Layoffs, Secretaries / Administrative Assistants, Staff Layoffs

Winston & Strawn: The August Recap

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We received a lot of tips about Winston & Strawn during the month of August. It seems like the firm had a busy month. We’ve reached out to the firm — multiple times — but haven’t heard anything back. But multiple sources report that Winston laid off around 20 associates over the month of August.
It is not surprising that the firm did not respond to us. Tipsters report that Winston has been extremely stealthy about its associate cuts. They laid people off over a long period of time, but never more than a few associates at any one time. One tipster explains it this way:

The layoffs for attorneys started in the Spring and they took breaks from it to keep under the radar. Same with the secretaries.

As we understand it, the associates let go were mid-level attorneys. They were told that the layoffs were for economic reasons.
Associates at Winston weren’t the only ones feeling the pain of being let go. After the jump, tipsters report that partners have been shown the door as well.


According to multiple sources, around 40 partners have been shed from Winston & Strawn over the past few months. We specifically asked firm spokespeople about this information as well. But again, we didn’t receive a response.
So some partners have been pushed out and some associates have been laid off. Does anybody really think the staff is safe?
Upon information and belief, Winston asked staff members aged 55 or older to take early retirement. We don’t know how many staffers actually took the option, or what kind of incentive the firm offered. But in addition to the early retirement option, around 20 to 25 legal secretaries were laid off.
Is Winston finished with its bloodletting? Given the firm’s strategy of laying people off slowly, it is difficult so say. Instead of rounds of cuts, layoffs at Winston seem to happen on a “rolling” basis.
Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of layoffs

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