Biglaw, Layoffs

Attorney Layoffs Hit Well-Liked Biglaw Firm

It seems this firm had all the work... until it didn't.

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pink slip LF layoffsBaker Donelson is used to praise. Perennially ranked on Fortune’s list of the best places to work, a whopping 93% of employees consider it a good place to work. It has also won recognition as a firm that values diversity and is great for new dads. But today’s news from the firm is much, much different.

We’ve gotten information from a delightfully chatty tipster about layoffs being conducted by Baker Donelson in two of their Florida outposts:

Baker Donelson is conducting layoffs in the Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale offices this week. The attorneys being cut are in the Consumer Finance Litigation and Compliance group. This particular group went on a hiring binge in late 2014/early 2015 when it was swamped with work… The firm lured attorneys and support staff from other firms with the promise of a lot of work for the foreseeable future.

It seems this practice group had all the work… until it didn’t. When the work stops flowing in, and the practice group starts mysteriously shrinking, well, suspicions run wild:

Everyone on the “[team]” in these offices noticed the slowdown, but the practice group managers in Atlanta assured the Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale [team] that they had nothing to worry about. When attorneys started disappearing from the ranks, there were further assurances that those departures had nothing to do with a lack of work.

Still not going to make most people feel better. And all this is before, according to our source, more formal layoffs commenced. As you can imagine, this has led to a distinct hit to the morale at the firm:

Each of the attorneys who came to the firm were aggressively recruited and some left associate positions at well regarded firms to come to a sinking ship. Now these attorneys, along with support staff, will be looking for new jobs. Even the people who survive the cuts are looking to leave because there is no more trust in management. Finally, some of the attorneys who “left” prior to the official layoffs are communicating with the newly laid off attorneys to see if they were treated similarly. The firm may be dealing with some unhappy former employees if it gets out that the stealthily laid off were not given the same benefits as the more recently laid off.

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When we reached out for comment about the layoffs, Baker Donelson responded:

We have had a limited number of departures for a variety of reasons. We are always mindful of matching our personnel to the needs of our clients and continuously monitor that throughout the firm. This allows us to remain strategic about appropriate staffing with our clients’ needs in mind. With more than 650 lawyers, a few departures can be expected from time to time.

Not that I am one to doubt the authenticity of media statements, but this sounds like a lot of corporate doublespeak. Suffice it to say some lawyers have found themselves involuntarily looking for new jobs.

And naturally there is resentment bubbling from the attorneys who once thought they’d found a great place to work for themselves. The parting shot from our tipster:

So much for Baker Donelson being a great place to work.  Management should focus more on getting clients instead of being highly ranked on meaningless surveys.

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Best of luck to all those who find themselves newly out of work. It may be a tough market out there, but with some luck and determination you can land on your feet.

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