Nationwide Layoff Watch: Chadbourne & Parke Update

We reported earlier today that Chadbourne & Parke was laying off people today (check out our prior coverage here). We just received this firm wide email:

Accordingly, with deep regret, we are reducing the number of attorneys in our offices worldwide by approximately 25. Today will be the last day at the Firm for many of the individuals impacted by this decision. They are all talented professionals who have made valuable contributions to the Firm. They will all be missed and we wish them well. All affected attorneys present in our offices today have been personally spoken with and we expect to speak with the others in the next few days.

Chadbourne is also imposing a deferred start date on incoming associates, but unlike Venable, the firm doesn’t appear to be offering extra money for 3Ls. New Chadbourne first years won’t start until January 2010.

Not that it’s a particularly safe thing to be a Chadbourne first year. Our reports indicated that 8 of the 25 people laid off were first year attorneys.

On the other hand, the firm is offering a three month severance package. Also, the firm is explicitly forgiving the bar loan that first years received.

Again, most of our sources say that Chadbourne was really “nice” about the whole process.

Read the full memo after the jump.

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CHADBOURNE & PARKE — MEMO — LAYOFFS

For some time now the Management Committee has been conducting an extensive review of our business and reducing the Firm’s cost structure in response to the unprecedented economic downturn in which we are now operating. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the recession and its continuing effect on the demand for legal services, our prior efforts have not been enough to align our cost structure with the level of business we are now experiencing.

Accordingly, with deep regret, we are reducing the number of attorneys in our offices worldwide by approximately 25. Today will be the last day at the Firm for many of the individuals impacted by this decision. They are all talented professionals who have made valuable contributions to the Firm. They will all be missed and we wish them well. All affected attorneys present in our offices today have been personally spoken with and we expect to speak with the others in the next few days.

We have also determined to defer the start date for our incoming first year class in the United States to January 2010. This was also a difficult but necessary action in light of the anticipated lower demand for legal services through the remainder of 2009.

These actions to align our staffing levels with the current demand for our services, while extremely unpleasant, and our ongoing expense reduction measures, coupled with the diversification in our practice mix and geographic dispersion, will position us better than many firms to meet the challenges of this severe recession.

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Thank you for your commitment to the Firm and our clients.

Earlier: Nationwide Layoff Watch: Chadbourne & Parke Joins the Party