and... FURST
This post is back to the future!
formerly announced? and... FURST
Severance package?
Nixon Peabody formerly announced layoffs of 56 employees today.
What does that EVEN MEAN?
Where is there theme song now???
Glad I turned them down for Venable. Looks are looking pretty sweet now.
The ship be sinking...
The Thelen attorneys who got fired twice in less than a year must be surprised. They probably thought they were safe.
Everyone's a winner at Nixon Peabody! Oh, except for 56 people.
these people laid off just weren’t winners, simple as that.
–nervous T-10 1L
soon to be nervous 1L sa
If a former Thelen attorney is at Nixon, he or she didn't get fired from Thelen, 9...
I'm sure it goes without saying, but info. on what departments the "wrong group at the wrong time" first years were in?
Tks.
But I thought everyone was a winner at NP.
If you are a 3L with an offer for Corporate Dept. at one of the firms doing layoffs, what are the odds that you're screwed?
Where's the Farewell video?
How far can it sink?
Sky's the limit.
SkaddenLA? any word?
What offices? What departments? anyone know??
15~
Probably about the same odds that the sun will rise tomorrow. I mean, in theory the world could blow up but really is that likely?
I am so scared right now. Scared and cold.
*shiver, shiver*
20 -
Which are you saying? The odds of 15 being screwed are the same as that the sun will rise tomorrow, or that the world will blow up?
"A few unlucky first years who were in wrong group at the wrong time and never got the chance to prove themselves. It's shocking that Nixon Peabody gets recognition as one of the better places to work..."
Same for A&B
20 -
Which are you saying? The odds of 15 being screwed are the same as that the sun will rise tomorrow, or that the world will blow up?
bump for 19's comments - which offices and/or practice groups let attorneys go?
15,
I was a 3L with an offer from Thelen, and despite the rumors, I (along with most of the other incoming associates that I was in touch with) believed Thelen would merge with Nixon Peabody and we'd all be ok. Obviously that didn't happen, and I'm still jobless. These things happen, and it's really unfortunate. In this economy, it might be smart to look around and do some networking. If you find another opportunity, or if your job with this firm falls through, at least you'll be in a better position later on. I wish I had done that a year ago. Good luck.
-Unemployed First -Year Lawyer
SkaddenLA stealth terminations.
These are not the first round, or even the second round, of NP layoffs from what I have heard.
28 - Unless something happened in a specific office, I think you heard inaccurate information.
Shoot, maybe I should be reading your legal tabloid, 28.
Sounds like you've got the mad skinny.
Or maybe you're just full of sh**.
it's all about the team, it's all about respect, it's all about integrity...
whatever!
clearly not everyone's a winner.
Does anyone really have information as to which offices or groups this is going to hit or will it go by performance? Seniority?
I heard 5 associates in SF, no details about practice groups, performance, or seniority, but I have no clue how reliable my source is.
I heard 5 associates in SF, no details about practice groups, performance, or seniority, but I have no clue how reliable my source is.
I heard 5 associates in SF, no details about practice groups, performance, or seniority, but I have no clue how reliable my source is.
So happy I bailed on BigLaw in November and took a federal job. Happy, warm, fuzzy, and still making loan payments. Jump in folks, the water's nice.
28 is right...they did let go some attorneys last year.
If 28 was right, I'm sure some of us winners would have heard about it. But wait, maybe I'm not a winner. I can't wait to find out if I'm one of the losers.
38, big firms let some people go every year. Not all firings are layoffs.
Nervous winner.
26 -
don't feel badly. I am in your same position, but started looking immediately after Thelen deferred the start date. If you're looking for transactional work, it wouldn't have made any difference. There are simply no firms hiring.
everyone's a winner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SeL6i3sHM0
Uh, usage: The metaphor is to "throw a life vest" or "lifeline", not a life boat. Lifeboat = "ow!" to recipient.
You must be a REAL loser if you would rather go back to law school than high school. High school was more fun and less work. You also had your entire future ahead of you. In law school, you are pretty much locked in to a boring and possibly dead-end career.
Plus, you read so much as a lawyer that your face actually starts to sag.
I've always wondered why people value excessive money over health, and then I slap myself in the head for actually doing it myself. I woke up after a couple of years and realized that I had lost my true identity. Now I'm looking to get out.
Does anyone else here think that law sucks the life out of you?
How about the partners? Was it worth it? How is life just as a partner, regardless of the work it took to get to that level? You still have high billable hour requirements, so it can't be that great. But let me know.
Info on departments? Offices?
In this economy, this is an inevitability for the strength of 99% of firms. At least Nixon Peabody was classy about being honest about the reason for the layoffs and open with the announcement.
A 3L friend of mine has an offer at Nixon. She just received word that Nixon has officially pushed back the start date for all 3Ls/incoming 1st year associates nationwide to Jan 2010. Nixon did increase their stipend to help cover the gap.
47, any info from her on depts that are slowing or that were downsized?
The hard copy memo everyone received today included the following additional news:
- Associate pay is frozen
- Bonuses are going to be limited (that means the lowest level bonus, which is available at 1950 hours -- which is 100 over the minimum -- is 3.5% of your salary)
- The 401(k) matching stays the same
Thank you 49 for sharing. Do you know details on who was laid off (year and dept)?
No attorneys let go in the Rochester office, but several staff members were. Apparently many of the lay offs were due to various positions being combined. All laid off staff were encouraged to apply for these new positions if they were qualified.
anyone let go in NYC?
.
Nixon assoc here from Thelen: Word is no ex-Thelen people were laid off. Who was laid off was based on the previous couple of fiscal year's performance.
The bad thing that is still unexplained for Thelenites is that our offer letters said we'd keep our Thelen salary until the salary review in March 2009. Now with Nixon freezing salaries, we do not know if we are going to be stuck with our way way way below market Thelen salaries of last year. I know current 6th years who last year at Thelen were making what a Nixon third year makes (the last year of lockstep at Nixon).
Nobody knows if those 6th year ex-Thelenites are going to make far less than 4th and 5th year Nixon Peabody associates.
NYC got murdered - half the cuts
55- damn, what groups in NYC? Private Equity? Litigation?
44 - I left NP about 8 years ago after coming to the realization that big firm life wasn't all I had hoped for. I was a senior associate still on partnership track, but I looked at the partners and most of them were more miserable than I was. It finally hit me (after all my friends had left for greener pastures) that I had no desire to become like the partners - stressed, bitter, unhappy, and overworked, though reasonably well paid. I'm happily in-house now, though that carries its own set of risks in this economy -- we're not exempt from corporate lay-offs. But I am challenged, fulfilled and appreciated which, based on my NP experience, is more than I ever thought I could expect from a law job.
DC has some too. Both staff and attorneys.
DC was hit too. Both staff and attorneys.
Anymore info on depts?
Private Equity, Public Finance, Global Finance, Business Litigation, and Insurance were hit. But noone feels safe. Morale is low. Yes, at least NP didn't lie about why people were laid off. But they still handled it in a poor manner by placing a letter on everyone's chair in the morning announcing the lay offs and this had everyone in a panic.
61- have things really been that slow? Were the Private Equity guys sitting around doing nothing? How many first years got canned in the NY office? Have they started taking people off the website?
61- did the laid off associates get severance packages?