0 comments. that seems appropriate. let's keep it that way.

No one cares about this firm. Foley & Lardner is the only nationally relevant firm from Milwaukee. As far as anyone can tell, Foley has not laid off associates -- although they may have increased soda prices.

WHO?

Commenter #3 is correct. Quarles is a lousy firm with nothing to offer for the legal world. The preeminent peer law firm at which I will be working usually pits its paralegals against the partners of Quarles--and we always win.

Suggestion: Create two ATL sites. One for the big boys and another - Junior ATL - for small firms in small cities. Hate to sound like a snob, but I don't come to this site for stories about some firm I've never heard of.

I knew my meeting with the Bobs wasn't going to end well! Dammit!

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Quarles associates couldn't triforce, and now they're gone

The firm logo looks like Vanity Fair dinner napkins.

http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/2e/7e/Vanity_Fair_All_Occasion_Napkins_Housewares-resized200.jpg

Latham "performance" layoffs coming up. Partners still can't bring in business to keep associates busy, but associates will get the ax.

Tom Brady is disgusted to share his name with a TTT-firm.

Ellie -

What were you thinking when you posted this story?

Future Ellie, please comment.

Has anyone been laid off at Latham this year?

I have never heard of this firm.

Good non-peer hybrid tough love though!

First to say -- WHO CARES?

5 and 6 are very correct. Mildly intelligent, somewhat hardworking people not living on a coast are undeserving of this blog's attention. I suppose Chicago is coastal enough to qualify but even that's a stretch. It goes without saying that Seattle and SF are excluded from further conversation and coverage.

Where is jake emeritus on this one?

When ex NYCers can't even resort to taking a job with the biggest firm in Milwaukee, you know its bad.

Milwaukee firms provide a better quality of life. Foley leads that pack - and some consider it to be the only Milwaukee firm.

You are all bunch of douchebags.

I call bull s--t.

Generally speaking, biglaw associates are not resigning at this point. If firms are willing to announce salary cuts because "its good for our clients to know that the firm feels their pain," then why will firms not cop to doing layoffs. It would be one thing for Quarles to say nothing about the dismissed associates, but to burn them by publicly claiming that economics did not factor into the decision is as unforgivable as it is dishonest.

Quarles & Brady is exactly the same low-class operation that I considered it to be when I was half-heartedly considering it's offer to join its summer class.

There are lots of good reasons to go to Milwaukee, but the only reason to go to Quarles is that you go to Marquette.

#9 FTW!

Q & B has its name on the building. But not the classy, cliched light-up sign we're all used to seeing. No, it has that silly script lettering freestanding on the roof, like it was 1917 and the builders meant to spell "Hotel Regis" or something.

Foley is the only firm in Milwaukee worth covering, and I say that as someone who lives in flyover country.

6 --

Make that 3 websites and include "Errand-Boy ATL" for the biglaw associate who is temporarily employed (maybe) for the next 3-4 years then spends the rest of his new career talking about how great his former biglaw firm was or assumes the embarrassing sr. associate status.

The who and the what now?

Looks like you've been missing a lot of work lately.

21- Exactly. It's important that every firm doing this - publicly claiming that economic factors did not influence the decision making process at all - be called out on it.

Even if you've never heard of this firm, have some pity on the discharged associates. Not only do they need to find a new job in this horrible economy, but now they get to do it when the firm has publicly implied that they were bad attorneys. I highly doubt all of these people would be let go in a good economy. Even if they would have been, there is absolutely no need for a firm to trash their reputation in the community in this manner.

This website likes to bash Foley, but people only have good things to say about it.

Their logo looks like a throwback beer bottle logo. Cool.

Here is some layoff news from other unimportant firms/cities:

Baker & Hostetler Orlando laid off 3 attorneys and more than 10 support staff members. In the last year, the Orlando office has laid off around 25% of its associates. This is in addition to the associates and partners the office has lost to other firms in town.

It seems that this office might either be hurting financially or making room for the (3) new associates who will be starting soon.

Quarles only takes Foley's leftovers.

I like #6's idea. The website for these firms in small markets and firms outside the Vault Top 50 or so would be a nice, sad place for the weak public school grads to go.

The new site could be called Below the Law or Below Above the Law.

Whooooaaaaa. 20 just owned the other 32 commenters. "Douchebags" -- Priceless! Bammmm!!!!!

Talk about throwing those laid off under the bus!!

Latham needs to get rid of a lot of the finance partners and Dave Gordon.

According to their web site, Quarles won't be having a summer program in 2010, either.

6/33: Quarles & Brady is one of the 100 largest firms in the US. It has an office in tiny, tiny cities such as little "Chicago" and "Phoenix." Perhaps you've heard of them?

The substantial increase in performance based firings of late is further proof that this year's lawyers are significantly worse than the lawyers of the past five years.

38, you're citing Phoenix as a justification for why you think Quarles is important?? It's not even the big dog in its own tiny, midwestern city.

Seriously, does anyone think -- even for a second -- that real law is practiced outside NY?

what cracks me up is how pompous you all sound -- and you get your sense of worth from the firm you work at. Well, I guess if you yourself do not have actual brains, personality ,or any other worthwhile personal characteristics you gotta go with something. . .

42 just got laid off by Q&B

38:

Jesus, it's bad enough that ATL persists in making up fictional law firms, but do commenters have to make up the names of imaginary cities as well? "Phoenix" indeed. How about "Centaur" or "Griffin"?

What about Foley? Rumor has it that there have be a bunch of "associate resignations" in their offices.

Anyone care to shed some light?

What about Foley? Rumor has it that there have be a bunch of "associate resignations" in their offices.

Anyone care to shed some light?

Umm, those people weren't laid off ... they were fired, there's a difference...

Guys from my small midwestern high school used chew up and shit out people like 6 all the time. It was no big deal.

I think what 41 intended to convey was this: No one slaves away on doc review (and gets overpaid) like Big Law associates in NYC. "Real law"= glorified paralegal work with an Ivy league degree.

It sounds like all of you are haters because you don't have jobs. If you spent as much time on finding a job or getting a life as you do on bashing non-NYC law firms, then you wouldn't be on here sounding like stupid worthless excuses for people with law degrees.

It sounds like all of you are haters because you don't have jobs. If you spent as much time on finding a job or getting a life as you do on bashing non-NYC law firms, then you wouldn't be on here sounding like stupid worthless excuses for people with law degrees.

Associate resignations at Foley? How many/ which offices?? At least Foley is classy enough to not throw their associates under the bus.

Being at the second largest firm in Milwaukee must be like being the second tallest midget in the room.

yeah definitely -- when I lose my job it will make me feel so much better if they classify it as a "resignation"

Associate resignations at Foley? How many/ which offices?? At least Foley is classy enough to not throw their associates under the bus.

52--

Kind of like being the second best ballerina in Galveston.

44 just won most stupidest commenter award. Phoenix IS a real city!

-38

54,

A "resignation" is FAR superior to having your former firm publicly state, "Despite the difficult market conditions facing law firms, it is important to again note that none of our decisions were motivated by those dynamics." Yeesh!

I don't care how small the firm is -

If a firm is laying off attorneys and then shooting them in the back on their way out by claiming the dismissals were performance-based, that firm needs to be called out.

The attorneys who were pushed out deserve better. They need to have a fair chance to regain employment without an unnecessary smear to their reputations.

So consider Elie's post a public service. You never know when it will be you.

How you like me now?

This smells a bit like 'Massengill'. Did they let the same number of attorneys/staff go as in past years for the same reasons? If not then just admit the economy blows and don't throw the laid off associates/staff under the bus.

57--

Sure, just like Hogwarts is a real school for wizards.

What is PPP at Quarles? How does it compare to Foley?

I hope you're a flame 38/57.

Otherwise I just feel sorry for you.

61 -The Management Committee is proud to announce that the odor you are noticing is actually a store brand generic. Can't be wasting precious firm resources during the second coming of the Great Depression.

I wonder if attorneys at Quarles have an inferiority complex? I.e. Everyone at Quarles would rather be (and is not good enough to be) at Foley. Quarles is not better than Foley in any practice area or in any way. Similar to GW/ Georgetown.

"Separately, a small number of administrative positions were eliminated this past March as we reorganized the support staff in response to the firm's Strategic Plan for streamlining operations in administrative areas where we believe greater efficiencies can be achieved."

Huh? What?

"Separately, a small number of administrative positions were eliminated this past March as we reorganized the support staff in response to the firm's Strategic Plan for streamlining operations in administrative areas where we believe greater efficiencies can be achieved."

Huh? What?

Quarles has also withdrawn offers from federal law clerks.

Making 100 k in Milwaukee seems a hell of a lot smarter than making 160 k in New York. I guess some people like to live in their closets while others like to buy homes, have yards, and maintain a reasonable quality of life. It really sucks being able to own a car, buy a good meal for less than $20 and buy good MLB tickets for anything less than 2 grand. Yeah, Milwaukee lawyers are some real suckers.

70-- "Good MLB tickets" defined as "a Brewers game?"

Yeaaaaaaaaaah, about that...

Story of a firm nobody knows in a place nobody wants to go

70 - FTW!

49 - Chicks dig document review monkeys.

70, you just made a compelling argument to work at Foley (or Faegre, or JD Cleveland, or Barnes & Thornburg, etc.) You have not made a compelling argument for Q & B, which is the topic of this thread.

MIDWEST INSECURE

75 -

What's the basis for your statement that making $100k and working at Quarles is less attractive than making $100k and working at Faegre & Benson, JD Cleveland, or Barnes & Thornburg? Please explain.

66 -- Off of GW. GW is to GULC as NYU is to Columbia.

Quarles cancelled their OCI at University of Wisconsin too. Disappointed badgers.

76 -- because those firms, like Foley but unlike Q & B, are the top firms in their market. If you can get NY/LA/etc biglaw but prefer a smaller market, those are the firms to go to. Maybe less so for Barnes, b/c there is less of a gap between 1 and 2/3/4 in Indy. The point is, others here are talking about how Quarles is a crap firm, and you were talking about the benefits of living in Milwaukee. Non sequitur.

MIDWEST INSECURE

The ship be sinking...

6 is right. No sense talking about firms in cities where you might be able to have both a career and a life when instead you can talk about prestigious firms where you can slave for 4 or 5 years and then get kicked to the curb.

78 - That probably has a lot to do with how Quarles is not having a summer associate program this year.

It's not 100 in Milwaukee versus 160 in New York. Milwaukee market is actually $125,000, as stupid as that is, and Foley had been paying $145,000.

75/79:

I did not make the original comment about the benefits of living in a smaller city with a bigger paycheck. However, your reasoning still seems completely flawed to me. You clearly don't know anything about the legal market in Milwaukee, other than that Foley is there, and is "the best." (As an aside, I'm still unsure why everyone on this thread is creaming their pants over Foley - its full of douches, and they too, have been firing associates under the radar). I would take working at a well respected big firm in a smaller legal market over biglaw bullshit in NYC anyday. Go home to my family at night? Own a house? Still be able to make my student loan payments? Sign me up.

84 -- I don't disagree with you re: the benefits of a smaller market. I was answering 76's question. I'm not "creaming my pants" over Foley; we could make the same arguments about Faegre v. Dorsey, or Jones Day v. Thompson Hine, or Barnes & Thornburg v. Ice Miller. In fact, I'm glad to see this discussed on ATL, for once. But I think my point stands: If you (quite sensibly) reject NY biglaw in favor of a secondary market, you can and should go to the top firm in that market. Others have already pointed out that Q & B went bush league by whacking a bunch of associates and announcing that it was performance-based, unless they normally fire this many people this time of year. To that, I will simply add that the generic claim that Firm X is "full of douches" is usually prima facie evidence that Firm X is more selective and does more high-end work. More often than not, in other words, that is the anti-elitist argument of last resort.

MIDWEST INSECURE

84...right on, man!

Milwaukee > NYC in most respects.

Eat it, Manhattan!

83

You are correct. I was just tossing the 100k out there for fun. But even at 100k, Milwaukee is a bargain compared to New York at 160 k. And 100k covers all big law in the city and then some. While nationally, Foley is a clear number one, Quarles is, or at least has traditionally been, a good place to land. Same for Michael Best, and one or two more. But I have even heard stories of a couple of people who landed outside of big law at 100k in the Milwaukee market. That is why I used that figure. Lots of jobs qualify. And think, 100k in Milwaukee is supposedly like about 210k in New York when adjusted for inflation, but really, it is better here. People in New York cant get the equivolent of homes in Brookfield or Whitefish Bay at 210K. You might have to check your prestige whore ego at the door, but you might end up with a wife or husband that actually loves you and reasonably normal kids. Life is full of funny choices like that. More power to the people who want to work for a decade or two to have a shag pad in the Hamptons, but if that isnt your only goal in life, Milwaukee works. Maybe some of the douchebags on this site will realise that some day, but it will probably be a realisation that comes too late to save their souls.

70

What's a "Barnes & Thornburg?"

Barnes & Thornburg is a bookstore, correct?

70 is my hero.

85. I am quite impressed with the irony of your sign-off: MIDWEST INSECURE. A fine gentleman from the MW once said "Act like you been there before." In other words, if you are BigLaw in NY, DC, LA etc. and happy, then be content with your good fortune. But if you are there (and I don't think you are), then you should be billing and not writing 400 word essays that have only abstract relevance to the topic at hand. To do otherwise seems a tad "insecure."

milwaukee is for fatties. all of those laid off lawyers will now go eat their feelings. and get some giant sweatpants for those size 14 asses

Foley laws of 39 associates.

No word on whether soda there is free now.

Foley lays of 39 associates.

No word on whether soda there is free now.

Foley lays of 39 associates.

No word on whether soda there is free now.