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Heard that Gunderson Dettmer just laid off some first years (Class of '22). The class already had a delayed start date of mid-January of this year. Anyone have any more info?

Yes, several associates, not just first years were laid off. Funds, corporate and tech associates were let go.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 04, 2023 5:00 pm

Yes, several associates, not just first years were laid off. Funds, corporate and tech associates were let go.

Not just several, another 10% (this is a full-scale RIF). Memo from Gunderson MP in the ATL article; https://abovethelaw.com/2023/04/biglaw- ... ssociates/

GD is deferring start dates for the incoming summer class again. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t they do this for the last summer class too? And then ended up firing first years that started 3 months ago in January?

its pretty brutal, two associates that I know that went to GD from my firm got laid off too....

If you were one of the incoming GD associates with a delayed start (class of '23), would you trust the offer or look elsewhere? Seems risky to trust the firm given the first year layoffs, but the lateral market is terrible, especially for incoming associates with zero experience.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 06, 2023 2:54 am

If you were one of the incoming GD associates with a delayed start (class of '23), would you trust the offer or look elsewhere? Seems risky to trust the firm given the first year layoffs, but the lateral market is terrible, especially for incoming associates with zero experience.

Obvious answer seems to be to look elsewhere just in case, and if you get an offer, consider if you want to bail and take it.

I never actually interviewed anywhere since the economy was clearly improving quickly, but I was deferred in 2020, I brushed up my resume, started reaching out to my network, and prepared to apply elsewhere just in case.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 06, 2023 2:54 am

If you were one of the incoming GD associates with a delayed start (class of '23), would you trust the offer or look elsewhere? Seems risky to trust the firm given the first year layoffs, but the lateral market is terrible, especially for incoming associates with zero experience.

Laying off c/o 2022s and simultaneously telling c/o 2023s that they're being deferred already likely means they're really, really hoping some of them successfully jump ship before the firm has to pull something similar again next year. Get out if you can and don't listen to a single word of reassurance (I was laid off from Gunderson - they will reassure you all the way up til one of the management committee members sends you the Zoom invite of death).

Thanks for the information, @former GD associate! Do you have any other insights about the firm that you feel comfortable sharing? Were you happy there before the layoff?

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 10, 2023 11:29 am

Thanks for the information, @former GD associate! Do you have any other insights about the firm that you feel comfortable sharing? Were you happy there before the layoff?

No problem. I wasn't there long - I joined around the worst possible time and never really felt like I was ever a part of the firm, lol. I got dog shit work assignments because there was nothing to go around and couldn't get on anything solid even after bugging people very regularly.

Culture wise - there are like 5-6 firms that Gunderson loves hiring from, and people from their old firms tended to clique up so the firm doesn't really have a unifying culture (at least, my office didn't). I guess that's kind of obvious given the firm is almost entirely made up of laterals. But the partners are also a lot more aloof and unfriendly than they presented themselves as during interviews.

None of that is even that bad though, the worst is that when they did stealths last year the firm just straight up pretended nothing was happening and refused to acknowledge anything when asked straight up. We'd still have regular office-wide meetings that were super cheery and jokey while people were suddenly vanishing from their offices and getting their matters restaffed. It created an atmosphere of fear for MONTHS. A lot of people who were pretty respected were included, so no one knew what the criteria was, who would be next, or when it was going to stop (they probably laid off a couple of people every week or two from September to December, with the initial ones being "performance" terminations and the later ones being straight up layoffs). The firm refused to be transparent at every step of the way while claiming that their war chest was going to get everyone through the downturn - that's what makes me legitimately mad at the firm.

I'm another former GD associate who can add some color. My experience largely tracks with the other GD anon.

I also joined at what seemed like the worst time (although inexplicably, the firm kept gobbling up laterals until like June or July of last year which is just wild considering things had long since slowed down by then). I was never able to reach 100% utilization so I wasn't exactly surprised to be stealthed although like the other poster said, it was absolute torture to see colleagues disappear every couple of weeks not knowing when it would be your turn, all the while being gaslit by partners pretending nothing was happening. It really did a number on my mental health and I'm still feeling the effects.

I will say that I have a somewhat differing opinion regarding the office culture. It's true there were a lot of laterals, but I will say that I really enjoyed the associates I worked with. I actually got some moments of real mentorship and teaching, which for the most part completely eluded me at my previous firm. So yeah a lot of the people are from [insert random V10], but my sense is that they are more likely to be people you would want to spend time around when compared to the entire pool of V10 associates. YMMV though. And as the other GD anon said, the partners were largely disappointing. Perhaps even more awkward than the median big law partner but it's a tech firm so they all think they're cool which somehow makes it worse.

If you're an incoming associate who's reading this, beware. Note that I was largely happy with the actual work I was doing and the people I was doing it with and did not feel like I made a mistake coming to GD from that perspective. But the firm is grossly mismanaged and you should allow for the real chance that the partners will torpedo your career if they have to. Given the macro environment, I accept the fact they probably would have had to rightsize the firm even had they been more responsible with lateral hiring last year. But the fact that they laid off most of the first years after only 11 weeks (after stringing them along all fall) is really just unconscionable. If I remember the summer accurately, this year's class of incoming associates is much, much bigger than the current class of first years. Unless the economy and more specifically the VC funding environment does a 180 I would be very, very wary. Collect the stipend and do your best to think of a plan B in case the worst happens.