Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, Secretaries / Administrative Assistants, Staff Layoffs

Staff Layoffs at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge These Things Never Happen On Boston Legal

By  
on

One of these days, I’m going to be able to lead off with some good news for attorneys or support staff. But it is not this day.

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge has confirmed layoffs of a number of support staffers:

We have been engaged in a long-term review of our cost structure and due to improvements and efficiencies with our technology and processes, we determined that lower staffing levels are appropriate.

Meeting and exceeding our clients’ needs remains our top priority. We, like other law firms and businesses, continually strive to best position the firm. We felt it necessary to take proactive measures to align our talent with our client needs

We understand that 50 staffers were laid off: 25 from the Boston office, and 25 across all other EAPD offices. The firm said that no associates were laid off as part of this long-term review.

The firm could not provide us with information about the severance package offered to staff.

Some EAPD back story after the jump.


EAPD has been candid with their employees in the past. In September we reported that EAPD no offered 6 summers out of their 18 person 2008 summer class. Back then, EAPD said that the no offers were a result of the uncertain economy … and that was before Lehman threw the economy into a death spin.

Sponsored

And remember, EAPD has already laid off attorneys. In March, the firm laid off “less than ten” attorneys. At the time, the firm promised that there would be no additional attorney cutbacks.

If we take the positive view, we can say that EAPD is one of the firms that was not caught flat footed when the economy collapsed. They made their attorney cuts early, managed the size of their summer class, and are now scaling down to staffing levels that they can afford over the long term.

I’ll not bore you with the negative view that we all fear …

Good luck to the displaced secretaries, paralegals, and other ex-EAPD employees. As we mentioned Wednesday, we should not ignore the silent beating support staffs are taking all across the law firm universe.

Earlier: Nationwide Layoff Watch: Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge

Sponsored

Nationwide No Offer Watch: Edwards Angell Doesn’t Hide the Ball

Staff Layoffs at K&L Gates

Topics