50 Positions Will Be Eliminated By October 15th At This Biglaw Firm
That's... a lot of layoffs.
With increasing frequency, we are seeing Biglaw firms revamp their model of business to become leaner. That means that staff often find themselves recipients of pink slips as the changes brought on by COVID-19 become permanent. The latest firm to cut staff jobs is Baker Botts, a firm that placed 58th on the latest Am Law 100 ranking.
After recently announcing bonuses for exceptional performance and walking back their COVID-19 austerity measures, the firm has decided to make some more big changes. Yesterday, leadership at the firm sent around an email, describing the new world the firm finds itself in:
Today’s environment is requiring that essentially all businesses re-examine every aspect of their operations and traditional assumptions, as we now see our daily work habits changing on a long-term basis. The way our lawyers and our support staff work together has experienced a fundamental shift.
As a prudent business, we must be responsive to this shift and ensure that we align our supporting resources with our clients’ and the Firm’s business needs in this changed environment.
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That can mean only one thing: layoffs. According to the internal email, available on the next page, approximately 50 staff positions have been eliminated, and impacted employees will find themselves out of work next week (October 15th).
A spokesperson for the firm had this statement on the layoffs:
“Yesterday, approximately 50 staff members across the firm, in Office Services and Secretarial Services, were informed that their positions will be eliminated effective October 15. We will be parting ways with some wonderful people to whom we are deeply grateful for all they have done for the firm. However, we must be responsive to the fundamental workplace shift created by the pandemic to ensure that we align our supporting resources with our clients’ and our own business needs in this changed environment.”
As always, best wishes to those that suddenly find themselves out of work.
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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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Kathryn 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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