Blind Item Follow-Up: Morgan Lewis Also Denies Layoffs
(Plus a look at the Five O’Clock Club’s law firm clients.)
Based on a Washington Post article profiling the Five O’Clock Club, an outplacement and career coaching company, we constructed a Biglaw blind item:
Which New York law firm, having already completed two rounds of layoffs, has hired the Five O’Clock Club to help it carry out additional layoffs (in August, October, and November)?
After we ran the item, several firms came forward to declare they’re not the firm in question. And now they’re joined by one more: Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.
A spokesperson for Morgan Lewis contacted ATL to say that it isn’t the firm with layoffs in the works. In fact, Morgan Lewis claims that it shouldn’t even be on the shortlist of contenders.
Read why — and check out the list of the Five O’Clock Club’s clients, including some very prestigious law firms that haven’t publicly admitted to layoffs — after the jump.
The blind item described a firm that has already conducted two rounds of layoffs. According to the Morgan Lewis spokesperson, the firm has conducted just one round of reductions (in March 2009). It disputes our characterization of a wave of departures from MLB in January 2009 as a “layoff.”
So that’s good news for Morgan Lewis associates — you’re safe, for the time being. Also, it’s worth noting that Morgan Lewis doesn’t appear on the list of law firms (PDF) that have used the Five O’Clock Club’s services in the past (a list that has been removed from the Club’s website, but not before we downloaded it — heehee):
Although Morgan Lewis is absent, a number of other prestigious and profitable law firms are on that list. If your firm is on the list, and if you’ve raised holy hell about our past coverage of “stealth layoffs,” defending your firm’s honor against such charges, were you aware that your firm is a client of the Five O’Clock Club?
If you have info on layoffs at your law firm, stealth or otherwise, you know where to reach us.
Five O’Clock Club Client List [PDF]
Earlier: Blind Item Follow-Up: A New York Firm That Fits The Bill?
Blind Item: Layoffs To Come At ‘A Law Firm in Manhattan’
(65) 
Comments
First? Wow!
I have a feeling Five O'Clock Club is going to be making a few layoffs themselves.
Does anyone recognize a single firm on that list other than S&C and STB?
Damn, this list pretty much outs all of these firms as stealth layoff-ers.
I thought Debevoise was a "nice" firm? Hiring a consultant to counsel you on stealthily firing hapless associates doesn't seem to fit my definition of "nice."
3 - Are you a moron?
There are a number of major firms on that list, including Baker & McKenzie, Clifford Chance, Debevoise, DLA Piper, Greenberg Traurig, Proskauer Rose, Skadden Arps, Weil Gotshal, and White & Case.
Only Debevoise surprises me.
1st? Oh My GOSH!!!!
PE,
Did you attend Woodstock?
I don't mean to say support staff don't matter, but I think this firm (5 O'Clock Club) focuses more on layoffs of staff, not attorneys.
Just because a firm is on the list doesn't mean it has laid off lawyers.
3 = MAJOR RETARD who has no connection to biglaw whatsoever.
Is this list a COMPLETE list of their law and consulting clients?
Somehow I doubt it. It is probably a list of those who consented to be on the website.
So nobody get too comfortable if your firm is not on the list.
This should be obvious, but just because a consultant lists a firm as a client doesn't mean that the firm has used the services recently, if at all.
It should be noted that Five O'Clock Club performs a lot of "career counseling" and similarly benign/banal services that the firms on the list may have engaged it for, even at times when they were not planning/conducting layoffs (i.e. inclusion on the list in no way proves layoffs, stealth or otherwise. Just that the firms offered some outsourced career advisory services to attorneys and certain staff).
It should be noted that Five O'Clock Club performs a lot of "career counseling" and similarly benign/banal services that the firms on the list may have engaged it for, even at times when they were not planning/conducting layoffs (i.e. inclusion on the list in no way proves layoffs, stealth or otherwise. Just that the firms offered some outsourced career advisory services to attorneys and certain staff).
As a casual glance at the above list reveals:
IT IS VERY PRESTIGIOUS FOR ONE TO BE LAID OFF VIA THE FIVE O'CLUCK CLUB!!!!
I wonder what Jerry O'Connell would have to say about this.
16 - LOL!!!
Why isn't ATL reporting that, in addition to managing layoffs for all of the big firms, the Five O'Clock Club is working with the Obama Administration to set up the Death Panels to euthanize seniors? Both premises seem about as factually accurate.
Please do a post on V&E Houston and PH NY summer associate massacres. K thx bye.
http://www.fiveoclockclub.com/articles/2009/2009,1.pdf
Did they add an extra "t" to Thacher for TTT?
Terrible.
the firm is DLA
6 fell for 3's schtick - thanks for humoring us 3 and 6
I usually need some serious outplacement counseling about 20 minutes after downing a value meal at Taco Bell.
Has Proskauer Rose denied impending layoffs? It was the first major firm to axe first-years...
Did Proskauer latham their first years?
To the contrary; Latham proskauered theirs
I love how lawyers delude themselves into thinking that some firm they work for has some prestige in this world. Most lawyers do not even pay attention to how this or that firm is supposedly prestigious. The rest of the world is oblivious to the hierarchy among dung beetles, er, lawyers in law firms.
lol grow up kids, you lawyers live, work and then die anonymously, and no one gives s sh-t where you work unless you carry a gun or give orders to someone who does.
More bad news for Clifford Chance?
Hasn't Proskauer also had two rounds of layoffs? They should be the prime suspect, given their huge summer class.
Is the only reason you haven't put them on the list because the WaPo puff-piece says "this year" and one of PR's rounds was in December of 2008?
29 nailed it
So this is only the first or second time I've checked ATL since Elie drafted his racially retarded analysis of the Cambridge situation. Now I see Lat and Kash creating posts and not Elie. Did I just hit a lucky day wherein Elie is comatose from excessive donut intake or has he been Lathamed? Please tell me he's been Lathamed!
19 - Are you Sarah Palin?? Because you sound as dumb. There is no such thing as a 'death panel' - do some honest reading about the health care overhaul and you'll see it's supported by just about every major health related nonprofit organization, i.e. American Cancer Society, National MS Society, and many, many more. It's about bringing basic healthcare to Americans who cannot otherwise afford it, i.e. cancer screenings. It's also about not being able to deny coverage to a person who had the misfortune to find a tumor in their body.
34 How fucking dumb can you be???? Do you see where 19 says, "both seem about as factually accurate." Jesus, you are fucking dumb!
33 - he is on a "staycation" to celebrate 5 years of marital bliss.
Greenberg Traurig does everything by stealth. They could fire half the firm and no one would know. It's the ultimate "divide and conquer" law firm management mentality.
@ 34. Wow. Just...wow.
DLA has had 2 rounds of open layoffs and many more stealth layoffs. I understand that the NYC office is also at its lowest production level in its 15 year history, not only in corporate finance, but also litigation (with recent settlements of some major litigation).
36 - Well, I won't berate him for that but damn... I was excited. Thanks for the info.
-33
@38 - I wrote 35, but your's made me LMAO. Nice work, and probably more effective.
-34
@38 - I wrote 35, but your's made me LMAO. Nice work, and probably more effective.
-35
They spelled Simpson Thacher wrong.
Latham is preparing to Latham their incoming first years.
29--Fabulous!
I assume Five O'Clock Club is only paid to serve as an obligatory, rarely worthless benefit to laid off employees - now if you are suggesting that Five O'Clock was a consultant and had a hand in selection of the laid off persons, as well as the execution of the layoffs - then that makes Five O'Clock club liable and they could be named as a defendant in discrimination lawsuits - a large number of complaints have been filed with the EEOC involving some of the law firms listed.
21, nice article. I love how the White & Case HR chief "regaled the audience" with her many tales of both individual and group firings. I don't even need to comment on it- WTF.
What about Paul Hastings?
33 - See http://abovethelaw.com/2009/08/vacation_memo_elie.php
Hey, I knew STB was conducting layoffs, despite the "STB fanboys/PR department" bashing anyone and everyone reporting the truth about their stealth layoffs. Looks like the cat is out of the bag now.
Hey, I knew STB was conducting layoffs, despite the "STB fanboys/PR department" bashing anyone and everyone reporting the truth about their stealth layoffs. Looks like the cat is out of the bag now.
Hey, I knew STB was conducting layoffs, despite the "STB fanboys/PR department" bashing anyone and everyone reporting the truth about their stealth layoffs. Looks like the cat is out of the bag now.
Hey, I knew STB was conducting layoffs, despite the "STB fanboys/PR department" bashing anyone and everyone reporting the truth about their stealth layoffs. Looks like the cat is out of the bag now.
Layoffs are coming to PHJW.
Hey, I knew STB was conducting layoffs, despite the "STB fanboys/PR department" bashing anyone and everyone reporting the truth about their stealth layoffs. Looks like the cat is out of the bag now.
it's definitely Mayer Brown. What firm would need to hire "downsizing consultants" more than a firm that is currently being sued for selecting the wrong people in their earlier downsizing???
29 is partly right. People are beginning not to care whether a lawyer has a gun. They are getting their own guns. This is the outcome of all you lawyers joining the British Accreditation Regents, taking on an unconstitutional title of nobility, then going to work putting the rights of lifeless corporations above the rights of human beings.
The commoners are taking the advice of the Bard.
Buddhists call this "karma". Early Americans called this "overthrowing the crown". An astute poster with an NBA avatar calls this "The sky be fallin'".
Like Patrick Henry the eve of the Constitutional Convention said , "I smell a rat close by". Modern Americans do, too.
PHJW just massacred their summers in multiple offices. Beware, and you heard it here twelfth.
29 is partly right. People are beginning not to care whether a lawyer has a gun. They are getting their own guns. This is the outcome of all you lawyers joining the British Accreditation Regents, taking on an unconstitutional title of nobility, then going to work putting the rights of lifeless corporations above the rights of human beings.
The commoners are taking the advice of the Bard.
Buddhists call this "karma". Early Americans called this "overthrowing the crown". An astute poster with an NBA avatar calls this "The sky be fallin'".
Like Patrick Henry the eve of the Constitutional Convention said , "I smell a rat close by". Modern Americans do, too.
Dear 57 & 59:
I love my "unconstitutional title of nobility" and I have a Lexis and a 3500 sq. ft. house on top of that title! So, on behalf of my lifeless corporate clients... suck it beaatchhh!
Dear 57 & 59:
I love my "unconstitutional title of nobility" and I have a Lexis and a 3500 sq. ft. wife on top of that title! So, on behalf of my lifeless corporate clients... suck it beaatchhh!
29 is my new hero. God bless you, good sir.
Staffers at PH-NY got an email that their next paychecks will be short by one week. They were told that they could cash out a week of vacation to make up the pay. Sure looks like PH is having cash flow problems.
57&59 here. Sorry about the double post.
For all you kid lawyers out there who need the modern version:
The Muggles are all awake. They are pee-yossed.
Proskauer: First to axe first years, minimal severence, huge summer class with no work......