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• Tough going in Scotland: redundancies, defections and shutters

  May 09 2012 Scottish firm Maclay Murray & Spens has initiated a redundancy consultation in its Private Client department, with four support staff roles and two legal roles at... more

• Shoosmiths to make up to 93 redundancies

  May 04 2012 Shoosmiths has announced that it will make up to 93 redundancies in a restructuring of the firm's consumer legal services arm. Private client practice group chief... more

• Herbert Smith set to lay off 51 in London

  Apr 30 2012 Herbert Smith has announced plans to lay off 51 people London, and has commenced a 30 day consultation to carry out the cuts. The biggest cuts will take place in the... more

• Clifford Chance makes 13 London associates redundant

  Mar 26 2012 Clifford Chance has announced that 13 London associates from the capital markets and finance practices face redundancy. The firm is in consultation with the 13... more

• UK firms should cut 5000 solicitor jobs, says report

  Mar 21 2012 A new report from the Royal Bank of Scotland claims that the UK legal market is suffering from substantial over-capacity, and is currently carrying over 5,000 excess... more

• Managing partner of Scottish firm Dundas & Wilson steps down

  Mar 12 2012 The managing partner of Scottish firm [Dundas & Wilson 1731, Donald Shaw,] has resigned from the post with immediate effect, returning to full-time fee-earning.... more

• UK firm DWF set to make redundancies

  Feb 27 2012 UK firm DWF is set to make some redundancies after the proposed merger with Cobbetts fell through three weeks ago, through RollOnFriday points out that the firm would... more

• Linklaters takes the axe to partnership

  Feb 20 2012 Linklaters is taking the axe to its partnership, with around 35 partners expected to be pushed out. Insiders report that there is an effort on the part of the firm... more

• Howard Kennedy takes shears to partnership

  Feb 16 2012 Howard Kennedy has taken the shears to its partnership, removing six partners along with one senior associate from its real estate team. The move reduces the real... more

• UK firm Pannone set to make a round of redundancies

  Jan 13 2012 Up to 12 fee earners and support staff from UK firm Pannone will lose their jobs when the firm closes two offices in Hale and Alderley Edge in Cheshire, as the firm... more

• Linklaters may shear 35 from equity partnership

  Dec 08 2011 Linklaters is set to take the shears to its partnership for the second time in three years, and has announced a major restructuring to its London partners. Some within... more

• Field Fisher Waterhouse declines to renew contracts, considers redundancies

  Nov 30 2011 The public and regulatory practice group at Field Fisher Waterhouse is likely to make four associates redundant, with a further 13 solicitors and paralegals likely to... more

• Senate and Congress approve deep cuts to legal Aid in the US

  Nov 22 2011 The US is set to cut funding from Legal Services Corp, the nation’s largest funding source for civil legal aid to the poor, after the House and Senate agreed to slash... more

• Two associates get the axe after returning from maternity leave at Walker Morris

  Nov 21 2011 London firm Walker Morris has laid off two associates in the corporate department. The two associates had reportedly just returned from maternity leave when they were... more

• Herbert Smith's corporate partners face heat over revenues

  Sep 08 2011 The corporate department at Herbert Smith may face layoffs after its budget target by £20m last year. Some reports suggest the firm is preparing to axe 15 to 20... more

• Graduates in Nevada face a tough job market

  Jul 29 2011 Law graduates in the US state of Nevada face a tough job market and declining pay, according to reports. The State Bar of Nevada has published a survey showing that... more

• Newcastle firm Watson Burton announces redundancies

  Jul 26 2011 Newcastle-based firm Watson Burton has announced further redundancies – with four jobs set to be eliminated. Last year the firm reported poor financial results... more

• UK firm Manches announces redundancy consultation

  Jul 18 2011 UK firm Manches has announced that a redundancy process is underway, though the firm will not reveal how many staff will be affected. A spokesman for the firm... more

• Hunton & Williams downsizes in London after mass departures

  Jul 18 2011 The London office of Hunton & Williams has downsized in response to a torrent of departures. The office has lost 60 per cent of its headcount in less than three... more

• Eversheds reports 7% increase in PEP over flat revenue

  Jun 14 2011 Eversheds has reported that revenues remained flat at £355m in the 2010-2011 financial year, while profits increased by 3 per cent and Profits per equity partner... more

• UK College of Law to make 30 redundancies

  Jun 07 2011 The College of Law in the UK is set to make up to 30 staff redundant across five of the eight campuses. In a less than smooth move, the announcement was made on the... more

• Forty redundancies at Addleshaw Goddard

  May 24 2011 Addleshaw Goddard has announced plans to make 40 redundancies in its business services division support staff, as part of a major restructure. The cuts follow reports... more

• Howrey partnership to vote on wind-down

  Mar 06 2011 With the departure of over 100 partners since 2009, the question of the future of Howrey has been growing ever more acute. And it seems that the question might soon be... more

• US firm Clark Thomas & Winters to undertake major restructuring

  Feb 28 2011 Texas law firm Clark Thomas & Winters has announced major restructuring to take place in the coming weeks, adding to speculation that the firm’s future hangs in the... more

• NY lawyers charging over $1000 per hour

  Feb 23 2011 While lawyers across the industry have suffered from redundancies and pay freezes as a result of the recession, there are some lawyers who are still enjoying high... more

• The secret to UK firm Slaughter and May's success

  Feb 21 2011 Slaughter and May is among the most profitable law firms in London, paying its 126 partners an average of £1.84m for their efforts despite posting sales at £439.5m,... more

• London firm Farrers asks lawyers to bill four hours daily

  Feb 21 2011 London faw firm Farrer & Co is clearly seeing tough times – last week the firm announced that salaries would be frozen, bonuses would be axed, and there may be... more

• CMS Cameron McKenna asks four partners to leave

  Feb 10 2011 Four partners at CMS Cameron McKenna have been asked to leave, and several additional partners have been moved down the firm’s equity ladder as result of a... more

• US lateral market at a ten year low

  Feb 07 2011 2010 was the slowest year for partners making lateral moves since 2000. In the 12 month period ending 30 September 2010, just 2,014 partners left or joined top law... more

• CMS Cameron McKenna staff face redundancy after LPO deal

  Jan 31 2011 CMS Cameron McKenna is taking the shears to its support staff after concluding a deal with outsourcing company Integreon. A third of the staff face redundancy or... more

• 2010: not such a bad year for lay-offs

  Jan 25 2011 Major US law firms laid off 745 people in 2010, down from a 12,259 people laid off in 2009 (the worst year on record), and lower than the 2008 figures when 1,992... more

• Wall Street lawyers working harder and seeing smaller bonuses

  Jan 02 2011 The Wall Street Journal reports that junior lawyers at top law firms worked harder in 2010, but that their end of year bonuses are generally at the same level as last... more

• The future of BigLaw

  Dec 24 2010 Law firm managers may be feeling a sense of relief as the legal services market shows signs of recovery. But the changes wrought upon the industry are significant and... more

• DLA Piper grants support staff slim pay rise

  Dec 21 2010 DLA Piper has announced a very lean pay rise for support staff – adding just 2 per cent to their salaries in the first pay increase in four years. As Roll On Friday... more

• From redundancy rounds to big bonuses in one year

  Dec 20 2010 When Cravath, Swaine & Moore announced year-end bonuses of $7,000- $35,000, a host of other large law firms adopted the same bonus scale as a standard and followed... more

• Redundancies for the banking practice at UK firm Dickenson Dees

  Dec 16 2010 After escaping the firm’s last three redundancy rounds, the banking team at Dickinson Dees is now in redundancy talks, with plans to lay off two of the seven fee... more

• CMS Cameron McKenna rumoured to be shearing partnership

  Dec 10 2010 Reports have emerged that CMS Cameron McKenna is taking the shears to its partnership, with a small number of partners being made redundant and a large number being... more

• Large law firms in Australia feel the pinch

  Dec 09 2010 Large law firms in Australia have responded to increased foreign competition and deep cuts to profitability by cutting partner numbers and eliminating jobs, according... more

• Survey predicts more cuts to equity partnerships

  Dec 01 2010 The days of cuts to the partner ranks are not over, according to a new survey onducted by the Amercan Lawyer. The survey reports almost 70 per cent of the 124... more

• Corporate jargon skews reality in the legal profession

  Nov 26 2010 This article from The Guardian observes that the legal industry’s love of corporate jargon Last week, for example, DLA Piper heralded a fresh round of redundancies... more

• UK firm CMS Cameron McKenna outsources legal support services

  Nov 23 2010 CMS Cameron McKenna's partners have approved plans to outsource legal support services to Integreon. The plan provides that Integreon set up operations within the... more

• Redundancy time: Hogan lovells, Barlow Lyde & Gilbert and Osborne Clarke

  Nov 22 2010 The London tax practice at Hogan Lovells has launched a redundancy consultation, with four associate positions at risk. This round of redundancies comes after the firm... more

• DLA Piper lays off employees in 26 US cities

  Nov 16 2010 DLA piper has laid off an undisclosed number of staffers from its offices in 26 US cities. The firm’s CEO and director of US operations Bob Bratt said: "It is... more

• Hogan Lovells to pay marketing professional close to US$1m

  Nov 01 2010 A new marketing officer at Hogan Lovells is rumoured to be taking home a salary of close to $1 million a year. Jolene Overbeck has worked with a number of US law... more

• Big changes at the Copenhagen office of Eversheds: 12 out and two up

  Oct 25 2010 The Copenhagen office of Eversheds is seeing a major shake-up, with 12 redundancies and the promotion of two partners to share the role of senior partner. The... more

• Scottish firm McGrigors to lay off 40 lawyers

  Oct 20 2010 Scottish law firm McGrigors has announced its entry into a redundancy consultation, with plans to cut 40 lawyers from the roster, as well as a number of support staff... more

• UK firm Bevan & Brittan in third redundancy round

  Sep 24 2010 UK firm Bevan Brittan has confirmed reports that a third round of redundancies is imminent. The firm will make up to 26 employees redundant – half of them fee-earners... more

• US Survey predicts that still more equity partners face the axe

  Sep 08 2010 A new report from Citi Private Bank predicts that law firms will cut more equity partners in the near future. The survey of 187 law firms shows that revenues have... more

• London's top earners see billings drop by £875,000

  Sep 07 2010 New figures show that partners in London’s top 10 law firms saw their fees drop by an average of £875,000 per partner during the economic downturn. Recruitment... more

• UK Firm Addleshaw Goddard called in £15.6m in partner contributions

  Sep 06 2010 Addleshaw Goddard partners contributed a massive £15.6 million to the firm in the last financial year, according to recent reports. The news highlights the... more

• Mid-level associates are not happy

  Sep 02 2010 The American Lawyer has conducted a survey focusing upon mid-level associates, finding that overall satisfaction level is down to the lowest level in six years.... more

• Law firms block access to 'Firm Spy' gossip site

  Sep 01 2010 Two leading Australian law firms - Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Clayton Utz - have banned a website that publishes law firm gossip. ‘Firm Spy’ seeks to publish... more

• Eversheds finds 'enhanced redundancy terms' for fifth round of lay offs

  Aug 20 2010 Eversheds has announced that there will be ‘enhanced redundancy terms’ for staff who lose their jobs in the firm’s fifth redundancy round. The firm estimates that... more

• Lovells posts 13% jump in PEPs and marginal increase in revenue

  Jul 15 2010 Lovells, the legacy firm operating outside the Hogan Lovells merged entity, has posted a 13 per cent jump in average profit per equity partner which rose from... more

• DLA Piper posts 18% drop in PEP

  Jul 14 2010 DLA Piper has posted a one per cent drop in revenue in the 2009-10 financial year, while profits per equity partner fell by 18 per cent, from £645,000 to £527,000.... more

• US legal sector sheds 3,900 jobs in June

  Jul 07 2010 June was a bad month for employment in the US legal sector, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting a drop 3,900 jobs. Meanwhile, the modest gains reported... more

• Allen & Overy reports drop in revenue and hike in PEP

  Jul 01 2010 Allen & Overy has reported a 10 per cent jump in profit per equity partner in the 2009-10 financial year. Revenue fell by four per cent during the same period, and the... more

• 16 months after associates volunteered for a pay cut to save jobs

  Jun 28 2010 When the Real Estate associates at Field Fisher Waterhouse were informed in February 2009 that there would be two compulsory redundancies in their department, they... more

• Nortin Rose posts marginal drop in revenue

  Jun 21 2010 Norton Rose has reported a turnover marginally lower than that of last year. The UK firm saw revenues of £307 million, a 2 per cent drop from last year’s £314 million... more

• Eversheds outsources legal support services

  Jun 18 2010 Eversheds has followed a growing trend to cut costs by outsourcing legal support services. The firm is reportedly planning to make its entire back office finance team... more

• Oslwang PEPs up 38 per cent, despite of modest growth

  Jun 03 2010 Olswang has posted a small increase in turnover for this financial year, up 2 per cent from £89.2m to £91m. Meanwhile the average profit per equity partner has jumped... more

• DLA Piper in secret negotiations to outsource IT

  May 17 2010 The folks at RollOnFriday have broken the news that DLA Piper is in negotiations to outsource its entire global IT department of over 1000 staff. They are reportedly... more

• No relief for legal sector as US unemployment drops

  May 10 2010 The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has released a new employment report showing the addition 290,000 jobs to the US economy in April, with nearly 80 percent of them in... more

• Latham & Watkins and A&O: biggest hirers and firers

  May 10 2010 An article in The Lawyer today reveals that the two global firms that have made the most redundancies over the past two years have also been the most active in... more

• Eversheds found guilty of sex discrimination against male lawyer

  May 04 2010 The UK Employment Tribunal has decided in favour of an associate who claimed that Eversheds dismissed him unfairly and discriminated against him on the basis of gender... more

• Four corporate partners leave Mayer Brown's London office

  Dec 19 2009 Four corporate partners have resigned from Mayer Brown's London corporate department. The US firm has just announced plans to lay off up to eight associates, but a... more

• DLA Piper starts new Middle East redundancy round

  Dec 08 2009 DLA Piper has launched a third redundancy round in the Middle East region, announcing that it is to lay off another 9% of staff in the region in response to the... more

• Clifford Chance fights redundancy claim from former partners

  Aug 24 2009 Allen & Overy's problems with its former Frankfurt associates are as nothing compared with Clifford Chance's German woes, writes RollOnFriday. At least two... more

• DLA Piper cuts 121 in second layoff round

  Jul 09 2009 DLA Piper has become the first major US firm to conduct a second round of layoffs this year. The firm is cutting 21 associates and 100 staff. DLA had already cut 80... more

• Nabarro launches second round of redundancy talks

  Jul 09 2009 UK law firm Nabarro posted a 35 per cent fall of partner profits (PEP) in 2008-09, from £574,000 to £375,000. Nabarro's revenue dropped by 9 per cent to £127m . The... more

• 114 opt for the voluntary redundancy program at Allens

  Jul 06 2009 More than 100 employees at Australian law firm Allens Arthur Robinson have opted for the firm's voluntary redundancy program, including lawyers, corporate services... more

• CMS Cameron McKenna cuts 73 jobs

  Jun 26 2009 CMS Cameron McKenna has completed its redundancy talks, laying off 73 London staff, reports legalweek.com. more

• UK firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) cuts 85 jobs

  Jun 23 2009 According to The Lawyer, BLP made 47 compulsory redundancies, while 32 took voluntary redundancy and six employees have taken early retirement. more

• 10,000 UK lawyers face losing their jobs

  Jun 15 2009 About 10,000 lawyers --- more than one in ten of the 83,000 privately employed solicitors in the UK --- could lose their jobs, writes The Times, citing recruiters,... more

• Herbert Smith lays off 84 as consultation closes

  May 26 2009 Herbert Smith has completed its redundancy consultation with 84 members of staff laid off in London. The consultation, which concluded at the end of last week,... more

• Baker & McKenzie cuts 70 jobs in London

  May 14 2009 21 fee earners, 28 secretarial staff and 21 support staff in the City will be cut as a result of a six-week redundancy consultation, which was first announced in March. more

• UK law firm Shoosmiths to shed 79 jobs

  May 12 2009 Shoosmiths, which has eight offices in the UK, said it was starting a redundancy programme involving 25 fee earners and 44 support staff. more

• UK firm Berwin Leighton Paisner launches redundancy consultation

  May 06 2009 Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) is reviewing 30 legal, 30 business services and 25 secretarial positions in London, reports legalweek. more

• Laid-off Herbert Smith associates may receive better compensation than expected

  May 03 2009 Reports have surfaced that the compensation paid to associates at Herbert Smith who have been made redundant in the most recent round of layoffs will be better than... more

• More noted US firms laying off staff

  Apr 29 2009 Reports exist that well-known US firms Kilpatrick Stockton and K&L Gates have both made cuts in their number of staff. K&L Gates is reported to have made an unclear... more

• Reports of Squire Sanders associate salary cut

  Apr 27 2009 Reports have emerged that US firm Squire Sanders & Dempsey has elected to cut associate salaries by approximately 10%. In addition, 30 lawyers are reported to have... more

• Older partners also being hit by global economic downturn

  Apr 27 2009 While numerous reports have discussed the impact on associates at major firms of the global economic downturn, recruiters report that partners, and particularly older... more

• US firm Kilpatrick Stockton to delay first-year start dates

  Apr 26 2009 The US firm Kilpatrick Stockton recently indicated that it would delay its first-year associates' starting dates until April 2010. The Atlanta-based firm will be... more

• Dechert will start incoming associate class in groups

  Apr 23 2009 Major firm Dechert stated recently that it would be dividing its first-year associate class into three groups with different start dates, some as late as the fall of... more

• Lawyers for Sun Micro may face layoffs after merger

  Apr 23 2009 Lawyers working for companies which have been acquired by Oracle within the last year have faced layoffs, reports indicate. As a result, some are concerned that Sun... more

• Mayer Brown extends first-year deferral

  Apr 22 2009 Reports exist that a few weeks after indicating its incoming first-year associates in 2009 would be offered the option to defer their start dates until early 2010,... more

• Kirkland experiences staff layoffs

  Apr 22 2009 1500-lawyer Kirkland & Ellis indicated that it has cut an undisclosed number of administrative staff positions in all offices of the firm. General economic conditions... more

• Taylor Wessing makes another cost-cutting move, asking trainees to defer

  Apr 22 2009 After announcing a number of cost-cutting measures including some potential redundancies and sabbaticals, Taylor Wessing now indicates it will ask trainees starting in... more

• Taylor Wessing introduces cost-cutting measures including redundancies

  Apr 21 2009 Taylor Wessing recently indicated that it will introduce a number of cost-cutting measures including a likely 10 associate layoffs, sabbaticals at significant salary... more

• Herbert Smith joins ranks of firms cutting salaries and staff

  Apr 20 2009 Herbert Smith has stated that it will freeze associate salaries at last year's levels, and may be eliminating up to 84 staff from its office in London. The firm's... more

• Skadden offers London associates paid sabbatical

  Apr 19 2009 Skadden has offered its London associates the possibility of taking a one-year sabbatical at a reduced salary. The cost-cutting measure guarantees not to eliminate... more

• Eversheds may cut up to 10 more lawyers

  Apr 16 2009 UK firm Eversheds has indicated that it may cut as many as 10 legal staff in its third round of layoffs. In addition, the firm has stated that it will ask new... more

• Major firm Wilmer looks for associate deferrals

  Apr 15 2009 US firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr has asked incoming new associates to postpone their start dates until early in 2010. The basis for the deferrals, as... more

• Rumours circulate about large litigation cuts at Shearman

  Apr 15 2009 Numerous reports exist that Shearman & Sterling is planning to cut up to 5% of its litigation associate numbers in addition to laying off associates in other practice... more

• UK firm Camerons requests trainees delay start date

  Apr 14 2009 UK firm CMS Cameron McKenna has asked its trainees to volunteer to delay their start dates by up to one year, potentially extending into 2011. The firm has offered a... more

• Linklaters asks new hires to defer

  Apr 13 2009 UK firm Linklaters has asked its new trainees to defer their start dates until as late as September 2010 in exchange for a stipend. The firm has indicated that it... more

• SRA refuses to intervene in law firm deferrals

  Apr 08 2009 The Solicitors' Regulation Authority, overseeing solicitors in England and Wales, has elected not to intervene in cases where prospective trainees have signed a... more

• Baker & McKenzie cuts over 100 staff positions

  Apr 07 2009 International firm Baker & McKenzie recently confirmed that the firm has eliminated a further 124 positions, including 38 lawyers. This is the second round of layoffs... more

• DLA Piper to cut corporate, finance, and projects lawyers in Dubai

  Apr 06 2009 DLA Piper has announced it will eliminate 8 associates in its Dubai office. Falling demand is cited as the reason for the cutbacks. more

• Mayer Brown will cut lawyers and staff in US

  Apr 02 2009 Mayer Brown has indicated that it will lay off over 100 lawyers and support staff, with 45 lawyers losing their jobs, throughout its US offices. In addition, many... more