11:06 AM, maybe you will be going to one of the firms that I named; I am sorry to have pushed your button, but if you disagree, you can always say so, there is really no need to get so low as to insult a fellow poster on this site. If you have time on the weekends, my dog will be happy to teach you some internet manner.

Sidley didn't lay anybody off during the downturns of the early 90's or the dot-com bust. Granted, this downturn is different than those two, given its impact on finance lawyers.

But Sidley has a far broader range of practice groups/revenue than, say CWT and TPW. What's the percentage of corporate and regulatory work at the latter two firms, not to mention litigation?

Also, though things have obviously slowed tremendously, not all finance lawyers have been sitting on their hands since last August...there is still work to do.

Shearman, on the other hand, is still infamous for its mass layoffs. I would be curious to hear an explanation as to why it was forced to do so, which perhaps might shed some light as whether it (or others) will undertake major layoffs now.

Lastly, let's remember that, given how bad things have been on Wall Street and throughout the overall economy, there haven't been many law firm layoffs so far. And many people see things picking back up by the end of this year or in early 09'.

The sky is not falling.

11:10-on the weekends, could your mom's face instead teach me some internet manner?

Let's not let abovethelaw degrade into another xoxoth. I call for posts like 11:06 and 11:17 to be deleted, and for the IP of repeated offenders to be blocked permanently.

Anyone who bids others to engage in such speculation does so for one or more of 4 reasons
1. they like to see others suffer and talk about that
2. they have nothing better to do in their life other than talk about the misery (present or future) of others
3. future hirings might actually affect them
4. a combination of the above

If you choose 3, I'll assume you meant to pick 4.

11:22, your proclamation is currently resounding across the hills, valleys, and mountains of the kingdom of abovethelaw.

Somebody else in Charlotte. Charlotte is in a tailspin.

Firms really have over-extended themselves in Charlotte over the years.

Any thoughts on the Chicago market?

I haven't heard of any trouble in Chicago.

Associates at Kirkland and Sidley will no doubt be fine; Winston and Jenner associates will also most likely be fine; and Mayer Brown associates should be fine, but there has been a lot of trouble there the past several months (i.e., beyond the general downturn).

Associates at the "out of town" elites like Skadden and Latham (and I suppose Paul Hastings) will be fine.

I can't even speculate as to the mega shops like DLA or B & M. Anyone?

And I'd imagine things are either very group or client specific at firms like MWE, MW, etc.

Anyone...else?

Mayer and Winston both have summer classes that are about 50% increases over last year. Kirkland and Sidley stayed about the same. Jenner cut its class by over half. I am very confussed on how these firms decided on these numbers. I would think the 2 lit. shops (winston & jenner) would increase with the rest decreasing. That is not what happened. And Mayer is just out there.

Finance side of Sidley's NYC office might face some tough time, as with virtually every finance-related practice at every big firm. Their #1 client Merrill is posting huge losses, and I think that might affect Sidley a little bit. But overall the firm should be fine, as it is diversified.

I think Shearman and Milbank will have higher probability of layoff than Sidley (not to say they will), simply because they are more heavily focused on banking/finance work and more focused on the NYC market.

1:51 PM: Winston & Jenner are no "bigger" in litigation than Kirkland and Sidley.

1:54 - as a percent of the firm as a whole they are "bigger". Jenner is over 75% litigation. It is all they do. Kirkland and Sidley do it all.

Mayer is much more diversified too.

SIDLEY, Milbank already killed their staff slaves

2:16 PM: there was a thread on this site about Milbank laying off its staff attorneys, never heard anything about Sidley. Do you have sources?

11:22, I concur.

I also concur with 11:22.

Word on the street is that there's going to be a big merger...

Word on the street is that there's going to be a big merger...

Word on the street is that there's going to be a big merger...

Word on the street is that there's going to be a big merger...

Word on the street is that there's going to be a big merger...

Word on the street is that there's going to be a big merger...