Fired from Big Law today Forum

[JusticeJackson]

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[RaceJudicata]

Not trying to dig here. But I didn't know any v10s even had "satellite" offices. I thought they were mostly all 1-3 office firms and all offices were major city megaliths.

Well, go take a look at their websites. All or most have several offices, and some have relatively large offices in other cities. For example, Kirkland has a massive office in Chicago, and then large offices in NYC and DC.

[JusticeJackson]

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[RaceJudicata]

Not trying to dig here. But I didn't know any v10s even had "satellite" offices. I thought they were mostly all 1-3 office firms and all offices were major city megaliths.

Well, go take a look at their websites. All or most have several offices, and some have relatively large offices in other cities. For example, Kirkland has a massive office in Chicago, and then large offices in NYC and DC.

Oh I use the satellite to mean like a small outpost in Phoenix. I get it though. A huge but non headquarters office can be a satellite. Sorry to derail.

Not to derail further, but you could be right - I've always thought satellite was just a non-HQ office. I suppose either way, its just semantics.

[runinthefront]

Not trying to dig here. But I didn't know any v10s even had "satellite" offices. I thought they were mostly all 1-3 office firms and all offices were major city megaliths.

Nah. Take Sullcrom's DC office, for example. Less than 40 attorneys or so. 25 in Palo Alto. I would consider those satellite offices.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Not trying to dig here. But I didn't know any v10s even had "satellite" offices. I thought they were mostly all 1-3 office firms and all offices were major city megaliths.

Nah. Take Sullcrom's DC office, for example. Less than 40 attorneys or so. 25 in Palo Alto. I would consider those satellite offices.

Skadden, Latham, and Kirkland all have tons of offices.

[cavalier1138]

What a shocker. People earning over $180k a year think that Joel Osteen is a great Christian preacher.

OP, just to echo (with a slight twist) what another poster said: be wary of religion right now. Any evangelical-type Christian will smell blood in the water when you mention that you just got fired, and they will exploit it. I cannot tell you how many ridiculously conservative Christians start their stories with "I was going through a really rough patch after my [divorce/firing/relative's death], and I met a [missionary/chaplain/preacher] who opened my eyes to the Lord."

This is just one event in your life. It doesn't have to change who you are on a fundamental level.

[dabigchina]

Not trying to dig here. But I didn't know any v10s even had "satellite" offices. I thought they were mostly all 1-3 office firms and all offices were major city megaliths.

Nah. Take Sullcrom's DC office, for example. Less than 40 attorneys or so. 25 in Palo Alto. I would consider those satellite offices.

Skadden, Latham, and Kirkland all have tons of offices.

I wouldn't call any office with more than 100 attorneys a "satellite".

IE, I wouldn't call Latham Chicago or Kirkland NY satellites, even though they are nominally based in LA and Chicago.

Anyway there are 2 junior attorneys who got fired recently on the front page. Are firms starting to tighten their belts?

[JusticeJackson]

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[Anonymous User]

Not trying to dig here. But I didn't know any v10s even had "satellite" offices. I thought they were mostly all 1-3 office firms and all offices were major city megaliths.

Nah. Take Sullcrom's DC office, for example. Less than 40 attorneys or so. 25 in Palo Alto. I would consider those satellite offices.

Skadden, Latham, and Kirkland all have tons of offices.

I wouldn't call any office with more than 100 attorneys a "satellite".

IE, I wouldn't call Latham Chicago or Kirkland NY satellites, even though they are nominally based in LA and Chicago.

Anyway there are 2 junior attorneys who got fired recently on the front page. Are firms starting to tighten their belts?

As the other junior attorney, here is what I think/know. My firm does fire juniors and they are firing a decent amount of people, all stealth layoffs. Nobody at my firms knows that firings are happening (most are more midlevel), the only way I know this is because one of them is me, one is my close friend, another I overhead a conversation, another few I can tell because similar signs as me. Whether they were always a fucking piece of shit firm and always did this, or this is new, I dont know. No, I will not out my firm.

[Anonymous User]

Not trying to dig here. But I didn't know any v10s even had "satellite" offices. I thought they were mostly all 1-3 office firms and all offices were major city megaliths.

Nah. Take Sullcrom's DC office, for example. Less than 40 attorneys or so. 25 in Palo Alto. I would consider those satellite offices.

Skadden, Latham, and Kirkland all have tons of offices.

I wouldn't call any office with more than 100 attorneys a "satellite".

IE, I wouldn't call Latham Chicago or Kirkland NY satellites, even though they are nominally based in LA and Chicago.

Anyway there are 2 junior attorneys who got fired recently on the front page. Are firms starting to tighten their belts?

As the other junior attorney, here is what I think/know. My firm does fire juniors and they are firing a decent amount of people, all stealth layoffs. Nobody at my firms knows that firings are happening (most are more midlevel), the only way I know this is because one of them is me, one is my close friend, another I overhead a conversation, another few I can tell because similar signs as me. Whether they were always a fucking piece of shit firm and always did this, or this is new, I dont know. No, I will not out my firm.

Could you let us know what the practice group/specialization is?

[Anonymous User]

Not trying to dig here. But I didn't know any v10s even had "satellite" offices. I thought they were mostly all 1-3 office firms and all offices were major city megaliths.

Nah. Take Sullcrom's DC office, for example. Less than 40 attorneys or so. 25 in Palo Alto. I would consider those satellite offices.

Skadden, Latham, and Kirkland all have tons of offices.

I wouldn't call any office with more than 100 attorneys a "satellite".

IE, I wouldn't call Latham Chicago or Kirkland NY satellites, even though they are nominally based in LA and Chicago.

Anyway there are 2 junior attorneys who got fired recently on the front page. Are firms starting to tighten their belts?

As the other junior attorney, here is what I think/know. My firm does fire juniors and they are firing a decent amount of people, all stealth layoffs. Nobody at my firms knows that firings are happening (most are more midlevel), the only way I know this is because one of them is me, one is my close friend, another I overhead a conversation, another few I can tell because similar signs as me. Whether they were always a fucking piece of shit firm and always did this, or this is new, I dont know. No, I will not out my firm.

Could you let us know what the practice group/specialization is?

Why does it even matter? Stop being so nosey. It is quite common for firms - law or consulting to fire people for lack of hours and there is many reasons why an attorney might have low hours.

[Anonymous User]

Not trying to dig here. But I didn't know any v10s even had "satellite" offices. I thought they were mostly all 1-3 office firms and all offices were major city megaliths.

Nah. Take Sullcrom's DC office, for example. Less than 40 attorneys or so. 25 in Palo Alto. I would consider those satellite offices.

Skadden, Latham, and Kirkland all have tons of offices.

I wouldn't call any office with more than 100 attorneys a "satellite".

IE, I wouldn't call Latham Chicago or Kirkland NY satellites, even though they are nominally based in LA and Chicago.

Anyway there are 2 junior attorneys who got fired recently on the front page. Are firms starting to tighten their belts?

As the other junior attorney, here is what I think/know. My firm does fire juniors and they are firing a decent amount of people, all stealth layoffs. Nobody at my firms knows that firings are happening (most are more midlevel), the only way I know this is because one of them is me, one is my close friend, another I overhead a conversation, another few I can tell because similar signs as me. Whether they were always a fucking piece of shit firm and always did this, or this is new, I dont know. No, I will not out my firm.

Could you let us know what the practice group/specialization is?

Why does it even matter? Stop being so nosey. It is quite common for firms - law or consulting to fire people for lack of hours and there is many reasons why an attorney might have low hours.

Some practice groups are doing poorly, and I'm aware what some of them are by virtue of being in the laterals market. If OP mentioned one of the fields I have in mind, I would have pointed it out to reassure them it's the field that's doing poorly and probably not their work product.

[Anonymous User]

Not trying to dig here. But I didn't know any v10s even had "satellite" offices. I thought they were mostly all 1-3 office firms and all offices were major city megaliths.

Nah. Take Sullcrom's DC office, for example. Less than 40 attorneys or so. 25 in Palo Alto. I would consider those satellite offices.

Skadden, Latham, and Kirkland all have tons of offices.

I wouldn't call any office with more than 100 attorneys a "satellite".

IE, I wouldn't call Latham Chicago or Kirkland NY satellites, even though they are nominally based in LA and Chicago.

Anyway there are 2 junior attorneys who got fired recently on the front page. Are firms starting to tighten their belts?

As the other junior attorney, here is what I think/know. My firm does fire juniors and they are firing a decent amount of people, all stealth layoffs. Nobody at my firms knows that firings are happening (most are more midlevel), the only way I know this is because one of them is me, one is my close friend, another I overhead a conversation, another few I can tell because similar signs as me. Whether they were always a fucking piece of shit firm and always did this, or this is new, I dont know. No, I will not out my firm.

Could you let us know what the practice group/specialization is?

Corporate

[Johann]

It is not surprising that biglaw firms fire people, even during relatively good times. The term fire may not be as appropriate as forced out, but yeah so many people leave biglaw firms it's apparent some of that chunk is not by choice.

My guess is like most things in life there is some degree of politics to it. Partners form snap judgments of people and do or don't like working with people based on something that could happen very early in a career.

It's not uncommon for a junior to have only 1500 hours their first year. The people in this thread did nothing wrong most likely other than wrong place wrong time. Keep your head up folks, it is not an indictment on your personality or ability as a lawyer.

[Npret]

It is not surprising that biglaw firms fire people, even during relatively good times. The term fire may not be as appropriate as forced out, but yeah so many people leave biglaw firms it's apparent some of that chunk is not by choice.

My guess is like most things in life there is some degree of politics to it. Partners form snap judgments of people and do or don't like working with people based on something that could happen very early in a career.

It's not uncommon for a junior to have only 1500 hours their first year. The people in this thread did nothing wrong most likely other than wrong place wrong time. Keep your head up folks, it is not an indictment on your personality or ability as a lawyer.

There have always been stealth layoffs. Most 0Ls don't seem to grasp that biglaw isn't a guaranteed career. Maybe they see lockstep salary and assume it's theirs if they just get that SA?

Yes partners make snap judgements and it can be impossible to overcome. Someone posted a while ago about intentionally doing a bad job because they disliked the junior associate. Doing that bad work ruined their reputation at the firm.

That is not to say everyone being fired did something wrong. There are politics and financial decisions that firms make that are opaque to associates. Maybe they are reducing overall headcount based on some projections? Who knows exactly.

OP: just try to stay confident and look for the next job.Good luck!

[Anonymous User]

Perhaps firms are starting to crunch based on some projections. Would it be useful to gather data points? I know that Cadwalader NY fired a second year associate few weeks ago.

[Anonymous User]

As someone in the laterals market now, I can tell you the 180k raise was not a good thing for us. Some firms are feeling more pressure than ever, and are "restructuring" the associate ranks accordingly. I would have preferred the previous compensation structure (160k+) because it bought us all more jobs (at least at the associate level) and stability.

[Anonymous User]

As someone in the laterals market now, I can tell you the 180k raise was not a good thing for us. Some firms are feeling more pressure than ever, and are "restructuring" the associate ranks accordingly. I would have preferred the previous compensation structure (160k+) because it bought us all more jobs (at least at the associate level) and stability.

This has definitely been a fear of mine. Now that the move is done, there is nothing that can be done...hopefully firms don't shuffle the deck too much. That said, I'm in Chicago and secretly hoping NYC moves to 200k and leaves others behind. I'd much rather have 2 extra years on the 180k scale than 0 extra years on the 200k (or any future bump) scale.