Milbank Tweed

Despite Mumbai Tragedy, Outsourcing Continues

By

outsourcing biglaw aba tsunami.gifThe terrorist attacks in Mumbai reminded everyone that we live in a dangerous world. But as India takes the steps necessary to improve its homeland security, we shouldn’t expect the tragedy to stem the tide of outsourcing American legal functions to Indian companies.

The National Law Journal reports that firms are increasingly proud of their outsourcing initiatives:

As outsourcing becomes more commonplace and corporate counsel and law firms are under increasing pressure to reduce costs for clients, law firms such as Baker & McKenzie; Greenberg Traurig; Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy; and Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler are actually touting at conferences the benefits of outsourcing.

Baker & McKenzie was the last best hope for Heller Ehrman, Greenberg Traurig is conducting stealth layoffs, and Millbank just announced Half-Skadden bonuses. But their outsourcing operations are thriving.

And the wave of firms outsourcing legal services to India is only going to get bigger:

Forrester Research projects that legal outsourcing to India will reach $4 billion by 2015. Some experts, however, find that number too low and others too high. Regardless, other numbers don’t lie — there are an estimated 800,000 lawyers in India and nowhere near that many jobs. Attorneys there charge, on average, $35 an hour, or no more than half of what an upper paralegal or lower-level associate bills, and up to three times less than an upper-level associate’s time.

After the jump, will global terrorism have a chilling effect?

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “Despite Mumbai Tragedy, Outsourcing Continues”

Sign up for the Above the Law newsletter

Subscribe to our free daily email and get breaking news, commentary, and opinions on law firms, lawyers, law schools, lawsuits, judges, and more.

Associate Bonus Watch: Milbank Tweed

By

law firm associate bonus watch 2008 biglaw bonuses.jpgA match of Cravath — no surprise there. There’s not much suspense left to this process (with the possible exception of what S&C and maybe Weil will do).

From a Milbank tipster:

What is funny is all the false Milbank “no bonus” rumors, posted as comments to other posts (e.g., here), probably made associates here less upset, if anything, when the real announcement came out.

I’m sure there will be a spectrum of reactions. I’m not upset, but my expectations were not unrealistic to begin with.

Memo after the jump.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “Associate Bonus Watch: Milbank Tweed”

Sex Blogger Finds Love At Milbank

By

Jessica Cutler Washingtonienne Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgFormer Capitol Hill staffer/sex blogger/author/bankrupt babe Jessica Cutler has taken a husband. According to the Washington Post:

Jessica Cutler, 30, the Hill aide turned “Washingtonienne” sex blogger turned author, to Manhattan lawyer Charles Rubio, 28. … The couple plan to wed at New York City Hall on an early December weekday, followed by a happy-hour reception. (Not pregnant, in case you’re wondering.) How’d they meet? “Randomly in a bar,” Cutler told us. “I wish I had a more romantic story to tell you!”

Isn’t that always the way? You write stories about the exciting escapades of others while you yourself marry a lawyer you met in a bar. Yawn.

The lucky man after the jump.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “Sex Blogger Finds Love At Milbank”

Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Vault 21-30 (2009)

By

comparing.jpgIn connection with on-campus interviewing season, we’re giving you a chance to assess the firms that made this year’s Vault 100 list of most prestigious law firms. The previous open threads listed firms in groups of five, but to up the pace, we’ll list them by ten from here on out. Here’s the next group, with prestige scores in parentheses:

21. O’Melveny & Myers LLP (6.815)
22. Clifford Chance LLP (6.772)
23. Jones Day (6.763)
24. Morrison & Foerster LLP (6.657)
25. Hogan & Hartson LLP (6.579)
26. Linklaters (6.574)
27. Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy (6.512)
28. Ropes & Gray LLP (6.501)
29. Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP (6.494)
30. Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (6.481)

We note Magic Circle firm Linklaters making a big leap from the high 30s in the 2008 list to #26 this year — perhaps because its “notable perks” include group retreats to Europe, a drinks trolley, and an on-site doctor and dentist.
Compare. Contrast. Discuss. Thanks.
Earlier: Vault 100 Open Threads – 2009

Legal Eagle Wedding Watch 3.9 and 3.16: Deposing Marriage

By

Legal%20Eagle%20Wedding%20Watch%20NYT%20wedding%20announcements%20Above%20the%20Law.jpgFor LEWW, one of the best things about spring is the return of a reliable stream of lawyer-lawyer couples to the NYT wedding pages. Soon we’ll even be seeing SCOTUS clerks! This week five out of our six newlyweds sports a JD. Here they are:

1.) Michelle Lieberman and Daniel Lubetzky
2.) Michelle Davidowitz and Jed Schwartz
3.) Jessica Zeldin and Johnston Whitman Jr.

More about our finalists, after the jump.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “Legal Eagle Wedding Watch 3.9 and 3.16: Deposing Marriage”

What’s Up at Milbank Tweed?
(Parental leave, for one thing.)

By

Milbank Tweed Hadley McCloy AboveTheLaw Above the Law blog.jpgDespite the recent turmoil in the economy and the stock market, all appears to be well at Milbank Tweed Hadley McCloy. A tipster provided us with the highlights of chairman Mel Immergut’s “State of the Firm” address from last week:

1. Primary caregiver leave is now 18 weeks paid.

2. Blackberries will get replaced every two years instead of three.

3. “We’re not getting fired.”

It appears that Milbank has effectively made a “no layoffs” promise. It learned that lesson the hard way:

Mel stressed that in the last downturn, they had slowed hiring, and then found themselves at a loss for mid-level associates when things picked up later. So the plan is to continue to hire new people (our summer program is the largest to date at 100+) and retain, but not really hire laterals.

Will other firms make a similar pledge? We’ll see.

Update: Do the Cadwalader Shuffle

By

Cadwlader Official.JPGHere’s the most comprehensive bit we’ve heard from a tipster:

[N]o longer at CWT anymore (thankfully), but I did hear that Chris White (the Partner who deposed Link) is attempting a major realignment of practice groups. Apparently he wants to move the Corporate department into the Real Estate and somehow make it a sub group. As expected, this is not going over well with the Corporate partners (imagine Dennis Block being told he needs to move?) and there’s all kinds of infighting and threats from the Corporate partners in regards to this.

Is this the source of the rumblings we’ve been hearing? We’ll update you as we find out more information.
UPDATE #2: This tip just came in the comments from someone in the office at Cadwalader today:

I’m in the office today and something is definitely going on. There is absolutely no work going around. I asked a partner if everything was OK and he told me to mind my own business. This is not a joke. I also have some friends at other firms (Milbank) who say that they are also extremely slow.

So, we have confirmation that “something” is going down. Could this be just another slow Friday, or are we on the verge of a serious scandal?

Associate Bonus Watch: Milbank Matches

By

associate bonus watch 2007 law firm Above the Law blog.jpgWe’ve had this news for a while, but technical difficulties prevented us from posting on the main page. We did note it in the comments.
Milbank has matched. Memo after the jump.
Due to the aforementioned technical difficulties — we’re switching to new servers later this month, thankfully — we’re signing off for the day. If any more bonus news surfaces while we’re gone, feel free to discuss it in the comments (and also please email us, since we don’t read every last comment). Thanks.

double red triangle arrows Continue reading “Associate Bonus Watch: Milbank Matches”

Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Vault 21-25

By

Morrison Foerster 425 Market Street San Francisco Above the Law blog.jpgOkay, folks, you know what to do. Here are the next five law firms up for discussion (in Vault 100 order, with prestige scores in parentheses):

21. Arnold & Porter LLP (7.012)
22. Jones Day (6.932)
23. Morrison & Foerster LLP (6.898)
24. Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy (6.752)
25. Clifford Chance LLP (6.747)

The virgin territory of the comments is yearning for your touch.
The Vault Top 100 Law Firms [Vault]
Earlier: Vault 1-5; Vault 6-10; Vault 11-15; Vault 16-20

Skaddenfreude: The Milbank Memo

By

100 dollar bill Above the Law Above the Law law firm salary legal blog legal tabloid Above the Law.JPGApologies for the delay — server problems. Trust us, they’re frustrating us ten times more than they’re frustrating you.
With thanks to the various tipsters who sent it to us (including “Goose”), here’s the memo from Milbank Tweed announcing pay raises for their associates:
MILBANK TWEED HADLEY & McCLOY LLP
From: Wagner, Christine
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 5:12 PM
To: #Asia Associates All; #DC Associates; #LA Associates; #NY Associates; #LN Associates
Subject: Sent On Behalf Of The Executive Committee
MEMORANDUM TO ASSOCIATES – CLASSES 2006-1999 AND SPECIALS
Re: 2007 Salaries
We are pleased to announce salary adjustments as listed below:
Class of 2006 – $160,000
Class of 2005 – $170,000
Class of 2004 – $185,000
Class of 2003 – $210,000
Class of 2002 – $230,000
Class of 2001 – $250,000
Class of 2000 – $265,000
Class of 1999 – $280,000
These increases are retroactive to January 1, 2007 and will be reflected in February 15 paychecks for those who are in good standing and with us on that date.
2007 salary increases for Specials will be determined on an individual basis this quarter as usual.
We appreciate all your contributions and look forward to another great year.
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Milbank
Christine Wagner
Director of Legal Personnel
Earlier: Previous announcements of law firm associate salary increases (scroll down through “Skaddenfreude” archives)

Associate Bonus Watch: Wednesday Open Comment Thread

By

stack of bills cash money.jpgAs you can see from the time of our first post of the day, we’ve been in front of our computer for about twelve hours. Our eyes hurt. And we’re hungry.
We need to stand up. Maybe we’ll be really daring and leave our apartment.
Hence this open comment thread. Some of the biggest Biglaws — Cravath, Sullivan & Cromwell, Paul Weiss — have already announced their bonuses. But if Skadden comes along and blows the top off the bonus market while we’re gone, please post it in the comments (along with a link to your source).
We’ll follow up when we return. Thanks.
P.S. We realize this is unlikely. First, Skadden will probably do what everybody else has done, and match the market bonuses (as set last week by Milbank). Second, based on the buzz over at Greedy NY, it seems that a Skadden announcement will probably come tomorrow.
Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of bonuses (scroll down)

ATL Week in Review: December 4 – 8

By

Christmas tree.jpg* The holiday season is here, and you know what that means: year-end bonuses for law firm associates. On Friday, Milbank Tweed made the first big bonus announcement. And this time it wasn’t fake.
* They talk a lot about “due process” over at Yale Law School. But questions have been raised concerning the process by which Linda Greenhouse, SCOTUS reporter for the New York Times, was selected over Justice Samuel Alito for the school’s prestigious Award of Merit.
* If Greenhouse benefited from preferential treatment from YLS Dean Harold Koh, it wouldn’t have been the first time.
* Justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer: not just geniuses, but also an inspired comedic duo.
* Speaking of great legal minds, Professor Noah Feldman is leaving NYU for Harvard Law School.
* And speaking of NYU Law School, if you haven’t already voted in the 3L hotties contest, there’s still some time left. Polls close tomorrow at 3PM (Eastern time).
* Finally, we have a new little sibling. Please extend a warm welcome to Supermogul: The View From the Top.