Biglaw, Partner Issues

Biglaw Firm Introduces New Hours Requirement -- For Partners

Which firm is threatening to pull the plug on partners' quarterly profit drawings?

By  
on

bonus money low bonuses poor empty pockets sad upset lawyer businessmanWhen we speak about hours requirements here at Above the Law, we’re generally shining a light on associates’ gripes about the sheer number of billable hours required to maintain good standing with their firms and the possibility of losing out on bonuses at the end of the year due to their delinquent timekeeping. We rarely delve into partner-related hours issues, due in part to the fact that such matters are largely kept hush-hush.

Today, that changes.

We’ve received word that DLA Piper has instituted a new daily hours requirement for its equity partners. It’s referred to as the “red card” system, and partners stand to be severely penalized if they don’t follow the rules. The Lawyer (sub. req.) has the scoop:

Partners who fail to fill in a timesheet showing they have completed a minimum seven-and-a-half hours of work could have their quarterly profit drawings withheld.

In extreme cases where “delinquent behaviour” continues partners could also see their monthly drawings reduced, according to DLA chief operating officer Andrew Darwin.

Those seven-and-a-half hours need not be all billing, but rather, work generally, which includes but isn’t limited to training, mentoring, supervising, and client development.

What could have brought about a policy like this? Are DLA Piper’s partners getting lazy? Big Law Business had the same question, but their requests for comment from the firm went unanswered. Instead, they turned to legal recruiter Dan Binstock, co-chair of Garrison & Sisson’s Partner and Practice Group Division, to see what he had to say:

[A] policy like this is usually brought on due to unproductive behavior that needs to be addressed. While this is unusual, if there are segments of partners who are not carrying their own weight and coasting, this policy is definitively a firm kick in the rear.

Sponsored

Considering that profits per partner at DLA Piper in the most recent Am Law 100 ranking came in at $1.57 million, threatening to withhold partners’ quarterly profit draws — and in extreme cases, reducing their monthly draws — is most certainly “a firm kick in the rear.” We hope that DLA Piper partners will heed the firm’s warning and put in (almost) a full day of work each day… or they’ll suffer the financial consequences.

Exclusive: DLA to penalise partners who fail to clock 7.5 hours of work a day [The Lawyer (sub. req.)]
Work Your Hours at DLA Piper… or Else [Big Law Business]

Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Sponsored

Topics

, , , , , ,