International Layoff Watch: Mayer Brown Layoffs in London
Good morning. I hope you enjoyed your evening. Welcome back to your daily carnage report.
We just received word that Mayer Brown expects to lay off 55 lawyers and staff. Here’s the internal memo that went out to U.S. employees early this morning:
In recent weeks, Mayer Brown has undertaken various actions to respond to the ongoing global economic crisis, which is impacting our clients, our profession and the firm. As part of that process, our London office today began a redundancy consultation that we expect will result in the departure of up to 55 lawyers and support staff. The action in London is part of a review of our global operations. We have not yet determined what that will mean for each office and practice. However, the only responsible course is to align our personnel levels with current and anticipated client demand for our services.We are carefully weighing our decisions and considering a number of options, with full recognition that these decisions could affect the careers and lives of people whose contributions to the firm we value. We expect to make any further decisions shortly. As more information becomes available, we will share it with you.
Thank you for your understanding.
This is the second round of layoffs at Mayer Brown. Our sources feel that this is a clear indication that layoffs will be immigrating to the U.S. “shortly.”
If they do, we’ll keep you posted. Good luck to those in London. Happy Friday.
Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of law firm layoffs
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huh, wow
FirsTTT
TTThird
JOB OPENING!
WWW.ACC.COM HAS A JOB LISTING FOR AN IN-HOUSE JOB WITH REDBOX, IN CHICAGO, PAYING $100-120k PER YEAR! GOOD LUCK TO ALL YOU LAID OFF CHICAGO LAWYERS! I HOPE YOU LAND IT!
"daily carnage report."
A little tact please?
Good luck to those at Mayer.
"Thank you for your understanding. "
What the hell does this mean? Do people have a choice other than to "understand" it?
Implosion 6-12 months.
whose voting for who?
http://www.blackbooklegal.com
Mayer Brown - is that even a real law firm?
Eleventyth
Looks like lots of layoffs at all the Chicago firms lately, Kirkland, Katten, Mayer Brown, Jenner.
12,
Chicago is TTT.
Minimum layoffs in MB Chicago- NY will take the brunt.
14 - what is the timing?
I hear 35+ lawyers will be laid off at Edwards Angell. Can anyone confirm this?
Chicago-based firms are taking a beating
Why is every Chicago firm with offices in NY run horribly? Mayer Brown, especially.
Why is every Chicago firm with offices in NY run horribly? Mayer Brown, especially.
Why is every Chicago firm with offices in NY run horribly? Mayer Brown, especially.
Why is every Chicago firm with offices in NY run horribly? Mayer Brown, especially.
Another "Firing Folks Friday"
Why is every Chicago firm with offices in NY run horribly? Mayer Brown, especially.
Why is every Chicago firm with offices in NY run horribly? Mayer Brown, especially.
I don't believe that an OUT-OF TOWN law firm (read: SECURITIZATION shop) has to fir e more people.
No surprise here. MB, especially in NY, is a disaster.
Maybe if you ask it again someone will answer.
Why is every Chicago firm with offices in NY run horribly? Mayer Brown, especially.
MB London isn't an "out-of-town" firm, idiots.
MOAR NEWS ON THE NEXT ROUND AT DLA CHICAGO?
Maybe if you ask it again someone will answer.
Maybe if you ask it again someone will answer.
Why can't people hit submit once? Guests 18,19, 20, and 21 especially.
Great comments on a great law firm.
Gooo law firms who derive revenue only from Credit Default Swaps! (See, also, Cadwalder, White and Case, and Sidley).
Give me back that fillet-o-fish!
Give me that fish...
Give me back that fillet-o-fish!
Give me that fish...
Can the one MB hater on here please grow up (see 18-21 etc.)? Do you also call the reception desk and hang up? GET A LIFE.
36- Exactly. This troll comes out every time anything is said about MB.
London gots nothing on my 3500 sq ft, wife and Lexis.
Ft Worth Prestige
Of course no mention from the MB-hater troll or ATL about the REFCO class-action lawsuit being dismissed against MB.
Not looking good for Mayer. Prestigious con law prof. Marty Redish jumped from consulting/of-counsel at Mayer to Sidley last year. Mayer's appellate lit group was one of the best things it had going in Chicago, but it's been ceding ground to Sidley.
40 - you are saying Mayer's appellate lit group was based in chicago and around an of-counsel? That's laughable. What are you, a 1L?
41 -- Mayer's appellate lit group was, essentially, based in Chicago. That's why it was "prestigious" -- the only Chicago firm with a legit, bona fide appellate group in house. Sidley may argue before SCOTUS more often, but its mostly DC attorneys. But Sidley hired the former Solicitor General of IL two years ago, and with the Redish poach it looks like they're expanding their appellate practice in Chicago.
FYI, almost all big firms retain prestigious scholars in a consulting/of-counsel fashion for appellate work. Look at any big-name prof's CV and you'll most likely see an affiliation with some elite appellate firm.
38. It may not but i will point out that you are in Texas.
nice one 40:
"Prestigious con law prof. Marty Redish"
ha ha
44 -- Anyone who has authored one of the most widely used casebooks in his field is prestigious.
elie, stop using the dallas cowboy logo or jerry jones will sue you.
I found out that repeatedly Googling yourself for an entire weekend does not make you prestigious.
"44 -- Anyone who has authored one of the most widely used casebooks in his field is prestigious. "
are you Marty?
When you leave law school, you'll find out that real lawyers aren't rushing to con law books to look up summaries of cases..
You cannot escape the ever present gaze of the Mayer BrownEye.
I would like to see what insightful comments The Dow is Up Guy has on this.
48 -- No, but judges deciding novel issues of con law cite to them. And the authors make phat retainers with the firms that have elite appellate practices (i.e, Mayer and Sidley).
You seem to have some kind of irrational vendetta against Redish. I'm not married to the guy, so I don't really care. I was just pointing out that his jumping ship is a somewhat negative sign for Mayer.
I recommend the following:
1. Go to www.westlaw.com
2. If you have a password, type it in.
3. In the "Database" field, type in "SCT."
4. Search for "Redish."
I'm not sure how often he's cited, but if not frequently enough to be prestigious in your mind, then I will concede the argument. Prestige is a matter of taste, and there's no accounting for taste. It's entirely reasonable if your standards are simply higher than Mayer's and Sidley's, who have been paying him huge retainer fees to consult for years.
48 -- BTW,if Redish isn't prestigious enough for you, Volokh is also one of Mayer's "academic affiliates."
How typical of Mayer Brown that a discussion about layoffs should quickly get sidetracked into some navel-gazing exchange regarding an appellate counsel's relative prestige.
42 - do you have any idea what you're talking about? Seriously, get your facts straight before you start mouthing off about the demise of a practice. I hardly think the loss of one guy when you still have someone like Steve Shapiro in Chicago signals the downfall of a practice group.
53 -- Agreed. I fully regret my original post at this point.
-- 40
53 - I agree, and how appropriate that the discussion was started by a Sidley shrill about a Sidley attorney.
Mayer Brown's appellate practice -- which has its center of gravity in Washington, not Chicago -- is arguably still the best in the country. This is pretty typical:
http://www.chambersandpartners.co.uk/Editorial.aspx?ssid=28385
The Refco train is coming down the track, bitches-- hot on the heels of the CDS Express. Remaining MB partners starting to look a lot like Teddy Duchamp.
For British Eyes Only!
Not so fast 58
http://www.law.com/jsp/tal/digestTAL.jsp?id=1202429219254
Mayer Brown still has over $2bn in Refco claims out there and they don't have Stoneridge to hide behind for these claims. They also have a partner under indictment, trial starts in 3 weeks.
London, btw, is the bell weather for MB lay offs. Paul Maher runs the place and likes to show everyone what a tough guy he is (by sacking his London lackies) before requiring the same of the rest of the firm. LA and Chicago are going to burn.
Good point, 12. It's so strange that there's layoffs in Chicago while the rest of the country is having such boom times.
Have there been layoffs at Kirkland (except in Elie and Kash's fantasies?
For all the MB shills out there, there isn't just one MB hater, there are many. Keep shilling for MB until you get laid off.
I predict MB will shed more lawyers, regroup and emerge a much stronger, but smaller firm. Niche players like ropes and firms that grew out of control over the last few years and overpaid for laterals (i.e. DLA and greenberg) will suffer.
38 what model Lexis do you drive? The prestigious Total Litigator?
Enjoy your 3500 sq. ft. wife.
Your right 63, there are 2-3 of you. You were let go before the economy got bad. get over it.
I like 40's comment that things are "not looking good for Mayer" because a *law professor* is no longer an "academic affiliate" of the appellate group!!!!! First, Mayer has some good appellate lawyers in Chicago, but most of the appellate group in DC. Second, an appellate group is a pretty small part of *any* law firm. Third, and most important, no one gives a sh*t about "academic affiliates." Anyone who thinks otherwise is an academic or a law student -- and anyone who takes the departure of an "academic affiliate" as a sign of trouble for one of the largest law firms in the world is a flat-out idiot. There are problems at Mayer, as there are at all other big firms nowadays, but Martin Redish's departure most assuredly is not one of them. Tell me why I'm wrong and you're not an idiot, 40. Also, as a practicing attorney, I don't recall coming across any citations to Martin Redish's casebook or treatise or whatever it is you say he's written.
Mayer Brown DC is a miserable place -- most partners are mean, the ones who aren't are miserable managers, and advancement is completely a game of ingratiating yourself to the important higher-ups. Can't wait to get out.
68: I doubt you work at MBDC because you don't know what you're talking about. If you do work there let's hope you're part of the layoffs. The office is busy and a pretty nice place to work.
69 -- I do work there and I know who you are as well: the Kool Aid-stained lips give you away.