The Boston-based law firm Brown Rudnick is the latest to sacrifice associates to the global economic crisis. Yesterday they parted ways with 20 attorneys, 3 paralegals, and 20 other staffers.

But the anticipation might have been worse than the hammer. Brown Rudnick told associates they were laying people off before anybody was actually laid off. This firm-wide email went out yesterday:

I regret to inform you that today we are having a layoff. Layoff notifications have begun this morning and will continue until approximately 4:00 PM ET today. This action will affect just under 10% of our attorneys, paralegals and staff….

Out of respect for those who are being laid off, we are unable to share more information with you at this time, but we will answer your questions when the notification process is complete. Please refrain from approaching members of the Management Committee, Managing Directors or Administrative Directors, prior to 4:00 PM ET, with questions about the layoff, as they, too, need to honor the privacy of our colleagues.

Everyone who is impacted by today’s action will be receiving severance and outplacement assistance. No other layoffs are planned after today.

The Firm remains strong. Today’s action is intended to better align our staffing with current work levels at the Firm and to position the Firm to be successful in this challenging economic environment.

… [W]e will be holding two meetings in the Boston Event Center later today with video connection to Hartford, New York, Providence and Washington. I encourage you to attend these group meetings. I will answer your questions at that time.

That’s a tough day. Waiting by your phone to learn if you still have a job.

After the jump, it was all over by 4:00 p.m.

It’s a busy morning, right before the big Memorial Day holiday weekend. There’s breaking news of associate pay raises from Sidley Austin, Arnold & Porter (hi James Sandman!!!), and Brown Rudnick.

The Sidley Austin memo appears after the jump. The raise to the $160K scale covers Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington. It’s retroactive to May 1.

The Arnold & Porter news was reported by The BLT: Blog of Legal Times. If you have the A&P memo, please email it to us.

We learned of the Brown Rudnick raise by email. We don’t have the memo, but our source sent us a salary table, which also appears below the fold.

Discuss.