Waiting for the axe to fall

In just a few months, lawyer layoffs have become such a commonplace occurrence that a host of layoff trackers (including Vault's own) have sprung up to keep readers up to date on who’s firing whom at law firms in the US. (See e.g., Above the Law’s Nationwide Layoff Watch and Law.com’s Layoff List, tracking “employment shifts” among the Am Law 200.)

The latest news from across the pond is equally disheartening for lawyers and other legal staffers in Britain. UK giant Clifford Chance is currently in redundancy consultations with the 880 lawyers and paralegals in its London HQ, with plans to drop 70 to 80 lawyers in one fell swoop. The firm already laid off 20 litigators in New York and D.C. last fall, and now London associates face an anxious several weeks as the “collective consultation process” runs its course.

Layoffs—or “redundancies”in Brit-speak—have hit a number of other UK firms; according to The Times, some 2,000 lawyers across England and Wales are currently waiting to hear whether they’ll soon fall under the axe.

If it’s any comfort to associates and assistants, even partners are not immune to the downsizing—witness Kirkland & Ellis’ recent pink-slipping of a couple of dozen non-equity partners and CC’s warning partners to expect reduced payouts this year.

While a month-long consultation process can’t be easy for those awaiting the final word, pink slips are hardly the kind of handout in which recipients appreciate the element of surprise. For those whose firms may not be as open as CC, the ABA Journal suggests a few warning signs to tip off the savvy lawyer.

And for those who’ve already suffered the axe, Vault’s newest blog, Pink Slipped, offers practical advice, seasoned with a welcome dash of humor, on how to handle your newfound unemployment.

–posted by vera