More Biglaw Layoffs As Firm Moves To Outsource Admin Work

COVID-19's continued impact on the legal industry.

Things are changing in Biglaw. The latest revamp from an Am Law 200 firm is from Thompson & Knight. The firm announced a partnership with Williams Lea to handle business services. And the list of tasks the TK Administrative Resource Center is taking over is large: finance services, marketing and business development, including graphic design and digital marketing, document processing, and other administrative resources.

Managing partner Mark Sloan tells Law.com that the outsourcing discussions pre-date the COVID-19 outbreak, but that expedited the need for change:

Sloan said remote work stemming from the pandemic “brought it into sharp focus,” but the firm has been looking since last year at making some changes in support services such as document processing. He said it is efficient to do that work on a 24/7 basis, instead of just during the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday.

“For us, it’s really about flexibility,” he said.

But that “flexibility” comes at a price, specifically 18 positions the firm said it “unfortunately” had to eliminate as the pandemic rages on. Best of luck to those who find themselves out of work during this difficult time.

If your firm or organization is slashing salaries, closing its doors, or reducing the ranks of its lawyers or staff, whether through open layoffs, stealth layoffs, or voluntary buyouts, please don’t hesitate to let us know. Our vast network of tipsters is part of what makes Above the Law thrive. You can email us or text us (646-820-8477).

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headshotKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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