ADVERTISEMENTS

In the last two days, the legal market has been greeted with more layoffs, a prediction that many more layoffs of associates and partners is inevitable, further deferrals of starting dates for new associates, buy-outs of new associates (also called firing them before they start), rollbacks in associates salaries, further cuts in partner income, let's see, have I forgotten anything?  Oh yea, there's that little matter of Skadden deferring  the starting date of associates from the class of 2010.  Maybe I'm wrong about this last thing, but I interpret this to mean that Skadden, the rock of the top AmLaw firms, is telling this summer's crop of summer associates that even if they get an offer, they will be deferred until 2011.  That, to me, is hardly a vote of confidence in any kind of prompt recovery.

 

I've been talking for along time now about what all this means for firms.  I won't go into that further here, but everyone with enough brain cells that they occasionally collide with one another knows the message for firms is grim and getting grimmer.  But what does this mean for clients?  It hardly bespeaks a smooth, predictable relationship, does it.  Maybe you'll be the lucky one to avoid personnel turnover on your matters, but most clients will see (and pay for) that turnover.  Beyond paying for it though, is there any doubt that turnover of personnel hurts in the quality of work?  Its often said that clients hate uncertainty.  If that is true, there are going to be many unhappy clients over the next few years.

 

 

 

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.