Legal News

File Under ?Not Too Surprising?: Detroit?s Biggest Firms Cut Lawyers

By Ashby Jones

If someone were to run up to our cubicle this morning, stand behind us, and yell: “Quick, Law Blog. What’s the first thing to come to mind when we say the words ‘Detroit’ and ‘Big Law Firms?’” we’d probably shrug and say “layoffs?”

Granted, we don’t actually recall any specific layoffs at Motor City law firms, though they’ve probably happened. But it just seems to make sense that what with the collapse of the automotive industry and the struggles that BigLaw’s had generally that Detroit law firms would be hit as well.

And indeed, we’ve got news to that effect today. According to the Crain’s Detroit Business via the ABA Journal, the two largest firms in Detroit have announced they are laying off a combined 30 lawyers and 30 support staff throughout their offices.

Reads the ABA Journal report:

At Miller Canfield Paddock and Stone, the loss amounts to 13 attorneys, though where and which practice areas were not revealed in the Crain’s Detroit Business article noting the cutbacks.

Dykema told the business publication that it had cut 17 attorneys and 30 staff earlier this month.

“The firm has provided those who are leaving with severance benefits during this difficult time,” Dykema Chairman and CEO Rex Schlaybaugh Jr. said in a statement. “This reduction is based on the economic climate.”

Schlaybaugh went on to say that firms most effectively managed during the current economic downturn will emerge stronger.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on June 24, 2009 (boomark / email).