Obamanomics strikes again! Yay for ineptitude.

I'll tell them when they've had enough!

Yah right. Firms always reassure you. Don't believe them that there won't be more layoffs.

Sounds like mostly bad news for remaining PH employees. Basically, the firm has said that it will favor incoming assoociates over existing ones when it comes to budget cuts.

PH ain't foolin' me!

The ship be sinking...

I hope the OMPs of the firms doing mass 1st year layoffs die slowly and painfully.

Let's not forget that after Latham promised no layoffs in 2008 they stealthily laid off associates anyways and then canned a buttload in 2009.

Once bitten, twice shy.

PH is BS: If more layoffs are needed (which they will be at PH) PH will just go back to calling them "performance based."

Does PH management actually believe that they have any credibility left? Nobody but a scared first-year would believe what they have been peddling.

Jebus Christ, the thought of Lat in a wig eating grapes while holding a coat hanger makes me so horny!

CWT NY 05 female associate

It should also be noted that PH also reassured associates that the fundamentals of our economy are sound and then told Brownie he was doing a heckuva job.

Will they still try to push you down the stairs if you're pregnant?

As the official spokesman for the White Shoe Silk Stocking Law Firms, I have been authorized to give the following statement to Above the Law:

Paul Hastings is not a White Shoe Silk Stocking Law Firm, therefore we have no comment on this post. However, Paul Hastings does have one small thing in common with us, i.e., Paul Hastings is terminating associates and we are terminating associates because there is a world-wide recession and WE ARE BROKE!

Here is my advice to everyone still employed "Never never listen to what management tells you." Their number one concern is to keep business going and to avoid chaos and panic..Keep your eyes and ears open and read between the lines..and also keep reading these blogs no better way to get the truth! More lay-offs are in the works, I guarantee it.

@12 - Especially if they are pregnant, look pregnant, or even like children but have none of their own.

Hey, Quinn Remains -- wake up. The partners in your firm suck. There's a big difference between being a good, aggressive lawyer and being an obstructionist asshole overcompensating for the fact that s/he is a bad lawyer who doesn't know the facts of a case. Someday, for your sake, I hope you learn the difference between the two. Stupid and obnoxious is no way to go through life, even if you're an attorney.

Does anyone seriously think Hastings is telling the truth? No way this is their last reaction. They're just trying to parcel out the pain.

@16 Also Fat, Dumb, and Stupid is no way to go through life.

12 - Nice reminder that PH was the firm that practically single-handedly caused the coinage of the term "stealth layoff". Shinyung Oh FTW.

So, associates with experience and probably families, mortgages, etc., are getting pushed out the door, while the firm continues to spend unnecessary money on summer programs, bonuses, etc.? I wouldn't feel particularly good about that if I were an associate who wasn't getting laid off right now - I'd prefer to see the firm taking some responsibility for getting its finances in order because otherwise I might be the next person laid off so someone else can get a bonus.

I will decide when the've had enough!

BigLaw Partner

Dear remaining Paul Hastings associates:

As you may have noticed, some of your colleagues have been reassigned to extra-office projects, i.e., conducting a thorough analysis of their state's unemployment compensation system. Unfortunately, during this reassignment process, some blood was splattered on the walls.

Please do your best to ignore any blood stains in your respective hallways. Similarly, please contact your local office manager regarding any stench of death. We assure you that any stench of death is not that of Paul Hastings...indeed, even though we recently conducted two extra-office reassignments, everything here at Paul Hastings is hunky-dory. Everyone that survived will continue to get paid at their current salary, will get raises, will get bonuses, and will even get a jar of candycanes!

Finally, please pay no attention to the incoming class of first years and SA's...again, we can not emphasize strongly enough our position that we will not have to reassign any of the remaining associates in order to find enough work to give all the newbies.

Why would the firm choose summers and first years over existing associates? I think layoffs send a far worse message than limiting the summer programs, cutting the number of incoming classes, etc.

Drinker Biddle isn't forthcoming either. People -- attorneys and staff are being let go... Shhhhhhhhhh.

16:

We still make more cash than your firm does. Money talks, bullshit and "prestige" walks.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! at anyone who believes these fools.

I was reassured by management repeatedly before getting laid off in a mass canning. Don't believe your firm for a minute when they try to make you drink this koolaid.

-suicidal laid off 1st year

A PH partner paid me an extra grand to beat me with a hanger during our date.

You're right 20. No one in law school has a family, or a mortgage, or any responsibilities to consider. Law school is awesome. No one is worried about racking up debt or jobs disappearing AT ALL!!

Can you pass me a margarita? It's Spring Break!

17:

I do.

12/19 -- Really?

That little debacle didn't start the "stealth layoffs." There was no "layoff." SOh was fired for bad production and bad performance. You will notice that nobody has ever run to her defense from the firm, not even after having been laid off themselves.

That she chose to blacklist herself permanently by going off the deep end, blaming everyone but herself, and alleging some deep nonexistent conspiracy, only backed up why she was fired in the first place.

Am I the only one wondering what Partner Emeritus thinks of this?

White Shoe guy is trying way too hard. He also apparently doesn't understand how to use i.e.

19 = discredited 2L with no grasp of BigLaw history. Stealth layoffs have been going on since you were in elementary school.

30 -a lot of people defended her on the original posting of the story. it's old news now.

I have truly never met a biglaw associate who isn't miserable and talking about leaving the firm to pursue other interests. These associates are getting a nice severance which will enable them to pay their bills while searching to find something to do that will finally give them the personal satisfaction that they have longed for and complained about lacking for the entirety of their legal careers.

The sad thing is that all of these associates are so used to doing nothing but bitching that no one is recognizing this as the golden opportunity that it is. If it weren't a layoff, and the firm offered you six months pay so that you could finally go for that job you have dreamed about doing while slaving away in your office at midnight or pulling off the slopes in Vail to check your blackberry, you would take it in a heartbeat. It's that chance you have longed for to finally get out of the hell that is biglaw associateship.

So to the laid off associates: go! run! sign your nondisclosure agreement and take the check! Start your business selling pottery or flowers or whatever will give you the personal happiness that you lack. If you do that, the associates that didn't get laid off will end up jealous of you - that'll be the best schadenfreude.

I really hope PH's crystal ball is correct, but this is yet another example of the terrible decisions this firm's management makes. I think everyone is understanding that layoff's are the reality these days. But when you come out and make these kind of statements promising no more layoffs, full summer classes, etc., you really paint yourself into a corner. Very shortsighted and simply no way this can be believed. Remember yesterday's layoff memo -- they said they can't predict the future for sure, but 2009 and 2010 look to be very difficult years for the firm and its clients. But today there are no more variables that may need adjustment down the road? I mean, how stupid do these people think we are?

Any layoffs in the OC office?

Good for PH. If they can stick with these pronouncements, that will be very good for their associates. We'll see if they can follow through. They might have a shot: revenue per lawyer at PH is higher than at many other firms including Latham, Sidley, MoFo, and OMM. Given the uncertainty of the economy, I'd be a little wary still, but I don't see how this is anything but positive for associates (who made it through yesterday's cuts).

The economy will only get worse. The no layoffs promise is merely koolaid for you to kill yourself with.

Any NY layoffs?

These layoffs are LEGEN-"I hope you're not lactose inolerant because it ends with a -" DARY!

30:

I totally agree. After she left, she started that blog that chronicled her miscarriage, every visit to the gyno thereafter. I didn't take sides initially, but the blog convinced me that she was/is totally unstable.

16

I could give a shit about the partners. I'm more concerned about the associate, all of whom REMAIN at QUINN (so far).

In truth, there are assholes running every firm out there, but Quinn has assholes AND jobs.

suicidal laid off 1st year meet nervous 1L--now go away!

There's no 'I' in 'team'. But then there's no 'I' in 'useless smug colleague', either. And there's four in 'platitude-quoting idiot'. Go figure.

suicidal 1st year = Sandra oh's miscarriage of justice

#34 - BINGO!

Paul Hastings lays off associates every time there is the slightest downturn and they've been doing it stealth until this very last one so the article is not surprising. What a lousy place...

30 here

33 -- Really? Did the people who "defended" her have any knowledge of the situation? Or were they just InterKnights, riding in to save some blog damsel?

Actually all I recall from the original post was a bunch of people who had nothing to do with PH posting about how terrible it was and how she ought to sue. I can't recall anybody saying "I'm at PH and she's right, her performance was great and this is a travesty."

PS to everyone else --- We're fine. I did a 190+ hour February, and am on pace for a 250 hour March. When the recession is over we will go back to doing what we've done for the last 8 years -- kicking a$$ and not bothering to take the names of the firms we leap-frog in the process.

Right on 48. I'd write more, but I've got work to do.

48 - What dept/city?

Question to Paul Hastings and other similar firms - so if we are to believe the "performance-based" claims of firms that have done a way-higher-than-normal amount of "performance-based" firings while in the middle of the worst economic crisis in 80 years, which they refuse to characterize as layoffs - are we to believe that those firms are incredibly bad judges of character and made a massive amount of poor hiring decisions? I trust the hiring partners are taking the blame for that one, right? Right?

44- HA HA!! Keep it up. the only good one going.

PH is like one of those obnoxious law school friends who still uses the words "But for" because it makes them sound sophisticated, even though they could get the same meaning across by being more conversational with language such as "Were it not for".

Well, we can play PH's game, too. "But for the economic climate, PH would have distributed monogrammed coat hangers to all the female associates, compliments of the ornery, sexist, racist, fat, ugly, balding 50-something partners of the management committee who could not justify the costs of such luxury."

PH associates who went to a T5 school have nothing to worry about - that's what being elite and prestigious is all about. It's like money in the bank.

On the other hand, PH associates who are non-T5 ought to be scared - very scared. These types are sometimes useful when times are good, but are nothing but deadweight in times like these.

what am I missing? Associates, including first years, laid off by PH and yet they plan to hire new first years? Are they stupid or what? Oh, just sexist, fat and mean and want some new ones? 3Ls beware

Maybe if PH wasn't spending so much money on monogrammed coat hangers they wouldn't have to go through so many stealth/back alley lay offs.

Associates and staff fired by PH - just think you no longer have to kiss up to those a holes in management ... I am still here and I have to.

48:

Congratulations on having some billable work to do. You may be fine in terms of hours, but "we" are not fine. There's just not enough coming in to support even the new headcount. We are not fine when multiple secretaries that work their asses off for us are walking around in tears. You must be on the dreaming-of-being-a-partner-tract, because you are just as blind as they are. I'll meet you back here in 5 months so we can discuss the latest round of layoffs and delayed start dates.

If anyone who thinks that once a firm conducts layoffs, it is "done" (even if it says it is "done"), I have some beachfront property to sell you in Mississippi.

51:

All firms tolerate less than stellar associates when times are flush because they need the extra bodies. They are the same people that in a good economy wouldn't understand why they didn't make partner. In a bad economy there isn't a reason to keep them around- they are fungible and can be readily replaced when times are flush again.

54:

Get a grip. No one cares about what law school you went to once you are here. You are either cutting or you aren't.

To all the people that got let go yesterday, I am sorry because you do not fall into the performance based category. Don't let a bad economy get you down. You will find something.

PH partners are laughing all the way to the bank...improved their bottom line with the latest round of cuts with bets on the economy turning around and bringing in the new hires next year ... if they had asked some of the terminated to consider job sharing or a furlough, there could have been a more humane approach for the associates. After all you courted them for two years to get them to go with you.

We are in an economic depression. All firms that have laid off are reassuring remaining employees, but I'm skeptical because economic conditions are so horrendous and are likely to get worse.

Sidley just bumped back start dates to Nov 2/Nov 16.

59 - Um... you do realize Mississippi is on the Gulf of Mexico, right? I mean, they do have beaches.

To everyone decrying the performance based severance program... isn't it possible that because of the $h*t economy, attrition is down all over the legal community? If attrition is down across the board people are staying put in firms leading to an oversupply of associates, and an undersupply of work.

Isn't it further possible that this leads firms to get rid of dead-weight that might otherwise be tolerable in better years?

What makes such action inexcusable aside from your entitlement to a job?

As a former PH employee, I can tell you the management is completely untrustworthy - please don't fall for those 11am assurances . The office manager - oh sorry "Director of Office Administration" is nothing but a nasty bully who coordinates and schemes with Seth, Barry, Greg and the rest on how to screw the staff/attorneys...and this was WAY BEFORE the economic crisis began to manifest. Managers are idiot ineffective syncophants -many, esp in New York - are NOT NEEDED. PH's huge problem (that really hasn't been mentioned in any of these posts) is the onerous top heavy administrative organization - with Greg N. and Adam N. up on high directing way too many "directors of office administration", and their underling managers, wanna be managers and coordinators. They should start seeking out and laying off useless lower/middle management and the ridiculously large business development group with its cadre of "Senior Managers, Media Coordinators, Senior Media Coordinators"...you get the drift. A tremendous amount of cash will be saved.

As for management's assurances, you better believe that there will be more layoffs and "deferred" bonuses (if they ever even materialize). I heard they don't even have equal anymore because it's too expensive!

@66: we have equal AND splenda in the dc office. maybe we would still have our colleagues if we management had just stuck to the pink stuff.

#67 - no offense intended towards you, your colleagues or the DC office. I was trying to get at trying economic times. The firm I work at now has equal but I make 15K less than I did at PH...I'm just sayin'. I guess it's simply a matter of priorities or deciding if it's more prudent to be penny wise/pound foolish.

66 - so how badly did you f&%k up that you are so bitter?

you could call it an unfortunate set of circumstances. I loved working at PH - great people, nice attorneys and hard working staff. My beef is not with the firm generally. Only with specific individuals who squashed a promising career. That's it. Over and out.

Well, keep posting your bitterness and that promising career will never take off.

I'm optimistic that this will be the end of layoffs (performance or otherwise) at PH.

Management made that promise after making grim predictions about 2009 and 2010. It's not as though they said "no more layoffs!" based on an expected turnaround in the 3rd quarter.

72--

I pray they don't lay anyone else off. The job market is horrendous out there. Maybe the partners can find other ways to cut costs and overhead or maybe, just maybe, find a way to get by on less than $1.9 million next year.

My family is F*CKED if I lose my job. Where else can I find another job that pays close to what I make now? We will for sure lose our home (and all the cash we put into it) and have to sell our investments at a huge loss. The firm caused part of this predicament by forcing us to make "automatic contributions" into a 401(k) that is now in the toilet.

I hate to see staff go, but frankly they have a much better chance of finding a job paying comparable salary than we do.

I just pray the partners show some sympathy and compassion toward these attorneys they so HEAVILY RECRUITED and stop the bloodletting. They can get by on PPP of less than $1.9 million. And when (not if) the economy turns around, they will have enough associates to do the work rather than scrambling for laterals.

Good luck to everyone laid off.

64: ever heard of Katrina?

"... I hate to see staff go, but frankly they have a much better chance of finding a job paying comparable salary than we do. ..."

72: Mmmm.....that's not necessarily true. Though I am thankfully still employed (for now), I have found in the past that firms I interviewed with were not willing to pay me what I should get. I am in legal over 15 years - I found that they were willing to pay someone with less experience a much lower salary than risk paying the good salary to someone with excellent experience. I don't know - it just really stinks.

I wish the very best to everyone.

73 -
"find a way to get by on less than $1.9 million next year. " are you kidding?? Do you really expect us to forgo our year retreat?? give-up tee time? no facials or massages? or five course meals 3x a time? How unreasonable can you be? If it means cutting cost in other areas (like staff reduction) so be it!!

Comment removed by moderator.

So law students, if you have another option, i.e. waitressing, living at home, being a crack whore. Take that first before the Paul Hastings gig. That place will come down. And hope your vote for Obama is gonna change the landscape because it's not looking good right now.

Well, 77, since you seem to have balls of steel, why DON'T you tell us who you are then? Why DON'T you post your draft complaint - or, better, post the REAL one, the one that's been served. I'm curious - have at it then, let's go.

As happy I am to still have a job at PH (for now) I am utterly disgusted with how management has chosen to handle these layoffs.

To pretend that all of the associates let go prior to yesterday were terminated based on poor performance is an absolute farce. The PH office where I work let go a dozen or so associates prior to yesterday (a significant % of our small office) - treating them all as performance based. Admittedly some of these associates were low performers but that was the exception rather than the rule. I have had the pleasure of working with some of the associates let go over the past couple of months (and as late as a couple of weeks ago when the official "economic" layoffs were surely already planned) and they were solid, well-respected lawyers. They simply happened to have the wrong level of experience in a slow practice areas. To pretend otherwise is an absolute joke to everyone who knows these individuals and an insulting way to treat people who have worked diligently for PH over the years.

I believe management when they say that there will be no more (admitted) 'layoffs' in the foreseeable future. However, given PH's definition of layoffs, this just means that first years and staff will be safe - at least for the next 6 months or so. I guarantee that non-first years will continue to be picked off one by one under the pretense of performance-related issues. If the incoming first year class is not deferred (which is the current party line), there will be a bloodletting of junior associates to make room for the incoming bodies, at least in transactional areas.

I certainly do not feel that I, or anyone else, is entitled to a biglaw job. I do feel, however, that if my time comes I am entitled to be treated honestly and with respect by the partners I have worked diligently and competently for over the past few years. Unfortunately, from what I have witnessed, PH is more concerned with making official layoff #s look as low as possible, keeping PPP as high as possible and pretending that it is business as usual with SAs and recruits, than with treating its current associates with the level of respect that they deserve.

73:

Interesting point on the forced contributions to the retirement fund. I used to work there (worst experience I have ever had in my life) and 8% of my pay was forced into that account. It is the same for all associates, I believe. Now it is in the shitter.

I assume there is some benefit in it for the firm--maybe its PPP calculation or something? Some other creative accounting issue? Anyone know?

72:

It is a coin flip. You said they made "predictions." Even if they were grim predictions, what if it is worse than they thought. Then they are screwed because they said there will be no more layoffs. Either PPP will have to be sacrificed (no chance at PH) or expenses (associates) will have to be sacrificed.

77:
can't wait for the movie!

81 -- it increases the amount of money you can shelter (ie you can shelter more than just in a 401(k)). I've heard it's very questionable under ERISA. Don't know if that is/isn't true. It benefits those with money, screws those who need liquidity.

Did you know that they had a blood drive in the DC office that morning before the layoff? Not kidding.

i heard they had a kidney drive scheduled for next week.

Who judges the performances of the partners? I know of some partners at PH that are truly great performers; others, not so much. Probably a lot like the associates.

Who makes that call? Seth and Greg? I mean, they are going to have to start cutting some of these junior partners that are pulling in $600+ but do not have the book to support it. That's worth 3-4 associates right there. I heard they have done some of this in the past, but I haven't heard anything about it yet this time around.

73 "... I hate to see staff go, but frankly they have a much better chance of finding a job paying comparable salary than we do. ..."

Gosh! All I hear is poor lawyers from left to right! YES I do feel bad to see staff go BUT YOU NOR I know their financial status! We are comfortable with our 200k salaries. Just imagine getting a 60k STAFF position? (sure, can't afford your LV shoes now huh?)

YES we worked our A$$ off to get where we are. They had the same opportunities as we did but some are not as fortunate as we are. Some don't have the means. Some don't want to be us!

It just baffles me that we can't appreciate our staff. We are who we are by the great support group. Honestly, can't we or the partners once (i) THANK our accounting dept for preparing, drafting, finalizing, and sending out our client bills; (ii) THANK our conflicts dept for clearing out all potential conflicts; (iii) THANK our clerks for keeping our files organized; (iv) THANK our paralegals for doing the work we refuse to do; (v) THANK our HR dept for keeping our staff in line; (vi) THANK our messengers, concierge, mail dept, etc; and finally (vii) THANK our assistants, good or bad, for keeping us organized. For the most part, I've been fortunate to have a great team.

Let's not be selfish in this economy and start thinking of others as well. Believe me I sure don't want to loose my home nor my job at this point either!

You forgot IT Support. They kick a$$ and are more valuable than (i) through (vii) on your list.

Seriously, PH has a very talented, great staff. Problem is, with the exception of paralegals and other "timekeepers", you are all part of the dreaded overhead dragging down PPP.

It's much easier to "replace" a 60K salary than a 200K salary. My advice to all new attorneys is to live like you're still in law school! That way, even if you lose your 200K job, you can find a new one paying 60K and do just fine.

Sooo sorry!!! (viii) IT YES!! How can I forget! ppsshh they do kick A$$!! (Come on, we all are Valuable! But yeah, without them, how can we hit "send" right?)

And thanks for getting me another BB! lol

Regarding the crazy stream-of-consciousness post by 77:

What does PH do to attract these nut jobs? Or does PH drive them to insanity?

$60K? For an assistant's job??? Where or rather why???? As an assisant, Counselors, I'm way past that - the figure you talk of is insulting! The bottom line is, no matter WHO gets laid off, it's not so easy to get a job in this economy; suffice it to say, we all know that here. What SHOULD be done, IMO, is re-evaluate the employees and get rid of the dead weight: i.e., the one on the internet all day; the assistant who takes a two hour lunch because she thinks she can or the assistant (I love this one) who sits and reads a book all day.

91: Yes, crazy it is and speaking of 77.....where's that complaint you're boasting about? Why won't you reveal who you are? You said "bring it on" so let's go - tell us.

Truth? You were probably fired for not meeting your hours and you're just pissed off. It's okay, you'll get it over it someday.

I haven't seen any of this yet (and I am sure some people would still care) so here goes:

These bonuses are 2008 Bonuses -- PH doesn't pay out "Christmas" or year-end bonuses until March of the following year. So the bonus was based on performance from Jan 1, 2008 to Dec. 31, 2008.

For top 7% (or so) of performers (high billing senior associates mostly) the bonus ended up at roughly $75,000

The bad news was this -- only about 57% of all eligible associates got any bonus. Since SOME bonus was available to anyone who billed at least 1800 hours, that means over 40% of all associates billed LESS than 1800 hours.

As for those laid off (assumed to apply only to those laid off publicly yesterday) -- they WILL get whatever bonus they were entitled to, and not in place of severance. At least that was the first promise we got.

Those with consistently late timesheets were penalized either $2,500 or $5,000 depending on the total number of late entries (days).

None of that worries or bothers me except for the whole "40% of all associates billed less than 1800 hours" part.

60:

51 here. I'm well aware that firms expand and contract along with (or, in this case, lagging) demand.

I'm more interested in the rationale of firms that refuse to admit they are responding to the economy (as any sensible business owner would) by laying off associates, and instead, claim they are just rooting out incompetent associates, as they would in any climate, and just happen to be doing it 10 times as much this year in particular.

I don't really understand what's to be gained from this, because if you take their logic at face value (which nobody does anyway, but....) it makes them look like they just suck ass at hiring and have poor judgment in evaluating personnel as opposed to having simply over-hired in good economic times.

It kind of makes them look like complete fuck-tards.

Piss on that 94.

By performing stealth layoffs before announcing the bonus figures, the firm cuts the denominator and boosts the number of associates who are participating.

I know of at least one associate who billed their budget and was fired two weeks before these absurd "layoffs" were announced.

They will not be receiving a bonus.

Somehow the kool-aid doesn't taste so good, does it?

51:

They do admit that it is related to the economy- "we need to be leaner, so we are timming the fat" means we need to be leaner because the times are.

As for the rest, I will assume you are not a senior associate because if you were you would see by now that you can look at all the academic accolades that a candidate has and that might tell you that they are smart, so they might make a good first year associate. After that, efficiency, ambition, how people react to situations, stress, lack of sleep, manage personalities, etc. is what starts to really separate one associate from another. I think it is impossible to predict. Therefore, you look for what will make a good first year and see how they grow from there. Some will not be suited, some could do it if they wanted to, but hate it and drop out and others will toughen up and hang in there.

It takes an awful lot of energy to carry around this much animosity. Comments you make really have no impact on this or an other firm. Anyone of any intelligence may find your comments amusing in a accident rubber necking sort of way, but beyond that they are meaningless. So take that energy and do something meaningfull with your life. #66 and #77 you truely need to seek professional counseling, the prolonged hate you feel isn't in the normal range. #93 is on the money, if you feel this strongly and don't care, why hide, post your complaint or screen play and let us know who you are. #67, its easy to attack people when you doing it from behind a mask. Get a pair and move on with your life. Exactly how constructive is this blog? You certianly don't offer support to one another and most posts are illiterate and/or obscene. One has to wonder exactly how real any of the posts are. I'm not sure how I feel about the mission of ATL, but it does provide an amusing read.

#77 I love you

#77 for President!

#77 there are some really good looking, smart lawyers terminated by PH available as extras on your movie set...don't forget us We Need Work and all those firms that were recruiting us two years ago feel rejected by our selection of PH Life is tough

97 - I still don't have a good answer to my question, which is precisely what the rationale is for doing economic-related layoffs and then not calling them layoffs.

As for the rest, yeah bro, I was a senior associate until a few years ago, now I work in-house - thx for the lecture though, extremely helpful! :)

96 is right...unfortunately. I had been nervous for months, but even more so after that bonus meeting was pushed back.

I'd love to know what PH's headcount really is. There are people still on the website who were stealth-layoffed in December!

And the 8% pisses me off, too. I essentially made 8% less (now that I really need the liquidity, to like, pay bills and stuff).

Good luck, all. Most of us are going to need it.

Is/was anyone on the benefits call this morning? Is it worth dialing in on Monday? Thanks.

73--
Yes, I am one of those who bought a house at the peak of the market and just got laid off.

We can't afford it now, so we'll either have to walk away or short sell and lose our $100,000 down payment.

The timing of this could not be worse. I wish I'd stockpiled cash instead of investing my last bonus in the stock market.

98 = Cindy Davis (PH partner in Atlanta, on ATL more than any associate I know).

I heard they turned off the emails of the people they were laying off as they were being notified...classy.

we are all sitting ducks

Don't count on anything PH says. From someone who has been there before, let me tell you: Every word out of their mouth is a lie, including "and" and "the."

107 - That was definitely true. Print out anything you may want (or email it to a personal account) now, before you have the surprise meeting in the corner office. I wish I had...

30:

waahhhhhhhhh, why doesn't anyone like us?

P oor
A ssociates
U
L ose

H ere
A re
S cumbags
T o
I nspire
N othing/Neuter
G reg &
S eth

Just heard from an insider...next round of PHJW cuts coming soon. However, they are reverting back to the "performance" model.

Trust your mechanic
To plug your holes
Trust him to make more
Somewhere else
Trust your mechanic
He'll always come through
And rip you off

-Dead Kennedys