Greenberg Traurig

Nationwide Layoff Watch: Greenberg Traurig Tells Real Estate Associates To Take A Long Weekend

By

Greenberg logo.JPGHere’s some (more terrible) news that we don’t want to get passed over just because it’s late on a Friday.

We are hearing reports that a number of associates will be laid off from Greenberg Traurig today. As we understand it, the layoffs are focused in the New York office and are being conducted right now. They hope to be finished before the close of business today.

The firm declined to respond to an immediate request for comment, but our tipsters report that the Real Estate practice group is going to be hit the hardest. The numbers are too varied from our sources to be able to confirm how many associates are being let go today.

In terms of severance, tipsters have confirmed that the laid off associates will receive a two month package.

The new firm motto of Greenberg is: “We’re Built for Change.” We hope the same can be said of their former real estate associates.

Oh the irony, after the jump.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “Nationwide Layoff Watch: Greenberg Traurig Tells Real Estate Associates To Take A Long Weekend”

254 Comments

Thacher Proffitt & Wood Abandons White Plains

By

Something is going on over at Thacher Proffitt & Wood.

This summer, the firm had to deny a rumor of possible dissolution. The word is that the firm took an especially tough beating when the bottom fell out of the housing and credit markets. In September, just a week after Lehman Brothers collapsed, we reported that Thacher Proffitt was looking for a white knight to save them (King & Spalding).

Today brings word that Thacher Protfitt abruptly closed their office in White Plains, New York. The firm declined to comment on the closing, but this picture was on the door of the firm’s (former) White Plains office (thumbnail image; click to enlarge):

Thacher Proffitt Wood White Plains.JPG

A tipster reports:

Presently, there are no attorneys or support staff anywhere in the office — just boxes, empty ones being filled, and filled ones being shipped out.

Update: Back in April, we passed along a rumor that the White Plains office would be closing. The firm denied this, but the closing has now come to pass.

Where did all the cowboys go? After the jump.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “Thacher Proffitt & Wood Abandons White Plains”

73 Comments

Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Vault 61-70 (2009)

By

comparing.jpgJudging from our traffic, readers are enjoying this rundown of the Vault 100. We do aim to please here at ATL. We appreciate those who have offered insights about firms in the comments.
Moving on to the next group (with prestige scores in parentheses):

61. Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP (5.608)
62. Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP (5.583)
63. Bingham McCutchen LLP (5.583)
64. Greenberg Traurig, LLP (5.478)
65. Holland & Knight LLP (5.416)
66. Heller Ehrman LLP (5.346)
67. Foley & Lardner LLP (5.266)
68. Steptoe & Johnson LLP (5.252)
69. K&L Gates LLP (5.242)
70. Kaye Scholer LLP (5.230)

As we move down the Vault list, “notable perks” are becoming less elaborate. This group is dominated by tales of free food, from endless soda at Greenberg Traurig to weekend doughnuts and muffins at Foley. And it appears that Pillsbury lacks a monopoly on cookie benefits; over at Cahill, lawyers are plied with “twice daily cookie trays.”
We note this food-related perk at Bingham: “If any lawyer takes out a more junior lawyer for drinks/dinner, he/she can submit the expense to the mentoring budget AND the senior person can get creditable hours.” Can you expense the roofies?
We invite you to compare and contrast these firms’ work, lifestyle, benefits… and cookies, in the comments.
Earlier: Vault 100 Open Threads – 2009

207 Comments

Legal Eagle Wedding Watch 5.4 – 5.11: Penn-y Wise

By

Legal%20Eagle%20Wedding%20Watch%20NYT%20wedding%20announcements%20Above%20the%20Law.jpgCongratulations to Keira Driansky and David Simon, chosen by ATL readers over Kristy Hong and Jonas Blank III as April’s Legal Eagle Couple of the Month.
Now for the next set of entrants, and it’s a crowded field. We think this week’s column sets a record for total number of Ivy League JDs. Here’s our latest crop of outstanding newlyweds:

1. Deborah Adler and Brian Sutherland
2. Rachel Hannaford and Justin Lerer
3. Zoe Segal-Reichlin and Daniel Garodnick
4. Alison Franklin and Shane Milam

Read up on their pedigrees and passions, after the jump.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “Legal Eagle Wedding Watch 5.4 – 5.11: Penn-y Wise”

52 Comments

Nationwide Layoff Watch: More South Florida Suffering

By

Holland Knight staff layoffs secretary secretarial firings.jpgThe bad news continues to roll in. Becker & Poliakoff, which just announced across-the-board pay cuts for its lawyers, isn’t the only Florida firm that’s hurting.
From a report by Julie Kay, for the upcoming issue of the National Law Journal:

In another sign of the hard times facing the legal industry, particularly in real-estate heavy South Florida, two local law firms — Holland & Knight and Shutts & Bowen — have laid off non-lawyer staffers.

On a day that could be dubbed Black Friday in South Florida legal circles, Tampa-based Holland & Knight, one of Florida’s largest and most venerable firms with 1,150 lawyers, laid off 70 staffers Friday, including legal secretaries, IT and accounting staff. No lawyers were laid off.

The layoffs of about four employees in each of Holland’s 17 offices represented 5% of Holland’s non-lawyer workforce.

Shutts & Bowen, a 200-lawyer, Miami-based firm, Friday laid off nine people, all entry level file clerks or paralegal clerks. No lawyers or legal secretaries were affected.

Holland & Knight spokeswoman Susan Bass told the Daily Business Review that the firm “had some redundancies and inefficiencies.” Seventy staffers is a whole lot of redundancies.
Read more — about prior layoffs at H&K, and the situation over at Greenberg Traurig — below the fold.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “Nationwide Layoff Watch: More South Florida Suffering”

22 Comments

More Scandals at Greenberg Traurig

By

Greenberg Traurig logo Above the Law blog.gifTroubles continue for Greenberg Traurig, the former home of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The firm itself has just been indicted on Abramoff-related allegations. Sure, it’s in Guam, but still — an indictment is an indictment (and an indictment of the firm, not just current or former employees). See links below for more details.
In addition, we’ve been hearing interesting things about Paul Alter, a former co-managing partner of the firm, based in the New York office. His bio has been pulled from the Greenberg Traurig website, and nobody has seen him around the office lately.
There are all sorts of juicy rumors going around about the reasons for his departure. We have an inquiry into the firm but have not yet heard back from them. If you have information, please email us. Thanks.
Miami law firm indicted in Guam [Miami Herald]
Greenberg Traurig Indicted in Guam [ABA Journal]

26 Comments

ATL Caption Contest: The South Florida Blackout (Final Round)

By

Greenberg Traurig lawyers blackout Miami Above the Law Blog.jpg
Some of you may be tired of our little Miami blackout caption contest. But we agree with the commenters who suggested that a contest with 20 entries was unwieldy. We’d like to get it right this time.
Here’s what we’ve done. We’ve taken the top five vote getters — there was a clear drop-off after #5, with all other choices polling under 10 percent — and pitted them against each other in a final round.
If you feel like it, you can review the contenders, and vote for your favorite, after the jump.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “ATL Caption Contest: The South Florida Blackout (Final Round)”

38 Comments

ATL Caption Contest Nominees: The South Florida Blackout

By

We have not forgotten last week’s promise of an ATL caption contest. To refresh your recollection, here’s the photo:
Greenberg Traurig lawyers blackout Miami Above the Law Blog.jpg
Here’s the actual caption:

Lawyers, from the left, Alan Lash, Justin Fienberg, and Alex Mendez, not lawyer, working on a project at Greenberg Traurig, on 27th floor of 1221 Brickell, went to lunch and found the building out of power.

Check out the suggested alternative captions, and vote for your favorite, after the jump.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “ATL Caption Contest Nominees: The South Florida Blackout”

27 Comments

Campaign Contributions and Listervs

By

Listserv.gifFrom one of our tipsters:
Richard Rosenbaum, president of Greenburg Traurig, made the following group email faux pas. He used the company listserv to send two emails soliciting contributions for the McCain campaign, proving that law students aren’t the only bumbling souls who screw up listserv etiquette. From Rosenbaum’s first email:

“As we have said on a number of other occasions, our firm does not support any particular presidential candidates as a firm. We are a business catering to a wide range of clients and employing lawyers and staff with a wide variety of interests and preferences in the political arena…”

Blah blah blah, a bunch of politically correct qualifiers, then BANG! The money-grab:

“I have recently been named a National Co-Chair of Senator McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign. As has previously been the case, over the next several months I will be working alongside several other leaders from the American business and legal communities to personally solicit contributions and other political support for Senator McCain’s presidential campaign.”

Now, of course, Rosenbaum goes on to say that participation is voluntary, etc. But is it really appropriate for a firm President to use group email to solicit campaign funds?
More, after the jump.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “Campaign Contributions and Listervs”

50 Comments

ATL Caption Contest: The South Florida Blackout

By

Here’s a photo of lawyers affected by the south Florida blackout, from the Miami Herald:
Greenberg Traurig lawyers blackout Miami Above the Law Blog.jpg
Here’s the actual caption:

Lawyers, from the left, Alan Lash, Justin Fienberg, and Alex Mendez, not lawyer, working on a project at Greenberg Traurig, on 27th floor of 1221 Brickell, went to lunch and found the building out of power.

ATL readers, we think you can do better. We welcome your suggested alternative captions, in the comments. Assuming sufficient response, we’ll take our favorites, incorporate them into a poll, and hold a caption contest. Thanks.
Update (2/29/08, 10 AM): New entries for the caption contest are no longer being accepted. We are reviewing the current submissions and will post a poll next week. Thanks.
Update (3/3/08): You can vote on the nominees over here.

98 Comments
Page 7 of 101...345678910