What about the people MLB picked up from Thelen? Are they first to go?

oh well.

OUCH !!!!!!

oh well.

I know a thing or fifty about gettin' tossed from the MLB.

they also just told all their summers that they will probably get offers, but won't start until 2011!!!!

"You will receive an e-mail from your local office administrator regarding room locations in your respective offices"

Looks like they are going to go American-idol style. Hopefully one doesn't end up in a conference room with a bunch of douche-bags.

"Have the designated associates report to the conference room. We are ready to give them their severance."

Does anyone know if they have rescinded any 3L job offers?

3Ls have been pushed back until October of 2010. You can work at a public sector for a stipend of $5k a year.

3Ls have been pushed back until October of 2010. You can work at a public sector for a stipend of $5k a month.

5k a month, sorry not year. $60k a year

The ship be sinking...

3L start dates have been pushed back to 2010.

Once again, QUINN REMAINS.

Sad. Very, very sad.

Labor Grim Reaper here. I had a busy morning making my rounds at biglaw. My thirst for associate blood is not quenched yet. If you are a first or second year associate, you will not be spared despite your attempts to hide under your desk. I am coming for you...

I can't believe that Mr. Howell's firm has hit rough waters.

2010? For ALL current 3Ls (former SA)?

I can't believe that. No way that they have NO 1st year associate this class this year, and a huge one next year.

3Ls,

Had you been given a start date before today?

20, there won't be a huge class next year. This year's summers don't start until 2011.

when will you announce the next kirkland layoffs? stop holding back good information. my hair stylist hears everything is going down wednesday in Chicago. They booked conference rooms in the neighboring offices downstairs. That way paralegals won't leak what's happening. They're also bringing in partners from Sidley and Locke Lord to do the firings to soften the blow.

"I hope that as many of you as possible will attend the presentation so that we can provide you with more details..." Well thanks to you, at least 55 won't show.

23 = Comment of the day.

If they're really delaying the entire 2009 summer class until 2011, that's good news for this year's 3Ls - it makes it a lot more likely that they'll really have a job waiting for them after their year deferral.

"I hope that as many of you as possible will attend the presentation so that we can provide you with more details..." Well thanks to you, at least 55 won't be there.

Okay so....

2008 SA = October 2010 start date (+ 60K stipend)
2009 SA = October 2011 start date (+ stipend?)
2010 SA = Will they even exist? Would the firm ask them to wait till 2012?

Morgan made me a Summer offer for 2008. I didn't take it. This should be good news, but the firm I chose follows Morgan like a lap dog.

FUCK YOU WORLD ECONOMY! Why couldn't you wait to melt down until I was out of law school for 5 years?

An unbelievable bad layoff memo. The person who wrote it has been watching too many Star Trek movies. The line "we have reached the point where we believe that the greatest good for the greatest number of our colleagues will be achieved by eliminating some positions" sounds just like Mr. Spock's closing line in "The Wrath of Khan" when, in response to Kirk's "Why Spock, Why," Spock says "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the view."

2

Don't count on it. I have no info on MLB, but I do know that Cooley placed no priority on cutting the Heller people it picked up. It actually appeared that the opposite was true.

What bar do the Philly associates drink at? I need to go get my Chazz Reinhold on!

30

Karl Marxish for sure.

Correction - 3L start dates have been pushed back to 2012.

30,

"... the needs of the view"? If you're going to quote Star Trek at least get it right. It's "... the needs of the FEW, or the one." View doesn't even make sense in that sentence.

Dechert says hai!

Once again, so much for the evil TTT biglaw firms that underwent layoffs earlier in 2008 in preparation for the down cycle.

QUINN REMAINS

milbank and w&c will follow with deferred start dates later this week. you heard it here first.

38 - just remember the Milbank Promise.

38- by w&c, do you mean white & case or williams & connolly? I'm assuming you mean the former...

post the white & case memo that folks received today

29 has it right, "FUCK YOU WORLD ECONOMY!"

30: Best comment in a while.

The QUINN REMAINS girl makes me glad that I turned down my Quinn callback.

35 you suck

29-Thank GWBush for your "bright" future.

I am the Prestigious.

42. Get your lead umbrella out. IT IS FUCKING RAINING LAVA OUT HERE!

44 - You'd rather get laid off?

Yes, the utilitarianist intro is pretty ghoulish and way over the top. This is not the Dunkirk evacuation.

"Therefore, we will be informing today a number of our attorneys and members of our staff throughout the firm that their employment will end. We expect to inform those of you who are being affected by this decision as early as possible today, at which time we will also discuss with you certain available termination benefits."

Um. does this mean, they all got the email first and had to wait for the reaper to call? Brutal.

"Therefore, we will be informing today a number of our attorneys and members of our staff throughout the firm that their employment will end. We expect to inform those of you who are being affected by this decision as early as possible today, at which time we will also discuss with you certain available termination benefits."

Um. does this mean, they all got the email first and had to wait for the reaper to call? Brutal.

35 - By referencing Star Trek, I trying to emulate Mystal's pop reference style. In addition, not only did I substitute "view" for "few," I substituted "unbelievable" for "unbelievably." I should have known better. The corrected post is below:

An unbelievably bad layoff memo. The person who wrote it has been watching too many Star Trek movies. The line "we have reached the point where we believe that the greatest good for the greatest number of our colleagues will be achieved by eliminating some positions" sounds just like Mr. Spock's closing line in "The Wrath of Khan" when, in response to Kirk's "Why Spock, Why," Spock says "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

Dechert has done stealth layoffs, as well as announced layoffs--but the numbers appear relatively low. When is the big hammer going to hit there?

Word has it that MLB is telling its incoming summer class that there will be no offers at the end of the summer to start in 2010. At the very best, this year's summers will receive offers to start in 2011.

Dechert has done stealth layoffs, as well as announced layoffs--but the numbers appear relatively low. When is the big hammer going to hit there?

So, for those of us who are single, unemployed, possibly living with parents - Should people who have been laid off and had to move back into their parents' basements totally give up on dating? Are prospects hopeless? And is there a gender difference there? (Are men more willing to overlook the unemployment thing than women?) Discuss.

@ 32 - Ha! I think Tir Na Nog.

44 is wrong, though it was about fifty fifty

And let it be known that there is only one true QUINN REMAINS

49, are you suggesting that the options are: a) work at Quinn with the QUINN REMAINS girl or b) get laid off?

I guess I'd have to go with a in that scenario. But I wouldn't like it.

-44

30-- "or the one."
--Elie

God dammit. This is horrible.

I went through this ten years ago when the old coot who had promised me his business if I did his substantive legal work for cut me off at the knees after 15 years. Only it was worse because I was 45 and had minimal business, given the expectation I'd inherit his practice. Anyway, I learned the following, for what its worth:

1) Don't hang around with others who have been laid off; just a lot of bitchin' and moanin' with nothing productive; if they know of jobs they won't want your competition;

2) Spend a day being depresed, then move on. Even if you're getting severance, you'll find that 3 or 6 months of payment for doing nothing will pass very quickly. If you've got friends who are sneering at your situation, dumjp them immediately and move on;

3) Cut back on your spending as sharply and rapidly as possible. You must marshal your resources, in particular to pay your health insurance. If your COBRA payment is too high, do as I did -- go with Assurant and get a $10 k annual deductible with $ 2 million coverage; if you're young and in good health, you are worrried about your health only in the event of cancer or another extremely expensive disease. You'll pay $500 or $ 500 a quarter rather than $ 1000 a month in COBRa premiums;

4) I found so-called "networking" and "coaching" services to be expensive and worthless; the people who are not looking for jobs but who show up at networking events to "help" you want to help themselves by using your ocntacts, selling insurance, etc. Instead, hire someone like Hindi Greenberg of Lawyers in Transition (available on the web) who is a lawyer, knows the market, and will charge you only for the hours of her consultation. She KNOWS what she is talking about and she wants you to succeed;

5) Get plenty of exercise take up running, biking or lifting -- it will do wonders for your attitude and good feeling;

6) In the extra time you now have, develop a new skill set, one that is relatively rare and marketable, such as the Chinese or Arabic languages. I became a licensed customs broker which has helped my trade practice immeasurably.

7) Your chances of returning to the opulent world of high-end corporate law firms is minimal. But you have advantages -- as today's Washington Post points out, this world is disappearing as the economics of it make no sense. Your "lucK', as nasty as it sounds, was in being part of the first of many waves -- the latter ones who will be laid off are not apt to get the severance you received. Take an hour and list your strrenghts, weaknesses and identify thoset capabiliities that set your apart from the competition;

7) Start going back to church, synagogue or mosque. You may think God has abandoned you but you may not have tried to contact Him. What's more, many sanctuaries will have as members peopole who wnat to help, who have a great deal of experience and who are not self-interested. For example, my church years ago in the last recession had a committee of high-end retirees from HR departments who offered great job advice and counseling, all for free.

-

Memo that went out to incoming SAs:

"We expect that, at the end of the summer, we will make offers in the same manner as in past years. However, because we are deferring the start date for our 2009 first year class, the offers we make to the individuals participating in our 2009 summer program likely will be for a start date during 2011, rather than the fall of 2010. We intend to offer a public interest option, similar to that announced today, for those of you who are affected by this deferred start date."

Jesus 63. You are more depressing than THIS FUCKING WORLD ECONOMY!

holy shit at 64

there but for the grace of a last minute callback somewhere else go I....

63 - WOW CONSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS.

I find it seriously hard to believe any firm deferred a start date until 2012. Thats 3/12 years away. Check your information - thats absurd.

I find it seriously hard to believe any firm deferred a start date until 2012. Thats 3/12 years away. Check your information - thats absurd.

63 has the soundest advice since this shitstorm started a year ago. If a dude can pick himself up at 45, any of the young lawyers here can.

Text of the memo sent to 2009 SAs:

To Our 2009 Summer Associates:

Today, we are taking a number of steps to adjust our workforce in light of changed economic circumstances. Among other things, we have decided to defer the start dates for new associates so that incoming entry-level associates will start with us in October 2010. We will offer each affected individual the opportunity to work in a public interest organization between October 2009 and his or her start date, and will pay each a $5,000 monthly stipend.

I want you to know how today's decisions will affect you as a member of our 2009 Summer Associate Program. We still will have a summer program that provides each of you with a rich and rewarding work experience. We expect that, at the end of the summer, we will make offers in the same manner as in past years. However, because we are deferring the start date for our 2009 first year class, the offers we make to the individuals participating in our 2009 summer program likely will be for a start date during 2011, rather than the fall of 2010. We intend to offer a public interest option, similar to that announced today, for those of you who are affected by this deferred start date.

Many of you are in the process of deciding whether to participate in the Public Interest and Community Service ("PICS") Program, which has been a part of our summer associate program since 2001. More than ever before, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity.

Within the next several days, you will receive a telephone call from your Office Hiring Partner or another member of the Office Recruiting Committee. He or she will explain in more detail the matters discussed in this message.

We look forward to welcoming you to Morgan Lewis in late May.

And in the meantime, this Morgan Lewis partner is spending the day all over eBay... http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2009/03/a-court-in-virginia-is-hearing-arguments-today-over-whether-a-partner-at-morgan-lewis-bockius-deserves-a-share-of-the-settl.html

Will someone post the email to 3Ls?

63 is wrong about a lot.

easiest thing to shot down with simple facts and recent news stories is the (3) comment about COBRA

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1883149,00.html?imw=Y

seriously wrong about most of his comments that are meaningful.

yeah, go work about and don't bitch. But really...just a douche blame the victim in disguise comment

and the idiot who like the comments are sad

63 FOR POST OF THE YEAR!

That was fantastic advise and very thoughtful at the same time. Although I am in-house in an industry insulated from the current downturn, I feel for my brothers and sisters in the law who are suffering.

I was caught in the last huge downturn (in the early 90's). The firm I clerked for (one of the largest in the state I was in) went under. I had no job, no source of income and I had graduated law school. I had to start at a small firm (it took me 6-8 months after graduation and passing the bar to find that job). Slowly thereafter, I went to bigger and bigger firms. Life hasn't been easy, there were struggles and job losses throughout the journey.

I think the advise 63 provides is some of the best I've seen on ATL.

2012? Jebus flipping Christ! That is a long time away.

63's advice about COBRA is outdated. Barak's Big Government will now pay 65% of your contribution to COBRA but if you make more than 125K this year, you will need to pay it back.

Thank the Lord Jebus that I accepted at Skadden. Frankly, you are all idiots.

Note the slogan on the MoLew front page: "We are all in this together"
http://www.morganlewis.com/

that is unless we fire you...

On the off chance that 23 isn't just making up stuff, anyone care to speculate on whether Kirkland partners will be returning the favor for Sidley and Locke Lord? Maybe the deal is like "hey, come over and fire people you've never met, and then we'll do the same for you." Or maybe 23 is full of it. Oh the suspense.

Not 23

63 = Hindi Greenberg of Lawyers in Transition

63 = Hindi Greenberg of Lawyers in Transition

I have no idea what the comment in # 74 is about in purported response to my # 63. I am "seriously wrong about what comments are meaningful"? In plain English, what does this mean? These comments were based on my experience in being laid off from a major corporate law firm,. for what they are worth. You can react to a layoff inm a positive or negative manner; ignoring the change in the corporate law marketplace and its impact on your professional status will get you nowhere.

Just glad I graduated from a T5 school. No layoffs for us, because we're elite and prestigious.

Memo to students attending a non-T5 school: quit now before you go deeper into debt. You'll never be one of us. Never.

What happened to the conjoined twins commenter from last week? Can we get more of that?? Best new thing on ATL since Frat Stud came on the scene.

does anyone know the breakdown of the staff layoffs?

What many have failed to appreciate during this spike in firings is that the covenants in many law firm credit agreements contain attorney productivity requirements. So, if the average number of billable hours per attorney falls below a certain level, it causes a covenant default which must be cured in order to avoid the loan being called. Clearly the firms cannot increase productivity, so the only way to cure the default is to reduce the number of attorneys.

81/82 = spot on.

63 is still good advice. Just save your money and don't shell out big $$$ to Hindi Greenberg for "consulting." Call your law school colleagues, business contacts, parents' friends, etc. You can network on your own; you don't need to pay for it.

84 - Hate to break it to ya, but I know of at least 2 YLS grads who have been laid off. Smart, hard working, socially ept, Ivy League undergrads. So get over yourself.

Does anyone know what offices were hit heavily by the layoff or what groups?

#8 - I am not a douce bag. I repeat I am not a douche bag.

The L.A. office was hit bad . . . litigation

63 -- Thanks for taking the time to provide very sound advice. I especially agree with the need to vigorously exercise, which will do wonders to shake off that feeling of sadness/depression and to maintain mental alertness and focus.

If you haven't done so already, I would also suggest going to see Slumdog Millionaires -- seeing how a significant portion of the world population lives will give you a healthy perspective that regardless of how bad it gets in this country, we're so far better off than most of the people on this planet.

I hope NY MLB management die of cancer

I'm sorry to everyone to whom this happened, staff and associates. Despite the gallows humor and occasional nastiness in the comments thread, a lot of people are thinking about you and wish you the best.

Sending this email out before telling people they have been fired and letting everyone spend the day wondering if they are next--Nice.

If they want this chimp's money, they'll have to come and get it.

63 = shameless Hindi Greenberg plug

#84, as a second TIER law grad who has watched recent T5 grads laid off, I can confirm that you are sadly mistaken. It's not a good time to be in law school for anyone, and you are more likely to *get* the job out of a T5, but the ones *keeping* their jobs are those willing to put their shoulder into the work. In lean times, firms value competence and sweat more than pedigree.

16 staff alone from MLB in LA

63 -- thanks

95's post reflects many of our thoughts: "I'm sorry to everyone to whom this happened, staff and associates. Despite the gallows humor and occasional nastiness in the comments thread, a lot of people are thinking about you and wish you the best."

I could not but agree. Those of us left are thinking of many of those who have been let go, both at our firm and other firms.

And 63, that was a good batch of thoughts; they were better and more useful than the vast majority of the comments posted here.

- still a MLB associate (at least for this month)

You are all so fucking stupid. Unless you generate business, and unless you are out trying to bring in work, you ARE NOT safe. No one is safe. Non-Equity partners will be next. But I bet not one person let g brings in business, no matter how small. Everyone, everyone on this board and at these firms have had at least 18 months to prepare, to do something.

As the old joke goes, Jesus is coming, look busy. I have no sympathy for the fact that you were too stupid or, more likely, lazy to try and bring in business.

Sure am glad I left when I did...

THIS IS ALL BULLSHIT!!! People that deserved to be fired were kept. Get a clue, doesn't this remind you of Brobeck? I hope the same happens, and did you all hear about the shitty "severance" they gave? Well, they paid up until Monday when the "memo" went out and a 2-week in lieu of notice, what kind of shit is that????

63, 79 good comments. I agree with 105 too. MLB-NYC brought in 21 people from Thelen (but none of them got bumped) spent lavishly on 2008 xmas party, gave bonuses like no tomorrow. 1st vid conference of 2009 told it all - so this was expected, it was just a matter of when. Been around long enough to see many firms go belly up - no good deed goes unpunished.

The firm's going down. The firm has no real talent and the people running it are just hosting a big popularity contest and those that remain by no way reflect the best. The firm is really just a mid-size wanna-be who will never really play with the big boys.

107--the firm is harldy midsized.

Looking back at the March 9, 2009 layoffs at MLB is to suggest that the MLB is the perfect employment opportunity for the employee who no longer has the option to hold out for a better employment opportunity and/or possibly the candidate has been ‘black listed’ and cannot get employed elsewhere. The caliber of the MLB Human Resources Department and the work product produced by same easily promotes more commercial law firms (i.e., Jacoby & Meyers) to shine in this Firm’s wake. MLB's first round of layoffs seeks out every opportunity to extend beyond being cost-effective or providing a stable work environment and those who remain at this employment opportunity should be prepared to involuntarily 'fill-in-the-gap' regarding their job responsibilities at the Firm due to 'stealth layoffs' unilaterally (i.e., performance terminations). Those who survived the latest round of layoffs should keep their resumes updated and be ready for a brighter future elsewhere. Stealth layoffs are a scary reality at MLB.

Looking back at the March 9, 2009 layoffs at MLB is to suggest that the MLB is the perfect employment opportunity for the employee who no longer has the option to hold out for a better employment opportunity and/or possibly the candidate has been ‘black listed’ and cannot get employed elsewhere. The caliber of the MLB Human Resources Department and the work product produced by same easily promotes more commercial law firms (i.e., Jacoby & Meyers) to shine in this Firm’s wake. MLB's first round of layoffs seeks out every opportunity to extend beyond being cost-effective or providing a stable work environment and those who remain at this employment opportunity should be prepared to involuntarily 'fill-in-the-gap' regarding their job responsibilities at the Firm due to 'stealth layoffs' unilaterally (i.e., performance terminations). Those who survived the latest round of layoffs should keep their resumes updated and be ready for a brighter future elsewhere. Stealth layoffs are a scary reality at MLB.

i wish the firms partner's would not of given it's staff a sense of false hope, by pulling everyone into a meeting a promiseing "to do their best to not lay anyone off." that was about one month before I was laid off....OVER EMAIL. I wish that they would have just been truthful and informed me to start looking for another position. I don't think that the partner's really tried to begin with. the severence letter that was given to me would have taken weeks to carefully craft and everything was orderly and neatly labeled and laid out. They knew that they were going to start laying people off even when they called the firmwide meeting. In the meeting all Tom Sharbaugh and Fran Milon talked about is "how they appreciate the culture of thier staff, how they are going to contiune to give raises and reward hard work." Then in a turnaround of a month over 200 staff and attorneys are laid off over a lunch email. I was on my lunch break when i recieved the email! The sad thing is that the firm made a profit and some of the practice groups are doing well. It's all about the bottom line to them. They don't care that their people, who work hard for them, pay the price. What has happened to America? Just because I don't have a fancy law degree from an Ivy league school, does that give them the right to lie to my face? All of this corporate greed and bad law advice has got to end! If it doesn't then alot more people are going to be out of a job...
ex mlb employee

all the people picked up by Thelen were partners and of counsels. doubtful they will go.

kudo's to 110. couldn't agree more about the hr dept.

50 and 79. thanks for making my layoff a wee bit lighter. very funny.
86: 160 plus staff was let go. they told me I was laid off because I was the newest and it was all done by senority.

Equity partners you guys let down your guard many times -- somebody over there was not paying attention how your investment (money) was being thrown away -- from the most trivial (wasteful) things to outings/holiday party. Somebody wanted to make the impression that things were going so great -- not even Morgan Lewis is immune to the economy. Why the fronting? And then the shock. You went from a great firm to a heartless institution. I hope at least for the good guys that there's a quick recovery. Good luck to those that were affected. Keep your chin up.

Morgan is a good firm but the Energy Department is full of snakes who bite those who don't follow the rule of the head secretary who really does rattle her poison tale.

I was one to go. They told me the news near quitting time and it was so very unexpected. My whole body got numb and I cried out in tears. I spent hours packing my desk. The outfit I wore that day was brand new and I had to throw it out because it reminded me of this day. I think they chould have done it better by giving the layoff folks "notice to get out". It's a tough economy. I must say I would return to Morgan Lewis in a hearbeat. Those still there are very fortunate. It was the best of the best for me. I cry almost everyday missing my family and friends at Morgan Lewis. I found new employment but not near as happy as I was there in salary nor happiness. Morgan was a family to me. I planned to retire from there. What I miss also is the many friends I thought I had - don't bother with me anymore. It shows you who your friends are when you are a victim of a loss like this. I had to lose my retirement home at a sacrifice to stay afloat since I wasn't given notice to get out and no finances to pay for it. This is hurting is now. We are basically penniless - check to check and pray everyday. We are only average income my husband and I and have kids. The layoff impacted our lives greatly. I would love to go back to Morgan Lewis unless the Lord could hit me the lottery and I'll stay home and raise my kids.

86 - i can attest to 22, the number that always scared me to death, being the number of staff in the ny office. i was no. 22.

86 - i can attest to 22, the number that always scared me to death, being the number of staff in the ny office. i was no. 22.

86 - i can attest to 22, the number that always scared me to death, being the number of staff in the ny office. i was no. 22.

86 - i can attest to 22, the number that always scared me to death, being the number of staff in the ny office. i was no. 22.