fisted

Weird. When I wrote that, Lat was listed as the author. Yet another Mystal typo.

-1

The ship be sinking...

Locke Lord is the Lexis of Texas firms.

The Chicago office has been a miserable place since the Texas people showed up - no bonuses even when times were good everywhere else, associates getting out as fast as they could. Harriet Myers, why have you forsaken us?

POTENTIAL PUBLIC INTEREST LAW JOB FOR THOSE TRYING TO FIND ONE:

SEARCH FOR NEW DIRECTOR IS UNDER WAY
Milan Pham, founding director of NC LEAP, is leaving to enter private practice in Durham. She will remain with the program on a part-time basis during the transition period. NC LEAP, which stands for North Carolina Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program, is the signature project of the NCBA’s Business Law, Corporate Counsel and Intellectual Property Law sections. The search for a new director of NC LEAP has begun; click here for direct access to the job posting or access the link below for additional information.
http://www.ncbar.org/news/1/3727/index.aspx

1 / 3 - don't get to follow that much

what is the Lexis in Texis meme?

In honor of the Morgan & Finnegan people, can we please get some Lebowski quotes going? Thanks....

1 / 3 - don't get to follow that much

what is the Lexis in Texis meme?

Is this because M&F handled the Lexis v Toyota suit from way back when?

I wonder if Jack Meoff has anything to say about Locke Lord.

Just looking through nalp it appears V&E Houston has a huge summer class. 77 summers compared to 40 last summer.

Darby & Darby laid off their whole second year class and at least 3 other attorneys.

This aggression will not stand, man.

Lord they have locked the doors and brought out the bissell to suck up the liddle associates.

Get out of Malibu, Lebowski! Get out of my nice beachfront community!

This week has potential to be the worst week ever in layoffs.

Mr. Lebowski is in seclusion in the West Wing....

You want a job? I can get you a job, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me. Hell, I can get you a job by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with a firm. These fucking amateurs

13,

I noticed the same thing about V&E. There is no way that 77 summer associates is sustainable. If I am not mistaken, that is the largest summer associate class ever for a Texas firm, and in this economy? I predict a hiring rate of below 50% this fall. Maybe the Enron karma will finally catch up with V&E.

How did ATL miss the Paul Weiss layoffs? A handful of folks were laid off this afternoon @ PW. Way to go ATL!!

How did ATL miss the Paul Weiss layoffs? A handful of folks were laid off this afternoon @ PW. Way to go ATL!!

10,

I would assume the Lexis/Lexus reference has something to do with that Texan idiot who used to brag regularly about having "3500 s.f., a Lexus and a wife".

Which in turn led to all the many references here to "3500 s.f. Texas wives in a Lexis".

Not sure precisely how we got from Lexus to Lexis; maybe the idiot misspelled it once.

And that exhausts my knowledge on the subject. (It's like the National Enquirer; despite your best efforts to ignore it, somehow, you know what's on the cover from week to week.)

13, 21 - I just checked out that NALP forms and man that is a huge summer class. However, I looked at their other offices and they appear to be normal. Dallas, Austin, and DC all have their normal size classes. New York is a bit larger than in years past but still appears kind of small compared to the number of attorneys in that office and the growing they are doing there.

Not sure what on earth happened in Houston though.

6% of the associates is a large number. The have around 300 associates.

24 -- he did misspell it, friendo

Does the deferral affect incoming associates in all offices?

yes.

Too bad they have yet to contact some of them...

"a little less extravagant entertainment." translation: 2250 square feet and a certified, pre-owned Lexus?

"the firm spokesperson tell us that . . ."

Seriously? Proofread that shit.

Locke Lord was provided a lifeboat? I thought they provided the lifeboat.

Poorly written piece.

Wait, wait...

Now just wait a second...

Are you seriously saying...

For real now...

...

...

...

First ROBINSON & COLE...

Then ARENT FOX...

THEN ALLEN MATKINS...

AND NOW LOCKE LORDE?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!??!?!!!?!?!????????!??!?!?!?!?!

FML.

Nobody cares about Paul Weiss.

Is there a stipend involved for the incoming associates?

Agree with 33. Also there is a qualitative difference between typing "teh" when you mean "the" compared to typing "x was provided y" when you mean "x provided y" Elie's typo is logically backwards and totally changes the meaning of the sentence. And wouldn't be a big deal really, except he went to Harvard Law and crapload of other people who keep pointing this stuff out did not.

Good luck to the jobless, and good luck to the english language when Elie attempts to use it.

On March 28, 2007, Michael Ray Richardson was suspended for the rest of the CBA championship series for his comments in an interview with the Albany Times Union newspaper, in which he stated that Jews were "crafty (because) they are hated worldwide."

Specifically, it was reported by the Times Union that before a game against the Yakama Sun Kings, Richardson made anti-Semitic comments to two reporters in his office when discussing the contract general manager Jim Coyne had offered him to coach his team in the CBA and USBL. "I've got big-time lawyers," Richardson said. "I've got big-time Jew lawyers."

When told by the reporters that the comment could be offensive to people because it plays to the stereotype that Jews are crafty and shrewd, he responded with:

"Are you kidding me? They are. They've got the best security system in the world. Have you ever been to an airport in Tel Aviv? They're real crafty. Listen, they are hated all over the world, so they've got to be crafty. They got a lot of power in this world, you know what I mean? Which I think is great. I don't think there's nothing wrong with it. If you look in most professional sports, they're run by Jewish people. If you look at a lot of most successful corporations and stuff, more businesses, they're run by Jewish [sic]. It's not a knock, but they are some crafty people."

I don't want to go all AIG on Locke Lord but I spent the weekend at the swanky Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, AZ this weekend and Locke Lord was holding a rather big partner retreat of some kind there. I bet they could have saved one or two associates if they had just stayed at a Motel 6. I'm sure the golf fees alone were worth a legal secretary or two.

ATL should ask a Locke Lord spokesman why the austerity behind the layoffs didn't extend to partners enjoying a nice video-conference in lieu of an all-expenses paid junket.

Heard first-years were laid off too!

Bwahahahahahahaahh!!! Go med!

*sues 42 in bad faith*

Heard it was a first year bloodbath.

I think we should go all AIG over these firm retreats. It's not like the partners really need an expense paid vacation, they do that on clients nickel all the time. Plus, they got what, two or three vacation homes. I hope they get their big fat fingers stuck in the copy machines.

44-did you hear how many first-years were laid off?

NY to $120k!!!!

Skadden names new Partners tomorrow. Last year 25 lucky souls were tapped. What's the over/under this year?

40: that is false. The event in Scottsdale two weekends ago was for the International Society of Barristers. (http://www.internationalsocietyofbarristers.org/events.html)

One of Locke's Houston partners was elected or appointed or whatever to a board position, so there was probably a high turn out of Locke partners, but that was definitely NOT a Locke event.

First of all, Locke Lord has over 700 attorneys. About 150 employees were laid off today, firmwide, mostly from the real estate and finance department (no surprise there). Second of all, thank you to the people who pointed out the fact that Locke Lord was the lifeboat, not the other way around. Third, if there was a partner "get away" - they certainly weren't Locke Lord partners so that comment is inaccurate, as is the comment about a "first year bloodbath." The firm made a tough, but wise decision today with an eye on the future.

Deferral Summary at http://lawfirmchaos.blogspot.com/... if you have more information, please add it to the comments.

Were the first years OK?

Were the first years OK?

First years were ok. Mostly 2-4 years.

Listen up bitches:
we got ourselves 5000 sq. feet of new construction.
Y'all live in squalor in them there New York City.
Don't mess with Texas.
Yee haa!

14 "Darby & Darby laid off their whole second year class and at least 3 other attorneys."

Is this true? Can someone confirm?

Anyone?

fulbright deferred incoming associates to january

300 associates and it must have been really hard to select which ones to layoff. For a change we get to read layoffs that involve lawyers; at least they can easily get another job or practice privately. They won't have the same problems encountered by the low earning clerical workers and factory workers since these lawyers must have been compensated by some form of huge separation pay; they know how to make labor laws work to their advantage

Paul Weiss has been laying off all last week and this week. Staff mostly, but some associates. Looks like mostly class of 2006 and up with three months pay before being forced to vacate.

this week will go down as the worst yet. just wait until all the March time is entered

Big MB layoffs coming to a city near you Friday.

Yee haw to the Texas Locke Lord Team! Keep up the good work.

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST LAWYERS? IF YOU GET LAID OFF, JUST GOTO ANOTHER LARGE FIRM THAT HAS ROOM. OR TALK TO FRIENDS AT ANOTHER SHOP AND HANG A SHINGLE. YOU'RE LAWYER'S FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE.

50- by "wise," do you mean doing what ever other law firm is doing? I guess we should all be sure to thank the partners at each of our firms tomorrow for their wisdom in terminating us.

I'll take the bait, 63. Thanks for such a good idea!

sorry, but iphones are gay. same with macintosh computers.

April 3, April 6-7 there will be serious layoffs. Even firms that laid people off just 2-3 weeks ago will come back. March numbers are horrible. This time Jr partners will be significantly hit.

51--your page is not loading...it says publishing information is not valid. Can you put any info you have about Locke Lord's start date deferral in the comments?

This would never happen in Idaho.

60 is is right...

68 - Should be back up...

Darby? What is happening at Darby?

71--It is back up now. Thanks!

Schiff Hardin announced today that it was shortening the summer program to 8 weeks and moving the start date for incoming 1st years back to January, 2010. No big surprise considering Schiff already laid off 15-20% of associates and 10% of secretaries.

How does this news affect WILDMAN HARROLD?

Also: balls.

I think summer programs will end up getting cancelled in their entirety.

How much would a summer program cost if the SA's were not paid? I would think close to zero, why aren't SA's volunteering to work for free. At this point, the experience is better than nothing.

First years were included.

How does this new affect Darby?

How does this news affect Sananda Maitreya (f/k/a Terence Trent D'arby)?

79 --

Get that weak shit out of here. Sananda Maitreya (f/k/a Terence Trent D'arby) is a poor man's substitute for Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus (f/k/a Milli Vanilli). Drop the zero and get with the heroes:

Now what you wear, I don't care,
How? Before, the reason that I like a girl is for what you are.
If I sit and think about it, you rule my world,
so try to understand:

I'm in love girl, I'm so in love girl,
I'm just in love girl, and this is true.

Girl you know it's true,
uh uh uh, I love you.
Yes you know it's true,
uh uh uh, I love you.

Girl you know it's true,
my love - is for you.

On the morrow, in preparation for my workaday travails, I shall don my shirt and trousers backwards in silent homage to Chris Smith (f/k/a the "Daddy Mack") and Chris Kelly (f/k/a the "Mack Daddy", and together with the Daddy Mack, "Kris Kross").

No first years were laid off in the Houston office. The worst part is that those who were laid off were only given 2 months severance. Ouch.

I read somewhere (V&E poster) that V&E's large class is due to the fact that a lot of young associates have lateralled out over the past 2 years. And over the last 2 summers, V&E has lost a lot of battles with other TX firms (BB, B&G, HB, F&J). They don't really do this on the East Coast, but in Texas, the SA's can typically split their time with another firm (6 weeks a piece). V&E apparently needs new drones for doc review.

Notwithstanding that, I'm sure they'll probably not have 90% acceptance rate.

The 6th Circuit has booked multiple conference rooms on Friday.

I am an administrator for a V10 firm. I spent the past four hours going over the firm's March billables with the management committee. For the firm, it was the worst March in 27 years. I suspect other firms fared no better. Some partners have suggested engaging in another round of layoffs (it would be our second since Fall 2008). This time, however, I heard non-equity partners are in the crosshairs. The decision has been made. Expect more layoffs. God bless us all.

KASH -- You have some nice boobs.

Welcome to my club fellow laidoffees from Locke Lord!

As The Dude and #15 state, this aggression will not stand, man.

come to my blog and share what's on your mind!

laidoffdiary.wordpress.com

87 - your blog kinda sucks. If you want to bitch about the airlines, I think there are blogs for that. What it has to do with attorney layoffs I can't figure...

I love Terrance Trent D'Arby. He's the man.

I continue to enjoy these teaching moments. I am sure every one layed off voted for OBAMA. This will be a good lesson to them that voting for someone who wants to cripple the private sector is not great for you if you work in the private sector. The private sector will likely see no economic growth over the next five years if not longer. If you are a partner at a firm your federal taxes are going up, your state taxes are going up, your house is more expensive because your deduction of interest payments just got capped , the pool of potential buyers of your house grows smaller every day as they too have less money and less job security ,and, therefore the value of your house falls, and ppp are falling. You are screwed eight different ways. The only way to respond is to get profits back up. If you cannot increase the work you have, then the only other alternative is to try to raise margins by cutting costs. A law firm's number one cost is associate salaries. The lay offs will continue and intensify. The first quarter closed yesterday. A lot of firms will spend next week looking at the first quarter numbers. They will then take out the knife and another round will begin.

Change you can believe in. O

I dont see what the problem is; those layed off can go work at the "green jobs" that Obama's created. Building solar panels is much better for the soul than writing wordy briefs that waste paper and kill trees. O has the answer; all you have to do is believe in him.

It is not just "green jobs," Obama also runs a car company , maybe they can get a job there.

ITS THE 1ST OF THA MONTH - TIME FOR MASS LAYOFFS

Wake up, wake up, wake up it's the 1st of tha month
To get up, get up, get up so cash your checks and get up

Stop this nonsense Danielle.

some first years were hit. It is really sad for those who remain. The staffing cuts were amazingly deep.

I've never seen Jerry cry. I think they handled it as well as they could.

The Broncos need a QB.

I"m in IP at a V10 firm and my billables for this year have ranged from 100-125 hours. Just last year I was billing well in excess of 175 hours every month. Is the recession finally hitting us IP types? Are there any other attorneys in my position - my firm has not had layoffs and I'm very scared...

Yo, assholes, this motherfucker's dead!

Does anyone know if Brian Kelly from the Houston office was let go???

VanderbilTTT

97- i am also in ip but i have billed about 180 a month for the last year. this month is over 200 and my docket is packed for the next couple of months.

the difference? our firm didnt do the idiotic march to 160. our litigators are doing balls to the walls hours and our transactional folks (like me) are averaging around 180 a month.

you think your situation is bad? its going to get worse. several of our conference rooms are booked solid for meetings for the next several weeks with companies leaving your overpriced firm and coming back to reality.

what is particularly funny is that, with the added hours that we are billing, we will end up (with bonuses) making more than you. How pathetic is that?

oh, yeah, forget to mention, i did work at a V20 firm until early last year. i got out after I saw the writing on the wall. its probably too late for you, sorry. i hope not.

thats reality. i have friends in your position that are trying to get out to safer places, but the only way they can do so is to travel with a partner. oh yeah, our firm has interviewed about 8 groups from various firms as well.

big law as you know it is dead. if you still want to practice IP i would recommend you get litigation heavy and do IP cases every now and then or get out.

What is the source of this Schiff Hardin information? 20% is a huge number and I can't believe ATL has not noticed this. Also if they're pushing back start dates it probably means more layoffs coming.

100 here - i am sorry for the harsh language, but reality has hit IP. several midsized firms are in a growth phase right now (including ours). We are not growing because we are bring on partners, we are growing because, in addition to IP, companies just arent willing to pay top dollar for anything less than bet the company issues. Big law will contract to about what it was before and will only have the "elite" working at them. the firms will still be able to charge what they want but it will be much, much more difficult to get into it.

I hope that you are making good with any of the partners that are bringing in work (but from what it looks like, none are). the ones that do have books of business are being courted by firms like mine. they are tired of being debit cards for the rest of the firm. all of our practice areas are expanding, even real estate (we never did securitization type of work i dont believe).

companies with large inhouse IP departments are pretty much bringing in all work except for major litigation majors, which are more and more being settled. that leaves the market to small to midsized firms. they cannot afford biglaw rates even if they wanted to, and even if they could, are refusing to because of the absurdity of them. they are not stupid and are not impressed by marble floors and big buildings.

even though IP does better in a recession, the depth of this recession has a lot of companies rethinking why they pay your firm's high rates.

do you want another sign of the times? We just signed up another client, an early stage company, and their financial backers told them that they are not allowed to use any counsel with high billing rates.

i dont know if our firm is going to be in a better position than boutiques, but i know, without a doubt, that our firm is in a better position than yours.

42, Your time is coming very soon. Radiology, ortho, anest, derm --> <250k a year

urology, oncology, obgyn , general surgery already flopping to <200k for people practicing 15+years

MD's ripping everyone off will soon be over. Have a good one.

LEXIS v. LEXUS - 875 F.2d 1026 (2d Cir. 1989)

Why does Locke Lord Chicago have so many more partners than associates? I'm sure the gap is even bigger after yesterday. How does that even work?

71-your blog does not show any information and just has an error message.

April Fools!

87 - your blog is horrible. So half-ass. You sound really lazy, and it shows in your writing and execution of the concept. Give up and go get a job at Wal-Mart.

100 & 102 - why so aggressive and insecure?

- Not in BigLaw

109- yeah, it seems that way. not insecure, well, who in this economy feels secure. I just fear for my fellow IP brethren in biglaw firms. unfortunately for some, the wakeup call is not me saying anything but a pink slip (and if it hasnt already come, it will for a lot of IP folks in biglaw). people in IP feel safe and they shouldnt. They are not being told the whole truth by their partners. I see it. those companies that are pulling back work, unless it goes in-house, guess where its coming? to us.

again, i am sorry. i know i sound like an ass. I am not. i just am frustrated that more of my friends in biglaw that do IP arent bothering to see the true picture. its not like it is going to get better, because it wont. companies had a taste of high billing rates and didnt like what they saw.

you want to know how really bad it is out there? A good friend of mine works at a small boutique (3 people) outside of my market (a big city). In the past month, they just landed two fortune 100 companies. And it wasnt just low end prep/pros. they got some transactional stuff as well (but not litigation, I guess too small). i wont say the name of the companies or the firm, but the companies came from one single biglaw firm in the city (who recently announced layoffs and had partner defections).

dont mean to be a downer. on the bright side, bet the company issues are likely to stay with biglaw firms. hopefully, there will be enough of that to keep IP folks busy and not on the street. Hopefully.

i'm not sure how many other first-years were hit...but i was a first-year in the chicago office, and i was laid off.

it was a staff bloodbath...it was horrible. some of the sweetest, nicest secretaries on my floor were laid off yesterday. it really, really sucks, and i wish them the best.

some first years were hit. It is really sad for those who remain. The staffing cuts were amazingly deep.

I've never seen Jerry cry. I think they handled it as well as they could.

The Schiff Hardin info is from a number of associates in the firm. The reason that ATL hasn't done an article about Schiff laying off 15-20% of the associates is that the layoffs are stealth. Firm management doesn't want to acknowledge the enormity of the numbers and/or wants to claim that they are all performance-based dismissals. Its the "we're not doing layoffs, we just have a lot of shitty associates we've been billing out at $400/hour" argument. Time will tell is the delayed start dates are a precursor to a fourth round of layoffs.

locke lord is almost as screwed up as king & spalding ... does locke lord have any lesbian partners that sleep with clients ? if so, they can be just as screwed up as king & spalding ...

Okay, give it up. Who are the lesbian partners that sleep with clients?

Do you get extra points if you are an associate and will join in the fun and games?

Still no explanation as to why the Locke Lord Houston office smells of rotting vegetables and sour milk. Somebody please explain this. No office should smell like that.

I have a lunch meeting with Cliff Huxtable at the Four Seasons in 20 minutes.

http://lawfirmchaos.blogspot.com/ is back up again... google has an active bug with the document publisher which causes documents to randomly unpublish, awesome! glad they at least know about it.

I hope firms that are firing really make some cuts in the summer programs. 3k a week needs to go

116 is it because there office was damaged in the hurricane that hit houston blowing out alot of their glass and drenching their floor with water?

Just a thought....

(looks bewildered at 39)

Yeah, so?

83,

From what I've heard, I think you are somewhat mistaken about V&E. While I'm sure they've had a fair number of laterals, I don't think they're out of line with other large Texas firms. As for losing battles over summer associates, this is definitely not true.

However, they did have a relatively small summer class last year (and had something like 15 2L's accept clerkships) and they seem to be weathering this economic storm better than many of the Texas firms, so I know they did want to have a slightly larger class of summer associates this year.

One of the main reasons why V&E has a class so much larger than last year is because of the extremely high acceptance rate among UT students. Typically, V&E and BB fight over the top students from UT (with the more normal ones invariably going to BB), but BB no-offered exactly half of their UT class last year, so this year all of the top UT students (including the socially awkward ones) almost exclusively went to V&E. V&E did not account for this when they were giving out offers.

120 -- Could be. Still, they need to get a Stanley Steamer up in there or something. It is distracting.

does lock and load have any lesbians that have sex with clients ? if not, why not ? that is the secret to king & spaldings success

122-
Know anything about V&E's other offices?

122, LOL at the more normal ones going to BB; however, V&E has lost some steam recruiting the last few years

BakerBotts owns V&E. They know it. We know it. Now you know it.

BB Houston

127-
is that why BB conducted layoffs?

127-

Is that why nearly every BB/BG split went to BG last year?

BB Houston is a miserable place full of the kind of people normal people hate in law school.

125-

I don't know any specifics. I just know their summer classes are much more in line with what they intended.

128 -- Lies that were spread by V&E associates who just had sexual reassignment surgery.

Amen, 127; BB Houston is not a place for "normal people"

Partner Mike Bruyere was let go from Locke Lord's ATL office. Anyone else?

127-

Is that why nearly every BB/BG split went to BG last year?

BB Houston is a miserable place full of the kind of people normal people hate in law school.

125-

I don't know any specifics. I just know their summer classes are much more in line with what they intended.

122, do you know anything about numbers at other V&E offices?

134-
you can view the numbers on NALP

122 here. I just realized the huge typo in my post. It should have read:
(with the more normal ones invariably going to *V&E)

I would never have intentionally suggested that normal people would choose BB Houston.

134-
you can view the numbers on NALP

How certain is it that V&E is going to start in September if BB is starting in October? Does anyone have any more info on the certainty of these start dates?

134 - I think NYC got what it wanted.

85- it doesn't make any sense at all. In fact, the majority of the income partners at Locke Lord don't, and have absolutely no potential to bring in any business at all. Still wondering why associates were cut there and not the blood sucking income partners.

Locke Lord stinks.

Tell your associates to shower or something.

I heard first years were 100% hit hard at Locke Lord. They even laid off a bankruptcy associate in the Chicago office (I think a first year as well). That should serve as proof that even the bankruptcy partners there can't bring in any business. SHIP IS SINKING!!

142: true, the first-year bankruptcy associate was definitely laid off. bankruptcy has been slow there for a while.

SHE'S LYING . . . partners were laid off!!!

"Jerry Clements, chairwoman of Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell, says the firm laid off associates, counsel and staff today for economic reasons. She declines to give a headcount but says the layoffs affected all 13 offices. She says no partners were laid off, nor were any de-equitized or changed to counsel status. Clements says the practice areas hardest hit were real estate and finance."

BR sucks because of firm policy on conflicts, from what I understand. I might get this wrong, but most firms will take on the big debtor reps and have any clients who happen to be creditors waive conflicts. Locke won't, but that's where the the big reps are. So, it makes that practice weak. It's not a place for bankruptcy work

144- I can also confirm that partners were laid off. The merger agreement allowed for partner cuts starting 1/1/09, and that's exactly what happened. Way to go with the whole blatant lying thing, Jerry. Harriet better not ask you to be a character witness for her.

90-92: Thank you for your continued support.

Layoffs are the change we have been waiting for!

How can LLB's Chicago office have 20 more partners than associates? Who does the work? Do clients really pay for partners to do all the work? No wonder they're losing money.

I was on a plane once that was traveling along at 35,000 feet. I noticed that the plane started to descend pretty rapidly and, incredibly, both pilots got out of the cockpit and started milling about and not paying any attention to the precipitous drop. One of them muttered something about it being fine and autopilot would take care of it. At about 5,000 feet, one of the other passengers got freaked out and ran for the cockpit and tried to pull the plane out of its dive. It was too late, however, and we all crashed and died. It totally sucked. Obviously, it was the fault of the passenger who ran in to the cockpit at the last minute.

I'm looking at you, 90.

Locke Lord - Chicago Office staffing numbers before layoffs

57 associates
72 partners
14 Of Counsel (looks like a bunch of old white guys)

You people blaming Obama for layoffs in the legal industry are about as stupid as they come.

Luckily for you, Orrick has a spot open in Wheeling, West Virginia. Sequestered away from your cousins Homo sapiens, you and your kind can inbreed in relative peace.

100&102 - I work at a midsize IP boutique, and we just conducted a round of layoffs. Like the post you were responding to, I could bill 180 a month before, now i'm 130 a month, barely getting by. I know the firm is hurting. I'd glad things are going well for you, and hope it stays that way. What city are you in?

139, curious ad to how you know that?

Only the floor hit hardest by Ike in the Houston office smells funny and that is being addressed as we speak.

You people are brutal.

I am petrified.

jawbreaker? schweet.

Obama is a monster!

96 is spot on!

111 - Thank you. I'm sorry you were laid off, too. I'm one of the secretaries whose "position was elimnated" on 3/31 and I take comfort from your post, even if we weren't on the same floor. Maybe we didn't even know each other. It's nice to think that someone might actually care about us "little people."

Anyone out there in the know? How bad are the prospects LLBL? More layoffs? Are income partners worried? Rescind 3L offers? No offer summer associates?

159 - I'm a fellow secretary that was laid-off on Tuesday (Houston office). I must say that I had a sick feeling for a while that layoffs were inevitable at Locke, however I honestly did not think I would be included in the downsizing. I'm sure there was a method to the madness, but I think the firm handled it terribly and it doesn't appear that the decision was well thought out. I hear it's a mess over there right now. Good luck to you and everyone else affected.

did Brian Kelly get fired in the houston office?

locke lord needs to adopt the new kinky spalding model - hire lesbian partners who have the reputation of having sex with clients ... or at least provide pictures ...

One Firm One Future my ass.

160 they were already no-offering summer associates last year. To the tune of about 50% no offers across the firm. Just be careful

165 --Thanks for the feedback. Scary times.

-- 160

I am a secretary affected by this layoff at Locke Lord and have been with this firm for many years. Locke Lord - its a total JOKE on what you give someone who was LOYAL for so many years in severance pay. Lets just say between 10 and 15 years service and severance pay is 6 lousy weeks! All of you partners who live way beyond your means and know no other boundaries but to cut corners by constantly taking from us [staff]. Do you have a conscience at all? Glad to be the hell out of there now and will concentrate my efforts in the future at a place of employment where my efforts will be appreciated. The key seems to be the smaller firms. There still are places of employment where they treat their employees like human beings but Locke Lord isn't among them. It became dehumanized after the merger. I urge the rest of you to get the hell out of dodge soon because I don't believe it to be over. Good luck to the many friends I've made over the years and thanks to number 111, just consider this layoff a step in the right direction - there is something better for us. ONE FIRM . . . NO FUTURE!

I am a secretary affected by this layoff at Locke Lord and have been with this firm for many years. Locke Lord - its a total JOKE on what you give someone who was LOYAL for so many years in severance pay. Lets just say between 10 and 15 years service and severance pay is 6 lousy weeks! All of you partners who live way beyond your means and know no other boundaries but to cut corners by constantly taking from us [staff]. Do you have a conscience at all? Glad to be the hell out of there now and will concentrate my efforts in the future at a place of employment where my efforts will be appreciated. The key seems to be the smaller firms. There still are places of employment where they treat their employees like human beings but Locke Lord isn't among them. It became dehumanized after the merger. I urge the rest of you to get the hell out of dodge soon because I don't believe it to be over. Good luck to the many friends I've made over the years and thanks to number 111, just consider this layoff a step in the right direction - there is something better for us. ONE FIRM . . . NO FUTURE!

167, I don't know if you are really a secretary (and I don't know much about the Locke situation), but I have to compliment you on your writing - you are a better writer than many of the attorneys and law students who post on this site. Good luck to you.

Aside from Partner Mike Bruyere getting fired, I heard Neil Dickson, Managing Partner in LLBL's Atlanta office fired mostly the African-American staff and associates, in order to save his own sorry racist cowardly sole!!! ONE FIRM . . . NO FUTURE . . . NO FIRM!

Locke Lord should be SLAPPED for only giving their staff 6 weeks severance for 15 years of dedicated employment.

Locke Lord - NO FUTURE
I agree...Non whites are being let go at hire numbers.

Please not the black/white card again. I can't take it! There was one African American out of 30+ that were laid off in the Dallas office and if you're asking me they should have laid her off a long time ago. I don't believe for a second that this was a racial issue but unfortunately for Locke all financial. I think poor management is to blame for this. They should have prepared for this years and years ago instead of paying some of their attorneys $2,000,000.00/year in salaries. Now, let's see if they've learned a lesson by any of this or if humpty dumpty is going to take a great fall. . .

Too bad about staff - anyone stupid enough to be "staff" deserves it; after all, if you were smart, you would be an attorney. Chicago is Dead -- Rah Rah Dallas Cheerleaders. Scary thought -- I don't think anyone 'of color' is left in Chicago.

You're missing the point No. 174, partners and associates are getting laid off as well. It's doesn't have anything to do with how smart you are. You can get the axe just anyone else. Everyone has someone they have to answer to.

Probably a down home Dallas problem -- too bad. Lotsa overhead in Texas -- why cut the kids who could bill hours rather than 'managers' and 'directors' of whatever. Who is billing the hours: maybe one of those 'managers' or 'directors'? Some poor secretary? Texas Cheerleaders Rule!

Hey guys........B. Hussein Obama...Saddam Hussein...Osama Bin Laden....CONFUSING!!!LMFAO!!...... what's up?????????????

176 is spot on. We need to cull the bloated "managers." I had a chill when they introduced another HR "officer" last thanksgiving - why do we need Adams? Why can't miles or Briggs do that job?? There are waay too many people who don't service clients and often just get in the way of those who do

Didn't this firm merge recently and also take on a bunch of dead weight Morgan Finnegan lawyers? Now the head boss is shedding tears and laying off his own associates and even partners? Sounds like the blame should go straight to the top here. If things were so bad, why did you recklessly take on those merger/acquisition risks in the first place.

Too many chiefs in this law firm. They need to start at the very top and work their way down starting with a whole new management team. This financial crisis also took place in the early 80's -- they should have learned from that and prepared for it. And those attorneys making $750/hr. is a thing of the past -- this economy crises has woken up a sleeping giant - THE CLIENT.

So what were the total numbers for Houston?

I am sick to death to hear about these layoffs. I was with LSZH&L and then LLS (Houston) for almost 10 years in real estate and finance (left in 2003 to have a life). My heart goes out to all the staff--some of the most caring, competent people I've ever worked with; it's disheartening to hear about their crappy severance, but really not surprising at all. The firm I left in 2003 was unrecognizable as the firm I started with out of law school. I can only imagine how bad it became after the latest merger.

Good luck to everyone and here's hoping that the next round of cuts target the fat at the top. . .

#177 - I am not confused! However, YOU ARE A BUTT HOLE!!!

#173 - You are entitled to your belief, but until you know all of the FACTS, STFU!!!!

183 - I think it is you who needs to become educated - what 173 stated ARE the facts so I think it is you that needs to STFU.!!!!

161 - please know that the surviving attorneys in Houston were shocked and devastated when we learned names of the secretaries laid off. (OK, honestly, a few we weren't too surprised about, but there were a LOT that were completely out of left field, some of the best, most beloved long-time staff.) I know that doesn't mean much when you're trying to figure out what to do next, but please know that everyone, from the baby associates to the partners, are having a hard time understanding how the decision was made, and many of you long-timers are GREATLY missed.

185 - 161 here. Thanks for the kind words. Some of the attorney comments on this site sicken me. Just because secretaries don't hold a law degree does not mean we are stupid. To the contrary. I know quite a few dimly lit attorneys, partners no less... some of them may be book smart, but lack general common sense and most have the personality of a doorknob. Anyway, it is good to know that someone cares.

185 - 161 here. Thanks for the kind words. Some of the attorney comments on this site sicken me. Just because secretaries don't hold a law degree does not mean we are stupid. To the contrary. I know quite a few dimly lit attorneys, partners no less... some of them may be book smart, but lack general common sense and most have the personality of a doorknob. Anyway, it is good to know that someone cares.