Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day.
[Midyear reviews are] potentially a signal that more people will be let go. Some people are getting hand-picked for reviews. It may be earnest, and nothing may come of it. But in some cases, it may be a signal of bad things to come.
Performance reviews may have been happening in name only in 2021 because everyone was treading water. There could be some catch up there, but I haven’t heard associates feel that way. Performance reviews have been a format for stealth layoffs.
— Kate Reder Sheikh, a partner and legal recruiter at Major, Lindsey & Africa, in comments given to the American Lawyer on the sudden rash of “performance reviews” (i.e., stealth layoffs) that have been plaguing associates across Biglaw firms.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.