Cuts spread at US law firms as Katten announces layoffs, postpones start dates

Signage is seen at the law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman at their legal offices in Washington

Signage is witnessed at the regulation firm Katten Muchin Rosenman at their legal offices in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 11, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

(Reuters) – Katten Muchin Rosenman claimed Tuesday it is laying off lawyers and specialist staffers and delaying the commence date for some incoming associates, marking at the very least the 2nd U.S. law organization to make cuts this 7 days.

Chicago-started Katten, which has about 700 legal professionals, claimed in a assertion it has parted ways with “a tiny amount” of attorneys and enterprise support gurus. The agency claimed much less than 5% of lawyers and personnel have been affected.

Katten said it has also reassigned workforce customers exactly where achievable to follow teams “wherever desire exceeds ability.” It explained the reductions “were limited to groups wherever existing and envisioned desire is diminished.”

“The promptly shifting financial conditions of the last few many years have been demanding for numerous of our customers, just lately lowering their desire for some of our legal solutions,” Katten claimed in a assertion. The business said the steps “are not a damaging reflection on our colleagues or their contributions to our business.”

Armstrong Teasdale, a St. Louis, Missouri-founded organization with about 800 legal professionals, claimed in a Monday statement that it is laying off 24 workers members and 11 legal professionals, representing 6% and about 3% of all those teams over-all, respectively.

Patrick Rasche, Armstrong Teasdale’s running partner, said in a assertion the workers reductions come right after a “review of our organizational support construction,” permitting the company to streamline operations.

The legal professionals ended up permit go as a final result of a “critique of productiveness and overall performance,” Rasche said.

The layoffs this week appear as U.S. legislation companies have for months grappled with slowing demand from customers. A developing amount of corporations, which include Reed Smith Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe Cooley Dechert Goodwin Procter and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, among other folks, have eradicated lawyers, workers or both of those due to the fact late very last year.

Some regulation firms in addition to layoffs have determined to hold off the start day for at the very least some incoming legal professionals.

Katten mentioned it will defer the commence date for a portion of its incoming course of associates to Feb. 1. The rest of the incoming attorneys will begin on time in Oct. The business said the deferrals would affect incoming lawyers in slower apply parts.

Orrick Fenwick & West Perkins Coie and Cooley are among the other legislation companies that have deferred start off dates for some persons.

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Sara Merken reports on the business enterprise of regulation, including authorized innovation and regulation corporations in New York and nationally.