Thanks to our tipsters, we have some of the grim details. If law firms layoffs are a baseball field, Choate has just joined team Foley. Department heads went around this morning to alert the ill-fated 15 of their impending demise, but it was made clear that the layoffs affected all areas and were not performance based. Former Choatees will stick around for another month and will have access to outplacement services, and then be given two months severance.
Support staff reportedly were not treated quite so generously: today was their last day, they’ve already been locked out of the system, and it is still unclear (more tips people!) whether they received any severance at all. See comments.
Raise your hand if you think more Boston law firms will follow (and then send me a tip!). Let’s just hope they side with Team Foley instead of Team Goodwin. Mintz? Ropes? I need to hear from you. Judging by the number of hits to this post today tells me your brothers and sisters in the law need the info.
TGIF,
-Miss P
I’ve just received a tip so hot it’s melting the snow on the Greenway. Choate Hall has laid off 15 attorneys and more than 20 staff members this morning.
If you were laid off and are reading this, send Miss P an email with the juicy details. You’d better be networking your socks off at the BBAs wine tasting event tonight.
Remember: there is life after Biglaw.
January 23, 2009 at 9:10 pm
I just want to be the first to say how much that sucks. Good luck to everyone affected by this terrible economy!
January 27, 2009 at 12:07 am
THe staff was treated fairly with 3 months severance and outplacement help, etc.
January 31, 2009 at 7:04 pm
That’s not true, actually. Staff did get severance, but it was not three months — it was only a month, and I don’t think they had any access to outplacement help.