The oil and gas industry has been dealing with a slump in business for quite some time, and law firms specializing in energy law have felt the sting since 2015. Back then, several firms were forced to conduct layoffs, close offices, or close entirely (see here, here, and here). Poor oil and gas performance continued through 2016, with Pennsylvania — the epicenter of the Marcellus shale industry for all intents and purposes — losing 32 percent of its jobs in this area over the course of the year. It was only a matter of time before a Biglaw firm fell prey to to the underperforming market, and one of the largest firms in the country is now waving the white flag of defeat.
In 2011, Norton Rose Fulbright (then known as Fulbright & Jaworski) opened an office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with six lawyers it had recently poached from K&L Gates, in the hopes of cashing in on the Marcellus boom. Now, that office is closing, and the firm has confirmed that several people have been preemptively laid off.
The Legal Intelligencer has additional information on the NRF closure:
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In a statement, the firm confirmed that the Pittsburgh-Southpointe office is expected to close. The two remaining partners in that office, Amy L. Barrette and Jeremy A. Mercer, will relocate to the Washington D.C. location, the firm said.
“With more than 50 locations worldwide, we continually evaluate where we have physical offices,” the firm’s statement said. “We plan to close the Pittsburgh-Southpointe office in the near future, as we can serve our clients’ needs in that area from our other offices.”
The firm also confirmed that one senior paralegal and one secretary were were laid off in anticipation of the closing. The exact date of the planned closure is not clear.
Janet McQuaid, who had been listed as an attorney in Houston and Pittsburgh, is now in Houston as her primary office. Michael Gaetani, who was counsel at Norton Rose in Pittsburgh, was laid off, according to the firm, as his role will be eliminated with the office closure.
Do you have any additional details on what’s going on at Norton Rose Fulbright? Please drop us a line. We wish all those who may be affected at Norton Rose Fulbright the best of luck while they seek new job opportunities in the legal industry and beyond.
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Norton Rose Fulbright to Close Pittsburgh Office [Legal Intelligencer]
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Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. She’d love to hear from you, so feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.