Biglaw

Skadden Announces Layoffs Across U.S. Offices

The layoffs hit professional staff at the elite firm.

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Well, it looks like we can expect the Biglaw trend of layoffs to get worse before it gets better.

The coronavirus has wrought a lot of changes in Biglaw — we’ve seen firms announce their office is closing until 2021, we have partners and associates are sharing offices, bunches of firms slashed salaries, and we’ve even seen partners forced out of firms. But the very, very top of the Biglaw pile remained mostly quiet during this tumultuous time. Now, that’s changed.

Tipsters at the firm reported to Above the Law that none other than Skadden Arps has been cutting back on professional staff, apparently taking the unprecedented upheaval to make some staffing changes. A spokesperson for the firm confirmed the layoffs to Above the Law, “We can confirm that we have laid off just under 4% of professional staff across our U.S. offices.”

Best of luck to those who find themselves out of work.

Now that an ultra prestigious firm has decided layoffs are the way to go (and one that instituted no previous COVID-19 austerity measures to boot), will we see even more firms willing to take a carving knife to their ranks? Only time will tell.

If your firm or organization is slashing salaries or restoring previous cuts, 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).

If you’d like to sign up for ATL’s Layoff Alerts, please scroll down and enter your email address in the box below this post. If you previously signed up for the layoff alerts, you don’t need to do anything. You’ll receive an email notification within minutes of each layoff, salary cut, or furlough announcement that we publish.

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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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