Which offices were affected?

The ship be sinking...

The God damn plane has crashed into the mountain.

The God damn plane has crashed into the mountain.

The severance package is ready, M'Lord Bingham.

BM seems to have had about an equal number staff and non-partner attorneys - is this normal?

My firm (2L) has 1.5 staff for every 1 attorney (partners included) - does this imply that they could reasonably cut a lot of staff before having to make attorney cuts?

The sea level of large bodies of salt water increases

Established centers of societies collapse

Etc., etc.

Tomorrow I'm going to a certain firm in NY that laid off a LARGE number of people to panhandle while dressed in a barrel. Elie, you should cover this, it will be funny.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you.

Associates get fired

Partners profits rise

Biglaw remains

You grow up, you work half a century, you get a golden handshake, you rest a couple of years and you're dead. And the only thing that makes that crazy ride worthwhile is 'Did I enjoy it? What did I learn? What was the point?' That's where I come in. You've seen how I react to people, make them feel good, make them think that anything's possible. If I make them laugh along the way, sue me. And I don't do it so they turn round and go 'Thankyou David for the opportunity, thankyou for the wisdom, thankyou for the laughs.' I do it so, one day, someone will go 'There goes David Brent. I must remember to thank him.'

I just had a BM.

No, I'm not going to tell them about the downsizing. If a patient has cancer, you don't tell them.

I know this will cause many of you to foam at the mouth but is it possible that law firms could cut costs by . . . moving their offices to the suburbs like almost every other industry? Or at least that's what every other industry (besides lobbying) has done in the DC area.

Also in light of the current economy I'm sure that Virginia and Maryland would be happy to provide some tax cuts to the firm for the regional boost. VA gave the Hilton Corporation all sorts of benefits for relocating there.

Although every time I broach this topic with other lawyers they act like the idea of working in a suburban office would be the worst thing ever and make them part of the unwashed masses. And a few people pretend we need to be in the city center. For that 0.1% of the time we go to courthouse or regulatory agency.

15: Law firms aren't in city centers for lawyers' convenience. They're there for clients' convenience. Wall Street captains of industry and DC powerbrokers don't want to schlep to suburbia to meet with their lawyers.

Elie - can we get some sort of list going with start-dates for incoming 3Ls? It seems like more and more firms are moving to December / January...it would be nice to get an overall sense of the V100.

First years? Which offices? C'mon, tipsters.

16 -

If that was true you just have a one floor office suite or smaller in downtown DC or midtown Manhattan for those meetings.

I'm not so sure the clients my firm has would scoff at the suburbs. We've had to visit their offices in places like Paramus and King of Prussia.

Most of the partners seem to conduct business over the telephone. I doubt the "Wall Street captains of industry and DC powerbrokers" care if the area code is 301 or 703 instead of 202.

This is a "legal tabloid" and there has still been ZERO discussion about THE LEGAL ISSUE OF THE DAY. Wall street journal has covered it (http://blogs.wsj.com/law/). So has http://www.blackbooklegal.com

Why are you avoiding talking about issues that MANY of your readers really care about. We want to be able to discuss this here. Please post on it.

Elie,

Can you explain why it is a small consolation for those people let go?

any female associate that is remotely attractive should be filing a vague complaint for "harrasshment" to ensure they can't be layed off for fear of a "retaliation" claim.

Jay, don't say "family" anymore, it's condescending and disingenuous. A firm that lays off people "in anticipation" of a downturn in business will have a well-deserved reputation as being greedy and cowardly. People are struggling. Any business laying off employees is contributing to the depression. Any company that lays off people to ensure that profits and shareholder draws remain high is greedy and complicit in the country's downfall. Certainly the leaders of these companies are traitors and should be labeled and treated as such. Why do you "talk the talk," when you clearly stopped walking the walk long ago. Shame on you, Jay!!

Do you honestly believe that simply relocating to suburbia would head off most of these layoffs, r15? Why not just relocate the firm to Iowa or Tennessee, and keep a one floor office suite or smaller in downtown DC or midtown Manhattan for client meetings?

Abigail: “I got laid off from Bingham and now I don’t know what to do.”
Britanny: “YOU don’t know what to do? What about ME? I still work at Bingham, because I billed 2800 last year - and now I have to carry your unemployed ass around with me at the office 24/7 while you listen to your I-pod, play online card games and don’t do shit!”

What does this have to do with the beautiful Kash Lobster?

Jay, don't say "family" anymore, it's condescending and disingenuous. A firm that lays off people "in anticipation" of a downturn in business will have a well-deserved reputation as being greedy and cowardly. People are struggling. Any business laying off employees is contributing to the depression. Any company that lays off people to ensure that profits and shareholder draws remain high is greedy and complicit in the country's downfall. Certainly the leaders of these companies are traitors and should be labeled and treated as such. Why do you "talk the talk," when you clearly stopped walking the walk long ago. Shame on you, Jay!!

17 38 45 9 21 32 7. 'nuff said.

25, that's gold Jerry!! Gold!!.

Funny when you strain to point out how miniscule your layoffs are compared to total headcount you're basically saying that the people who were fired were dead weight (not what I am saying mind you. I mean you announcement is basically: "no disrespect intended but we just think you are all a bunch of stupid morons because we've retained so many people." I think Bingham will be one of those firms coming to the layoff party this summer. At least the others are acting swiftly (to some extent) to get it over with.

24 - The reason they would not move to Iowa or Tennessee is because that would require almost an entirely new staff. If you move the office from the city core to the suburbs everyone can still get to the office.

Also, it's not just the price per square foot of office space that matters. There are plenty of business unfriendly taxes in cities like DC. Also judges and juries in the suburbs are probably much less likely to award an employment discrimination claim to someone with a meritless lawsuit. Look at how many meritless claims large law firms have settled (or pre-settled via severance). Some of that is removing litigation costs but some of that is the fear of a DC jury doing something unpredictable.

Isn't it great how successive layoff announcements attract more and more "comedic" posts in these here comments? The universe of possible news that can still shock and awe this crowd is shrinking by the day.

A pretty mild layoff isolated in the Corporate department. I'm not worried.

18, at least 6 of the 16 attorneys were in DC. No first years to my knowledge.

Any word on the severance package?

This firm is so poorly managed. The "practice area" designations are virtually meaningless, trust me. With what happened today, they were just trying to find a way to cut people that seemed to have some rational basis.

Oh, and there were stealth layoffs in January as well.

I would never in a million years work at a firm that moved out of DC into NoVa or MD. First, it is socially irresponsible because it is bad for the city. Businesses have a level of community obligation. They should feel obligated to contribute to the health and vitality of the city. 2nd, I'd rather jump off Memorial Bridge than half to cross it every day. I HATE NoVa and would rather die than work there. Most intelligent, educated people agree with me. Firms that move to NoVa would have major recruiting probs.

Bingham has been stealth-layoffing litigators for the last couple of months. Anyone with a mark on their record (e.g., a bad review) got the axe. For "performance," of course!

What is with the vertical line below the "A" in the firm's logo? Was it previously attached like a normal "A", but is now falling with the economic problems the firm is facing? If so, kudos on effectively managing the branding to account for the bad economy!

36 - what the hell are you talking about?

The Big Four Oh!

15, great idea to move Biglaw into the suburbs! I HATE the commute. Makes my life even more miserable than Biglaw itself.

fake firm, didn't read

I want free parking in the suburbs. How about moving to Arlington, Crystal City or Old Town Alexandria? Biglaw needs massive change. I once read an article about young millionaire tycoons driving small hybrid cars and wearing second-hand clothes. It's hip to be green and frugal. The traffic and parking in DC sucks. Doesn't Warren Buffet's license plate say, "FRUGAL"?

19 - Well said.

I'd relocate to Iowa or Tennessee if there was plenty of work. Higher quality of life, nicer people, better values, more house for the money, less traffic. I've been put through the DC meat grinder. I'm here for the money, nothing more.

I WOULD MOVE TO MONTANA BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF DEERS IN MONTANA, AND I LIKE DEERS.

Goddamnit. Every firm that wants to hire me is laying off.

Jesus, 37. Back off the ledge. It's like a full 10' to the Potomac from there. You could catch pneumonia.

~Venable Senior Associate / GULC graduate

If you swim in the Potomac you will catch a nasty case of Venable. I advise against it.

49-
Venable, huh? So you're also a member of the GULC median club. Nice to meet ya.

To those complaining about the commute to DC and the parking/traffic in DC: Get a clue - use the METRO. Or, even better, get a life and move into DC. Then you can walk to work if you want.

37 says "I'd rather jump off Memorial Bridge than half to cross it every day".

I rest my case.

37 - I did the DC dance for many years but now enjoy the perks of practicing in the burbs. Top Ten reasons I hate practicing law in DC:

1. Protests, protests, and more f******protests. Every freakin' body has a cause.
2. I can think of many other things to do than to sit in traffic 1+ hour a day.
3. Parking garages cram cars in like sardines. Forget leaving during the day - and they'll charge you $250 for the privilege.
4. No parking on weekends.
5. Sometimes DC make me feel like a bulls eye if you know what I mean.
6. No decent grocery stores (and restaurants cost a fortune).
7. VIP roadblocks for corrupt politicians and endless traffic snarls
8. Crazy drugged up homeless people
9. Red carpets rolled out for stupid celebrities
10. Obama now lives here.

Fondly and Loving Life in the Burbs,
Me

Partner at one of those midwestern firms here. Not Iowa but very close. The slow down has just started here, but most firms in this part of the country have leverage of 1:1 or less, If we try to get costs in line with revenues we have to cut staff, and then non-productive partners. If we lay into the associates, we have no one at the right cost level to do the work. We will likely be looking at salary freezes and maybe salary reductions, as opposed to layoffs.

37 - you sucka

37 here. Lose the car. Walk. Take Metro. What the heck were you doing driving and parking in the first place? I do not feel sorry for people who sit for an hour in traffic. They shouldnt be driving in the 1st place.

37, 54 here. Now why the f*** didn't I think of that? Thanks so much for the brilliant , really clever insight. I can certainly walk 14 miles each way every day. I can also take the metro and enjoy the 1.5 hours door-to-door commute. Not sure what I was thinking.

54, wtf are you talking about? red carpets? DC is far from perfect... but you failed to nail any legitimate criticism.

Bingham has been picking off associates one by one for the past year or two. Ever since the economy showed the first signs of decline in 2006, Bingham has slowly but steadily been cutting down its numbers. Until recently the MO was to ask associates with low hours to leave (when, of course, the problem was that there wasn't enough billable work to go around).

15, a good number of Biglaw firms had or have offices in Tyson's or Reston in NoVA. Some had small offices, and some have left.

Nevertheless, I think in Reston alone there is or was DLA, Skadden, Finnegan, Latham and someone or other I'm forgetting.

Supposedly, when Finnegan opened up in Reston a few years ago and solicited people to head out there, a huge percentage of the firm volunteered.

61- Cooley has reston office. At top of accenture building

54- Go live in montana

I thought Cooley was in Lansing...?

61 - Finnegan is a patent firm, full of engineer-major nerds who have no desire to live in a fun, hip, urban environment. Hellish suburban sprawl is just their style.

We need info on what offices were affected and what the severance was? Have they really been doing stealth layoffs? What a bunch of fuckers if true.

Bingham has been doing stealth layoffs for at least a year.

37 -- I agree that there are many benefits to working in a city that the suburbs do not and cannot offer. I work in a city, not DC, and I'd be annoyed if the office suddenly moved to the 'burbs (for some of the same reasons as you, excepting the firm's purported obligation to a municipality where it's been historically located).

However, there are benefits to a suburban location, like an easier commute for nearly all employees, who live away from the city center in larger, newer, nicer, more affordable homes, where violent crime is virtually non-existent, the public schools are passable and there are better shopping options for families. Plus, the suburban offices are cheaper for the business. If the move came with a commesurate salary increase or made the firm more marketable and busy because billable rates could be lowered, I'd be for it.

I really doubt the firms would have a recruiting problem, as nearly all major companies at least have substantial operations in the suburbs these days. They don't face a recruiting problem.

It's time for ATL to report the real news here - - - how layoffs and stealth layoffs are being used to push women out of law firms across the country, especially large lawfirms in New York. Why is no one taling about this? Not even the supposed women and minority law firm support groups are saying anything, What is this the 1970s?!?!?!

54 - Your outlook is the very reason why you are in the burbs and why those of us who aren't are glad you are. Talk about narrow!

21, 23, 27 -- Touche' - what can we say

33 - you are fooling yourself and need to get your head out of the sand

38, 66 - you are absolutely right. Bingham has been laying off all over the place since last July, month by month, (and not just corporate lawyers and staff) in dribs and drabs to stay well under the radar. While they are not alone in layoff land and the PR effort is understandable, you really get into problems when you start parsing words and numbers e.g. 16 out of 1002 to minimize the impact as it took less than an hour for a blogger to expose Pinocchio, which is worse. Ask those who have been laid off; ask those who remain - everyone knows the score. JayZ, the truth hurts sometimes but best to be honest than disengenious with your own employees who will lose confidence in what you say.

31 Posted by guest | Permalink
Thursday, March 5, 2009 4:51 PM

24 - The reason they would not move to Iowa or Tennessee is because that would require almost an entirely new staff. __________________________________________
Which would be almost 100x cheaper. Again, all of your rationales for moving to the suburbs (at least the ones you had the balls to explicitly articulate--"if you know what I mean") make simply moving to Bumfucke an even better idea.

Bingham had an Excel spreadsheet clearly labeled as a headcount reduction file, locked for editing, but still on their public common folder for searching. The file was created November 2008 so they've been planning layoffs for a while. Stealth layoffs have definitely been happening for a while and the morale for some associates at Bingham is extremely low.

DC Firms HAVE to reduce real estate costs. Moving BigLaw will be better for all involved, including the clients. Move closer to National Airport, not Tysons. Firms opened satellite offices in Tysons because of the tech boom.

In 2008 Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine ranked Omaha the No. 3 best city in the United States to "live, work and play.
According to USA Today, Omaha ranks eighth among the nation's 50 largest cities in both per-capita billionaires and Fortune 500 companies.
In 2001 Newsweek identified Omaha as one of the Top 10 high-tech havens in the nation. Six national fiber optic networks converge in Omaha.

69 - You KNOW JayZ! Perfect!

65 - Yes, it's true! 2 weeks, unless you agreed to sign a letter and then you got 5. How generous!

JayZ - The Emperor has no clothes!

Newly Fired Associates: I am an employment lawyer in the SF Bay Area and am interested in talking to you about your experience at Big Law. You can reach me on a confidential basis at 1-877-352-6400 or email at ewynne@wynnelawfirm.com.

The Bing is a great firm if you are in litigation, otherwise you are scraping for hours. Look for another 5% reduction within 90 days.

37 - you sucka

Stay tuned, more cuts a-comin, I'm sure. Bingham's whole MO here is just nibbling around the edges here and there to avoid the big press hit and mass hysteria internally. This was just the next phase of the deleveraging that began with stealth layoffs starting a few months ago.

Jay Z is a cheesy infomercial spokesperson who was only hired because Billy Mays was unavailable at the time.

Jay-Z is in the process of "visiting" all of the offices. Kool-Aid will be served (aggressively!).

"time added to inventory"

RFLMAO...