Comments on: K&L Gates Salary Cut Follow Up

By: guest

guest — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:40:30 +0000

News to BIGLAW. All your jobs are going to India because their attorneys work for $9.00 per hour and that is what you are worth.

By: guest

guest — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:37:49 +0000

News to BIGLAW. All your jobs are going to India because their attorneys work for $9.00 per hour and that is what you are worth.

By: guest

guest — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:54:13 +0000

36, if you’re an associate, you need to develop some empathy because there but for the grace of God go you. Also, develop a better vocabulary than “sucky.” Seriously.
If you’re a partner or administrator, you should be ashamed of yourself. Both because you are attempting to tarnish the reputations of those you fucked over and because you didn’t have the good sense to avoid using the word “sucky.”
That is all.

By: guest

guest — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:04:38 +0000

I think this is a morale boost today, but like another poster said, its longer term effects remain to be seen. I fully expect that chronically under-utilized people will see pay-cuts, but hopefully those who are in high-flying practice groups that consistently bill far above expectations will see a reward. While I suspect that few or no associates will be rewarded in line or above what they would have gotten before the freeze, I suppose that even a modest raise is far better than a continued, across-the-board, freeze. The problem with the system as envisioned is that it will be virtually impossible for associates to really understand what the firm has done overall to associate compensation, given the lack of any policy, other than total discretion to the firm (and, presumably, a discrete – maybe non-existent – communication of the salary adjustment to the affected associate). I suspect that firm management’s real, internally-stated goal is to reduce overall associate compensation through this move, so I would not be surprised if people were disappointed come March.

By: guest

guest — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:00:35 +0000

Biglaw is back.

By: guest

guest — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:24:56 +0000

What in the hell is Elie thinking? Why do other firms’ news of salary thaws get played out in big letters, and K&L’s headline reads, “SALARY CUTS” when the article is actually about K&L being good to its associates and unfreezing? Elie, are you honestly unable to dispense good news around the holidays? Oh yeah and one more thing: K&L didn’t do stealth layoffs. K&L fired people who sucked, and those sucky people called them “stealth layoffs” because they didn’t want to admit what crappy lawyers they are. Left more work for the rest of the good associates.

By: guest

guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:56:52 +0000

I will wait to see what happens in March. Newbies start next month and old associates are maybe 65% occupied in general and doing the work we used to give to legal assistants before we sacked them. Maybe 10 people in my office are as busy as they should be and no one is excessively busy (maybe in fits and starts, but not overall). I am shocked that we’re not overtly sacking people, so I am taking that as code for watch out for your annual review and expect a cut if you make it past that. Income partners are jumping before they are pushed and I don’t see how management can claim that associates who have none of their own work are safe.

By: JoePescisBalls

JoePescisBalls — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:46:43 +0000

I remember the good ole days…when a stealth layoff meant that you were fired because you sucked.

By: guest

guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:31:24 +0000

13, are you stupid?

By: guest

guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:13:00 +0000

I wish ATL put the good news at the front of the post so that it would spread Christmas cheer across the land!
The legal market is starting to thaw, even though it is snowing outside.