Law School Discussion Forums
https://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/
https://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=306717
Is it worse if firms do the layoffs that were gonna happen anyway in this period? Or is it neutral? I know students won’t really care much anyway but curious on people’s thoughts.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 4:34 pmDon't have any direct evidence on this, but I am guessing that some of the firms that had to more aggressively lay off employees were destined to be doing so in the near future even without the virus
Goodwin? If so, I'm surprised they stealthed such a big chunk of this group. Anon bc I work there.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 11:44 pmMidlevel in the life sciences group at a V40. I’ve been averaging about 250 a month since the pandemic started. Combined with WFH it’s brutal AF and there is no end in sight.
Goodwin EC/VC midlevel here - I have no idea why we stealthed people, but hours on the West Coast have been absolutely brutal - I'm on my 5th straight month above 250 and had 3 straight months over 300 within that span. Keep hearing that people on the East Coast are looking for work, so no idea why the West Coast seems to be hoarding work. Seriously considering just quitting and doing something else.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:45 amGoodwin? If so, I'm surprised they stealthed such a big chunk of this group. Anon bc I work there.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 11:44 pmMidlevel in the life sciences group at a V40. I’ve been averaging about 250 a month since the pandemic started. Combined with WFH it’s brutal AF and there is no end in sight.
Can you please be a little more specific as to which firm? Like Vault ranking? I'm a summer at a NY Biglaw firm and am a little concerned.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:38 pmMy firm data point -- Midlevel litigation associate. Firm is known as NY Elite. Litigation overall is slow (it was extremely slow between March-June) but things are starting to pick up. Most of the work is advisory and we've even branched out to low-margin work that we normally don't take on. We're getting a lot of billing pressure from clients. Most associates are doing busywork. Because of PR issue, we've extended offer to the full class of summer associates and all incoming associates are onboarding. Not sure what they'll work on though, since we don't have enough work to go around. Some pockets have work, but the work is not evenly distributed and not our "bread and butter" litigation. Partners are going on pitches but failing to generate business. The firm also offered a payout to staff and quietly asking staff to leave. Suspicious departures at the midlevel ranks. I personally am leaving, because I see the writing on the wall.
It's one of the top 2. It's well known in the industry that we are unusually slow compared to our peers.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:48 pmCan you please be a little more specific as to which firm? Like Vault ranking? I'm a summer at a NY Biglaw firm and am a little concerned.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:38 pmMy firm data point -- Midlevel litigation associate. Firm is known as NY Elite. Litigation overall is slow (it was extremely slow between March-June) but things are starting to pick up. Most of the work is advisory and we've even branched out to low-margin work that we normally don't take on. We're getting a lot of billing pressure from clients. Most associates are doing busywork. Because of PR issue, we've extended offer to the full class of summer associates and all incoming associates are onboarding. Not sure what they'll work on though, since we don't have enough work to go around. Some pockets have work, but the work is not evenly distributed and not our "bread and butter" litigation. Partners are going on pitches but failing to generate business. The firm also offered a payout to staff and quietly asking staff to leave. Suspicious departures at the midlevel ranks. I personally am leaving, because I see the writing on the wall.
Are you at a big law firm or a boutique? What market? Asking because I'm interested in that practice as well and want to gauge how it's doing.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 6:14 amI work at a top patent litigation group. We are doing amazingly well. So well that I am about to quit due to how absurd my hours have been the past few months.
Boutique in a major market. My firm works for many large tech companies, so the bills are still being paid and new work is coming in.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:57 amAre you at a big law firm or a boutique? What market? Asking because I'm interested in that practice as well and want to gauge how it's doing.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 6:14 amI work at a top patent litigation group. We are doing amazingly well. So well that I am about to quit due to how absurd my hours have been the past few months.
Thanks! Glad to hear it's a hot practice area for those types of firms. I guess large tech companies don't really have a choice but to defend themselves against lawsuits, pandemic/recession or not.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 9:26 amBoutique in a major market. My firm works for many large tech companies, so the bills are still being paid and new work is coming in.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:57 amAre you at a big law firm or a boutique? What market? Asking because I'm interested in that practice as well and want to gauge how it's doing.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 6:14 amI work at a top patent litigation group. We are doing amazingly well. So well that I am about to quit due to how absurd my hours have been the past few months.
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:33 amIt's one of the top 2. It's well known in the industry that we are unusually slow compared to our peers.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:48 pmCan you please be a little more specific as to which firm? Like Vault ranking? I'm a summer at a NY Biglaw firm and am a little concerned.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:38 pmMy firm data point -- Midlevel litigation associate. Firm is known as NY Elite. Litigation overall is slow (it was extremely slow between March-June) but things are starting to pick up. Most of the work is advisory and we've even branched out to low-margin work that we normally don't take on. We're getting a lot of billing pressure from clients. Most associates are doing busywork. Because of PR issue, we've extended offer to the full class of summer associates and all incoming associates are onboarding. Not sure what they'll work on though, since we don't have enough work to go around. Some pockets have work, but the work is not evenly distributed and not our "bread and butter" litigation. Partners are going on pitches but failing to generate business. The firm also offered a payout to staff and quietly asking staff to leave. Suspicious departures at the midlevel ranks. I personally am leaving, because I see the writing on the wall.
Cravath relies on massive cases and investigations to generate profit and isn't well suited for medium-to-smaller cases. During a pandemic, when companies are conservative with spending and certainly not willing to go into bet-the-company litigation, they are unlikely to hire a firm like Cravath. The investigation practice there is newer and definitely not the same caliber as some other firms with longer white collar history. Cravath also suffered a lot of big losses in its partnership to Kirkland, reducing its book of business even more. WLRK on the other hand just has a different business model (flat fee, not billable hours) so it is better suited to survive the pandemic. I am curious to see how Cravath will fare.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 12:16 pmAnonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:33 amIt's one of the top 2. It's well known in the industry that we are unusually slow compared to our peers.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:48 pmCan you please be a little more specific as to which firm? Like Vault ranking? I'm a summer at a NY Biglaw firm and am a little concerned.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:38 pmMy firm data point -- Midlevel litigation associate. Firm is known as NY Elite. Litigation overall is slow (it was extremely slow between March-June) but things are starting to pick up. Most of the work is advisory and we've even branched out to low-margin work that we normally don't take on. We're getting a lot of billing pressure from clients. Most associates are doing busywork. Because of PR issue, we've extended offer to the full class of summer associates and all incoming associates are onboarding. Not sure what they'll work on though, since we don't have enough work to go around. Some pockets have work, but the work is not evenly distributed and not our "bread and butter" litigation. Partners are going on pitches but failing to generate business. The firm also offered a payout to staff and quietly asking staff to leave. Suspicious departures at the midlevel ranks. I personally am leaving, because I see the writing on the wall.
Top 2 in terms of Vault overall? That would = Cravath, because sure as shit WLRK isn't having any problems, lol. Pretty scary if Cravath is having these problems.
I would be interested to know if Top 2 is more of an (understandable) fudge to make the firm less obvious or if there are actually two traditionally “elite” firms having these issues, because this sounds very similar to the situation at another firm.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:33 amIt's one of the top 2. It's well known in the industry that we are unusually slow compared to our peers.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:48 pmCan you please be a little more specific as to which firm? Like Vault ranking? I'm a summer at a NY Biglaw firm and am a little concerned.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:38 pmMy firm data point -- Midlevel litigation associate. Firm is known as NY Elite. Litigation overall is slow (it was extremely slow between March-June) but things are starting to pick up. Most of the work is advisory and we've even branched out to low-margin work that we normally don't take on. We're getting a lot of billing pressure from clients. Most associates are doing busywork. Because of PR issue, we've extended offer to the full class of summer associates and all incoming associates are onboarding. Not sure what they'll work on though, since we don't have enough work to go around. Some pockets have work, but the work is not evenly distributed and not our "bread and butter" litigation. Partners are going on pitches but failing to generate business. The firm also offered a payout to staff and quietly asking staff to leave. Suspicious departures at the midlevel ranks. I personally am leaving, because I see the writing on the wall.
What would that other firm be?Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 7:33 pmI would be interested to know if Top 2 is more of an (understandable) fudge to make the firm less obvious or if there are actually two traditionally “elite” firms having these issues, because this sounds very similar to the situation at another firm.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:33 amIt's one of the top 2. It's well known in the industry that we are unusually slow compared to our peers.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:48 pmCan you please be a little more specific as to which firm? Like Vault ranking? I'm a summer at a NY Biglaw firm and am a little concerned.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:38 pmMy firm data point -- Midlevel litigation associate. Firm is known as NY Elite. Litigation overall is slow (it was extremely slow between March-June) but things are starting to pick up. Most of the work is advisory and we've even branched out to low-margin work that we normally don't take on. We're getting a lot of billing pressure from clients. Most associates are doing busywork. Because of PR issue, we've extended offer to the full class of summer associates and all incoming associates are onboarding. Not sure what they'll work on though, since we don't have enough work to go around. Some pockets have work, but the work is not evenly distributed and not our "bread and butter" litigation. Partners are going on pitches but failing to generate business. The firm also offered a payout to staff and quietly asking staff to leave. Suspicious departures at the midlevel ranks. I personally am leaving, because I see the writing on the wall.
What had that firm done regarding associate pay and its summer associate program, broadly speaking?Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sun Aug 02, 2020 9:35 pmPresentation to associates at DC V5 had numbers showing the firm had stayed steady or slightly increased vs. 2019 year over year across basically all of its practice groups in the office.