Legal Search with Judgement

Warren Recruiting Welcomes Jennifer Witten Clearman, Esq.

2011-10-27T08:32:00.001-07:00

Warren Recruiting is please to announce the addition of Jennifer Clearman to the Firm.

Jennifer is an experienced litigator with the inspiration to build teams that are synergistic and outcome-driven. She has worked in both large and small firm environments, and has had primary responsibility for recruiting, hiring and supervising associates and staff. Her experience gives her an authentic understanding of the issues and challenges addressed by employers when recruiting and hiring attorneys and staff.

Jennifer received her law degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and began her career in Los Angeles, defending international and domestic corporations in complex tort and commercial litigation. Upon moving to Houston, she expanded her litigation practice, working on both sides of the docket. Jennifer holds dual Bachelors degrees from Tulane University. She is active in the Houston community, including having served on the Board of Directors of The Junior League of Houston and overseeing numerous volunteer projects for local non-profit organizations. She has actively worked on boards of other organizations supporting education and the arts, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and First Steps Montessori School.

Jennifer lives in Houston with her husband, Scott, a founding partner of the IP litigation boutique Clearman|Prebeg, and their two children. They enjoy traveling, collecting art and playing with their many pets, including their dogs, Jaxon and MacDuff.

Jennifer can be reached at Jennifer@WarrenRecruiting.com

Behavioral Interviews are Becoming a New Trend

2011-06-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

According to Desiree Lebar, recruiting specialist at Warren Recruiting, behavior based interviewing is becoming more common. Often employers will consider a candidate's past performance as being the best predictor of future performance. So, rather than the typical interview questions on your background and experience, you will you need to be prepared to discuss detailed examples of your work experiences.

The best way to prepare is to think of examples where you have successfully used the skills you've acquired. Take the time to compile a list of responses to both types of questions. Itemize your skills, values, and interests as well as your strengths and weaknesses. Focus on and highlight what you can do to benefit the firm rather than just what you are interested in. Also prepare a list of questions you want to ask the interviewer. Remember, when you’ve gotten the opportunity to meet with a firm and participate in an interview, that means the firm already believes the experience reflected in your resume qualifies you for the position. Now, it’s your job to elaborate on your experience and convince them why you are the best candidate for them!

Have more questions? Ask Desiree Lebar.

Welcome Vanessa Vance

2011-05-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Warren Recruiting is pleased to announce the addition of Vanessa Vance, Esq.

Vanessa brings over two decades of legal industry knowledge and hands-on experience to Warren Recruiting. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and South Texas College of Law, having received Distinguished Student and Dean's List honors at both. Vanessa worked her way from associate to partner where she was responsible for the hiring and management of a large team of support staff and associates, as well as an enormous docket of active litigation files. She has a real-world, first-hand perspective as to the innate issues related to being an associate and partner in various-sized law firms, and this insight makes her well-equipped to successfully assist clients and candidates seeking both attorney and partner placements.

Vanessa has been a frequent speaker at many CLE seminars. She is a certified mediator and a member of the State Bar of Texas. In addition, she is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, Houston Bar Foundation and Litigation Counsel of America, and a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas. Vanessa was previously named Texas Rising Star by Law & Politics & Texas Monthly Magazine and One of Houston's Professionals on the Fast Track by Houston's H Magazine.

Vanessa resides in Houston with her husband and two sons, and Golden Retriever Power Princess Dominique. They enjoy all outdoor activities, especially biking, snow skiing, boating, baseball and traveling.

How can Vanessa help you upgrade your career?

Saying Thanks!

2011-05-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

Many candidates ask if a thank you note really makes a difference. The answer is definitively “Yes.” A note is important because it shows the interviewer a sincere appreciation for their time and consideration, and it gives you one more opportunity to stand out amongst a sea of competition. The note should not be too long, a few sentences will due. Express your gratitude and reiterate something you discussed in the interview. If you had something in common with the interviewer or learned about something he was interested in mention it in the note. If they told you about a really exciting case or deal they worked on reiterate how interesting it was to hear about. The note should be professional in tone but it does provide you an additional opportunity to establish a personal rapport.

The big debate these days is whether a note should be emailed or handwritten. A hand written note will really stand out in an interviewer’s mind. So few people bother these days, so it can be a great point of differentiation. However, in our world of instant communication the note really needs to be put in the mail the same day as the interview. In some instances, such as when it appears that a decision might be made in the next day or so, go ahead and send the notes by email. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to make one last positive impression. Sincerity shines through!

Check out this recent article that shows what a few industry folks have to say about the note….
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7510708.html

Have other questions? Ask Lori Black

It’s all about First Impressions

2011-03-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

The interview process can be very scary and nerve racking at times, but making a good first impression can go a long way to a smooth and solid job offer. After submitting your resume and talking to a recruiter about all the jobs out there, you finally have the chance to meet a hiring manager face to face for an interview. I can’t tell you how many times, I have had hiring managers come back to me and tell me that only reason they aren’t moving forward is that candidate wasn’t professional and made a bad first impression.

When planning your time schedule for a first interview, always leave a buffer of 15-30 minutes for anything that could go wrong (i.e. street closures, accidents, flat tires, dead battery, long lines, no parking spaces, you just get lost). Next, always assume that you will meet a few people that you weren’t aware of prior to the interview and be prepared. Have multiple clean copies of your resume for them to know a little about you. The most important thing you can do, is make sure you are dressed professionally! Have on a clean, dark suit with a crisp white shirt and solid tie with brown or black socks and well polished shoes, gentlemen. Ladies, I recommend a dark pants or skirt suit for you. I know this seems silly, but I actually had an individual not get a job because he wore his “lucky” bright red cowboy boots to meet the board of directors. Hiring manager look at everything! Finally, make sure you have done a little research on the company. You want to ask smart and insightful questions about this organization as well as let them know that you are invested in this process by knowing a little about them.

I know how stressful first interviews can be and if you follow these tips, you’ll make a great first impression and it might just be a bit easier. At the end of the day, you only can control so much in the hiring process, but making a good first impression is all on you!

For More information about interviewing or new opportunities, contact Warren Recruiting.

Saying Goodbye

2011-03-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

Resigning is never easy. When you have worked for a firm or compnay for a number of years it is likely that you have formed many close relationships. It can be an emotional process and a job change is pretty high up there on the stress chain. However, it is crucial to your career that you handle your resignation as professionally as possible. The legal community is relatively small and it is highly likely that you will continue to encounter these colleagues throughout your career.

Be sure to be gracious towards your former employer for the opportunities they have provided for you. Keep your communication concise and positive. Two weeks’ notice is customary but also prepared for the possibility that they may want you to move on sooner, particularly if you have been working on confidential matters. On rare occasion a firm will ask you to stay on to finish a matter. This is a very challenging scenario as your new employer is likely to be in need of help. Try to reach a compromise with your current employer to help maintain the relationship but professionally speaking it is best to move on.

Be sure to take the time to speak with as many of your former colleagues and staff before you move on. Express your sincere gratitude for the opportunity to have worked together. Leave on a positive note…. You never know where your next case or deal may come from!

If you have questions about how to leave on a high note or would like to learn about new opportunties - contact Lori Black with Warren Recruiting, Inc.

2011-02-14T14:33:00.000-08:00

The Importance of References

Inevitably, when you’re searching for a job you will be asked to provide references. Employers call references for several reasons, including to make sure the things listed on their resume are actually true (i.e., work responsibility, job title, dates of employment), to learn about the circumstances of their leaving the job and to learn what kind of employee they really were. Your job is to make sure that the references you provide don’t sabotage your opportunity for the new job. The bottom line is you must be thoughtful and chose your references carefully.

It is equally important however to realize that many times prospective employers will take it upon themselves to ask references, even if you do not specifically provide them. The legal community is a small enough community that often times employers will know someone at your current or previous firm and will make a casual inquiry on their own. It is another reason it’s important to never burn bridges and always strive hard to work hard, do a good job and leave a good impression.

Step One: Chose wisely. Think about whom you’ve worked with in the past that you’ve had a great experience with, that knows you as a person and that also knows your quality of work. Do not use someone who has only worked with you on few projects, that has given you poor feedback in reviews or that only knows you as a commodity interchangeable with other people they work with. You may ask current or former bosses, law school professors or co-workers to serve as a reference but it’s not a good idea to use someone who is merely a friend or family member.

Step Two: Make the call. Call each person you would like to serve as a reference in advance of providing their name and ask them if they feel comfortable and are interested in serving as your reference. You must ask them if they would speak favorably and in detail about your performance at work. If you don’t clearly ask if their review of your performance would be positive, you may be surprised with what negative things they end up saying. Do not use email to ask someone if they will be your reference. When you ask, if the person sounds uninterested, curt or short, it may be better to find a different reference.

Step Three: Be Appreciative. Your reference is doing you a favor- don’t lose sight of that. Make it easy for them to serve as your reference by being specific about what type of role you are interviewing for and who may be calling them. Thank them for their time and assistance. And update them if you do or don’t get the job so they don’t think they wasted their time.

When is the right time for an associate to make a move?

2011-01-28T20:03:00.000-08:00

Associates often wonder when the best time in their careers is to make a move. There is no definitive answer to this question but there are important things to be considered. If an associate has been at a firm for two years and they are generally happy with their chosen area of practice but are finding that the firm is not the right fit, this is an excellent time to look around and explore other options. We often hear that “all firms are the same,” but having worked at three Am Law 100 firms I have seen how different the firm cultures can be. An associates’ fourth or fifth year is a great time to start evaluating their career path at their current firm. If the odds of making partner are stacked against him this is an opportune time to make a move. You want to be at a firm for long enough to establish yourself before you are considered for partner. Lastly – if you take the leap of faith and stick with one firm, just be sure that you have gotten great experience and built a resume that will allow you to stay in the drivers’ seat of your career.

The best news is that 2011 is off to a great start and there is a significant increase in opportunities for associates looking to make a move!

Interested in learning about new opportunities? Contact Lori Black

Interviewing Tips from Desiree

2011-01-18T18:47:00.000-08:00

Often at the end of an interview, the interviewer will ask you if you have any questions for them. I have stumbled in this situation myself because there were times when I genuinely didn’t have any questions that had not already been addressed and answered or that I had not already learned during my pre-interview research of the firm. However, I have learned that it is always best to ask a question; it shows you are engaged in the process and interested in the firm.

The question doesn’t have to be tricky or elaborate, in fact, it’s better to keep it simple and general; you don’t want to stump the interviewer or cause them to have to go look something up. Some good questions can be as simple as “What do you like about working for this firm?” or “What do you find most challenging about this position?”. Your inquiry will leave the interviewer with a sense that you have a genuine interest in them and in the firm and that’s always a great note to end an interview on.

Want other tips on interviewing? Email Desiree

New Year, New Economy, New Job

2011-01-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

Over the last two years, we have heard nothing but negative news about the state of our economy regarding companies making continual layoffs as well as the unemployment rate for our country continue to creep towards 10%. Towards the end of 2010, Warren Recruiting started to see a sharp increase in the number of open jobs we had from our clients. We began to receive calls from clients that hadn’t hired in over a year, letting us know that deal flow had picked up and they need more people.

Across the nation, companies are beginning to add new employees to their workforce. In a recent USAToday article published 1/6/2011, “Through 2011, employers will add 183,000 jobs a month — vs. 94,000 a month in 2010, according to the average forecast of 28 economists surveyed by USA TODAY.” If you have been sitting and waiting for things to improve before you make your next career move, stop procrastinating because things are finally getting better and it’s a new year and time for a new opportunity!

Legal Sector Gained 1000 New Jobs in August

2010-09-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

The Bureau of Labor Statistics's monthly employment report for August was released early Friday and the news was still a bit glum overall--the U.S. economy lost a total of 54,000 jobs. But the news for lawyers and legal industry employees was a bit brighter.

The legal sector handed out 1,000 jobs last month, marking the second straight month of improved numbers for the industry.

BLS originally reported that the field lost 800 jobs in July, but that number has since been readjusted to show an increase of 300 positions. While those numbers lag behind reports from August 2009 by more than 14,000 jobs, they still represent an improvement over the previous two months. In June and May combined, legal services positions declined by almost 4,000. (See our jobs reports for July, June, and May.)

The country's overall unemployment rate inched up, from 9.5 to 9.6 percent. Despite modest improvement in the private sector--which had 67,000 new hires--the overall employment numbers took a hit, in large part, due to the evaporation of government jobs. In August, government employment dropped by 121,000, as 114,000 of the remaining temporary U.S. Census workers completed their duties.

The health care and construction industries showed more progress than most, with 28,000 and 19,000 new jobs, respectively.

For more information about jobs in your area, visit www.WarrenRecruiting.com

source: AM Law Daily

Welcome Lori Black

2010-08-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

Warren Recruiting is proud to announce the addition of Lori Black to our Firm.

Lori brings nearly a decade of legal industry experience and perspective to the search process. Prior to working with Warren Recruiting, Lori worked in law firm business development for over eight years. She has particular expertise in the legal Energy arena, having supported the strategy and growth of the Energy practices of two Am Law 100 firms. Lori brings a unique perspective to legal recruiting, having helped with the integration and business development plans of nearly one-hundred lateral partners.

Lori was most recently at Haynes and Boone, serving as the business development manager for the corporate, energy and international practice areas. Prior to that she did business development for Jones Day and Akin, Gump, Straus, Hauer and Feld. After completing her Masters of Business Administration, Lori worked in trading and structured finance for TXU Energy Services and then Dynegy, Inc.

Lori holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Jesse H. Jones School of Business at Rice University and has an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin. Lori is a native Houstonian and actively involved in the legal marketing community. Lori founded the Legal Marketing Association Southeast in Houston in 2006. She and her husband Robert, a third generation lawyer, are the proud parents of a six year old boy, a four year old girl, a dog and a cat. The family loves to spend time outdoors, particularly near the ocean.

Lori can be reached at Lori@WarrenRecruiting.com

Bar Raised for Law-Grad Jobs

2010-05-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

Employment Prospects Dim as Firms Retrench, Derailing Career Paths for Many

By NATHAN KOPPEL of the WSJ

Fabian Ronisky thought he was on track last summer to become a high-powered corporate lawyer. He was an intern at a leading firm in Los Angeles, earning about $3,000 weekly. But the firm didn't offer him a permanent job.

Alexis Smith, top, and Fabian Ronisky both are about to enter one of the worst job markets for attorneys in decades. Neither has a lawyer job lined up.

So Mr. Ronisky, a 25-year-old student at Chicago's Northwestern University School of Law, spent the fall sending 50 resumes to law firms and government agencies, to no avail. Now, just days shy of graduation and with $150,000 of student loans, he plans to move back to his parents' home in San Diego and sell music and movies online.

"I wanted to use my education," he said. "But times change."

Mr. Ronisky is one of about 40,000 law-school students who will graduate this spring and enter one of the worst job markets for attorneys in decades. This year's classes have it particularly bad, according to lawyers and industry experts. Though hiring was down last year as well, they said 2009 graduates applied for jobs before law firms had felt the full brunt of the downturn.

The situation is so bleak that some students and industry experts are rethinking the value of a law degree, long considered a ticket to financial security. If students performed well, particularly at top-tier law schools, they could count on jobs at corporate firms where annual pay starts as high as $160,000 and can top out well north of $1 million. While plenty of graduates are still set to embark on that career path, many others have had their dreams upended.

Part of the problem is supply and demand. Law-school enrollment has held steady in recent years while law firms, judges, the government and other employers have drastically cut hiring in the economic downturn.

Large corporate law firms have been hit particularly hard. The nation's 100 highest-grossing corporate firms last year reported an average revenue decline of 3.4%, the first overall drop in more than 20 years, according to the May issue of The American Lawyer magazine.

Morrison & Foerster LLP, a 1,000-lawyer San Francisco-based firm, hired about 30% fewer graduates this year than in the prior year. "It would not surprise me if all firms cut back on hiring law graduates for a couple of years," said Keith Wetmore, its chairman. Saul Ewing LLP, a 250-lawyer Philadelphia firm, cut hiring of law graduates this year by about two-thirds.

Law firms of all sizes have suffered as clients have curbed work on real-estate acquisitions, mergers, public offerings and other staples of corporate practice. They have had to fire lawyers, reduce hiring and defer the start dates of the law graduates who did receive job offers.

Many 2009 law graduates who were offered jobs just started work this year. And many graduates hired in 2010 won't start until 2011. So even when the economy picks up, firms would first have to absorb their backlog of recent hires.

It is too early to get a comprehensive view of the employment rate for the 2010 class, but there are plenty of troubling indicators.

Law firms had an average of 16 summer internship positions to offer this year, about half the number of the previous year, according to a March report by the National Association for Law Placement Inc.

Employers last year offered 69% of summer interns a full-time job, down from about 90% in the previous five years.

The University of Texas School of Law, long regarded as among the nation's top 20, estimates the employment rate for 2010 graduates is down about 10% to 15% from last year.

"I've been at this for 23 years, and this is the worst job market I've ever seen," said Karen Klouda, head of career services at the University of Iowa College of Law.

Those considering law school might want to reconsider, said Allan Tanenbaum, chairman of an American Bar Association commission studying the impact of the economic crisis on the profession. Students take on average law-school debt of about $100,000 and, given the job market, many "have no foreseeable way to pay that back," he said.

Thomas Reddy, a second-year student at Brooklyn Law School, hasn't landed a summer internship yet after sending resumes to more than 50 law firms. He is taking on about $70,000 of debt each year of the three-year program to earn his degree, but said he may be fortunate to make $80,000 a year in a lawyer job after graduating. "That is less than what I was making before I went to law school," he said.

Many graduating students remained optimistic and determined to find legal jobs, according to interviews with students and career counselors. And many have secured good positions.

But it is bad form on campuses to bask in one's success, said Sue Landsittel, a Northwestern law student who will clerk at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Seattle and join a top corporate firm after that. "You want to celebrate your own good fortune, but you have to remember it's a delicate issue."

What goes down must go up – salaries on the rise

2010-04-19T06:13:00.000-07:00

DLA Piper on Thursday became the latest firm to raise associate salaries pack to pre-2008 levels, according to the National Law Journal, an Am Law Daily sibling publication. The firm cut salaries in June of 2009 at the same time it announced plans to implement a broader merit-based pay system for associates, according the NLJ.

The skinny is this: Associates in major markets will have starting salaries pushed back up to $160,000 after the firm cut them back to $145,000, the NLJ says, citing an internal memo sent out Thursday. The firm had boosted starting salaries in New York back to the $160,000 mark in January, but Thursday's memo means that move will now extend to the firm's other key offices. Starting salaries for associates in secondary markets, such as Phoenix, Tampa Bay and Sacramento, will jump back up to $145,000 from $130,000, the NLJ reports.

The goal of the raise is to retain mid-level associates, but the firm decided to raise salaries for all associates at once rather doing so in steps, the NLJ says. Terry O'Malley, the firm's U.S. managing partner, stressed that the firm did not decide on the raises because of job market pressures.

Source - ALM Daily

A Strong and Healthy 2010

2010-04-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

Despite a few recent layoff announcements from Mayer Brown and a couple other big law firms, we are seeing a huge increase in overall hiring. As predicted in the first quarter of 2009 by Morgan Warren, founder of Warren Recruiting, the increase in 2010 hiring is being seen in all ranks of attorneys and staff. The largest concentrated growth is from mid size law firms who are looking for talented, seasoned attorneys and staffers to handle a myriad of cases and deals.

The IP, Bankruptcy, Litigation and Partner level searches are back to 2008 (very high) levels. Real Estate and Finance is still lagging a bit however the growth of new opportunities has been on the rise. Warren Recruiting remains optimistic that 2010 will continue to be a very strong year for talented law professionals.

On an international level, we have seen a dramatic drop in new opportunities particularly within Asia who is suffering from over expansion in 2009 and is looking to absorb the glut of attorneys hired in the past three years. The challenges in Greece have not had a noticeable impact in the EU nor do we anticipate seeing any direct impact.

Let us know if you have specific questions about particular verticals within the legal space.

No Line in the Horizon

2009-11-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

According to a seasonally adjusted monthly jobs report released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5,800 of the 190,000 jobs lost around the country in October came from the legal sector.

When not seasonally adjusted, the legal industry actually gained 1,500 jobs, but that's likely a result of summer associates being weaned from law firm payrolls. In September, seasonally adjusted BLS data showed the legal sector losing 2,000 jobs.

In October, Cooley Godward Kronish let go of 58 staffers, followed by Foley & Lardner cutting 39 lawyers, and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr shedding 57 staff members.

According to a recent analysis by the National Law Journal, a Daily Report affiliate, New York firms operating in Washington saw their overall head count decrease by 2.8 percent between April 2008 and April 2009.

For more information check out www.WarrenRecruiting.com.

Skadden to Cut Summer Class by Half, Change Recruiting Process

2009-08-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

Below is a great recap of a trend predicted earlier this year by Warren Recruiting. While the impact by Skadden is irrelevant (statiscally), the ensuing Domino effect will have repurcusions throughout the legal industry.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom is cutting the size of its 2010 summer associate class by half and adjusting its recruitment strategy by making all of its offers on a single day in late September, according to a copy of a letter the firm will send to prospective summers.

Skadden hired 225 summer associates this year and expects to hire a little more than 100 next year, though the precise figure will depend on offer acceptance rates, says Howard Ellin, Skadden's recruiting partner.

The firm will not rescind offers to any prospective 2010 summers; if, say, 150 summers accept, the firm will hire all 150 even though that number exceeds the figure it currently has in mind, Ellin says.

"That is unprofessional and a shock to our conscience," he says of rescinding offers.
The letter also contains good news for 2009 summers: The firm plans to offer full-time positions to 95 percent of them, although they will not start until 2011.
Those lucky enough to land spots in Skadden's 2010 summer class will receive those offers on the same day--Sept. 22, which the firm has dubbed "Skadden Offer Day." The firm will continue to give those who receive offers 45 days to evaluate them in compliance with informal guidelines set by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP).

The change comes in response to the growing number of law schools who have pushed first- and second-round interviews up to late August and early September, Ellin says.

He and Carol Sprague, Skadden's director of associate and alumni relations and attorney recruiting, are interviewing at Harvard Law School today, and the school's callback week starts on Sept. 11. Other top schools have moved to similar timetables, and more law firm recruiters have openly expressed their discomfort with a recruiting timetable that requires them to make summer offers almost a year in advance.

In the past Skadden has made offers on a rolling timetable that has extended in some cases past Thanksgiving, but the increasingly early interview schedule--plus the 45-day guideline--has created a situation where making the decision earlier is best for the firm, and, perhaps, for the students.

"The fact that schools are now front-loading in August and September has squeezed things so tightly that it made this an easy thing to do," Ellin says.
Whether the firm continues the single-day offer strategy depends in part on whether firms, schools and NALP can come together to push back the recruiting calender.
"This does not make sense anymore, and in our judgment needs to change," Ellin says. "And it will take all the various constituencies, primarily the schools, with prodding from the law firms."

Skadden also plans to sink more attorney resources into the recruiting process. Two attorneys instead of one will conduct as many on-campus interviews as possible, and prospective summers who visit the firm's office will "spend significantly more time in the firm and with each interviewer," the letter says.

Skadden will continue its tradition of hosting a "Super Saturday" of in-office interviews; it will be held on Sept. 12 this year.

The firm will also begin using a wait list for callbacks and offers, the letter says. Source: American Laywer

'Billable Hour' Under Attack

2009-08-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

How will this impact your career?

'Billable Hour' Under Attack
In Recession, Companies Push Law Firms for Flat-Fee Contracts

By NATHAN KOPPEL and ASHBY JONES of the WSJ

With the recession crimping legal budgets, some big companies are fighting back against law firms' longstanding practice of billing them by the hour.

The companies are ditching the hourly structure -- which critics complain offers law firms an incentive to rack up bigger bills -- in favor of flat-fee contracts. One survey found an increase of more than 50% this year in corporate spending on alternatives to the traditional hourly-fee model.

Pfizer earlier this year reached a deal with law firms, doing away with billable hours and switching to a flat fee. The pharmaceutical company's general counsel, Amy Schulman, talks about what was behind the arrangement.
The shift could further squeeze earnings at top law firms. The past 18 months have been brutal for some big law firms as work that hinges on vibrant credit markets, such as deal making, has flat-lined.

Pfizer Inc., which spends more than $500 million a year on legal matters, says it expects to reduce its domestic law-firm spending by 15% to 20%, largely through flat-fee arrangements. It will pay 16 law firms lump sums to handle various portfolios of work, such as litigation and tax matters. "I have told firms you cannot make your historical profit margins" on Pfizer work, said the pharmaceutical giant's general counsel, Amy Schulman.

Cisco Systems Inc. has notified its stable of outside law firms that it is vital for the company to move away from the hourly billing structure. Cisco now uses fixed fees or other alternatives to the billable hour for about 80% of its legal work, said its general counsel, Mark Chandler.

American Express Co. also has stepped up its use of alternative billing arrangements, and "I haven't had one firm in 2009 tell us, no, that they flatly wouldn't entertain something that moves away from the traditional straight hourly model," said the company's chief litigation counsel, Stuart Alderoty. "The paradigm has changed."

Money spent on alternative billing arrangements has totaled $13.1 billion this year, versus $8.6 billion in the like period of 2008, according to BTI Consulting Group Inc., which surveyed 370 lawyers who work at Fortune 1000 companies. The Wellesley, Mass., firm said that the lawyers reported average cost savings of 15% from using alternative arrangements. It said 63% of the surveyed lawyers planned to increase their use of alternative billing arrangements.

Companies have long complained that legal fees are inflated by a business model in which law firms have high-priced junior lawyers who must be kept busy billing for work that could be handled more efficiently. With the recession, companies have the leverage to force changes, say some lawyers at both client companies and law firms. "Law firms are more receptive to change because they are in the business of needing legal work," said Daniel Fitz, chairman of the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Partner profits were down an average of 4% last year at the highest-grossing firms, according to American Lawyer magazine. Their hourly rates have risen to a range of $300 to $1,000. But with the slump, firms have had to dismiss associates, reduce salaries and cut back on hiring of new graduates. "Just like the tech and housing bubbles, there was a legal-profession bubble, and now we are experiencing a correction," says David Antzis, managing partner of Philadelphia-based Saul Ewing LLP, which is doing more fixed-fee work.

Pfizer could have demanded a discount from firms' hourly rates, Ms. Schulman said, but she hopes for a shift to a system that encourages firms to work more collaboratively with Pfizer and with other law firms that service Pfizer. The flat-fee program "should be something fundamentally different that will last beyond whatever people think they have to tolerate because of the economy," she said.

Some legal departments have for years experimented with flat fees for certain types of repetitive, predictable work like patent applications. Attorneys say it is doubtful flat fees could ever supplant hourly billing for the most complicated and high-stakes matters, such as an antitrust fight with the government or a particularly tricky corporate merger, where it's too hard to estimate how much effort it will consume.

American Express also has stepped up its use of alternative billing arrangements.
In addition, "a client can't expect to have the absolute best team of [trial] lawyers from a firm, and have the lawyers give up all the other work they could be doing on a regular-fee basis, to work 18 hours a day for months of time on a flat-fee engagement," said Barry Ostrager, a Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP partner who handles civil trials.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, a San Francisco-based firm, has tripled the revenue it generates from alternative billing arrangements in the past year, but maintained profitability through efficiencies, said David Fries, chief client-service officer. Software sends an email to lawyers when they hit certain levels of a fixed-fee budget, as a reminder to work efficiently. Financial analysts file biweekly reports analyzing how lawyers' time is being spent. "You find that someone may have spent 200 hours on something" that isn't crucial, Mr. Fries said.

Orrick has also altered the mix of lawyers it employs, focusing less exclusively on hiring graduates from elite law schools, who can command starting pay of $160,000. It is employing some college graduates who can perform routine tasks at a lower cost.

Saul Ewing in Philadelphia recently investigated a client's potential corporate acquisition under a six-week flat-fee engagement. The matter was handled about 10% more cheaply for the client than it would have been under a billable-hour deal, said Mr. Antzis, the managing partner. He said "it was still fair to the firm" because "we were incentivized to get done in 10 hours what another lawyer at another firm may have spent 12 hours doing."

At Sidley Austin LLP, Sara Gourley, a partner, said changes made by Pfizer have given her more freedom to put the best mix of lawyers on a legal matter. Pfizer used to have a rule that no lawyer with an hourly rate higher than a second-year attorney's could bill the drug company for legal research. Now that costs are fixed, Ms. Gourley says, she has been able to assign a senior associate to perform Pfizer legal research who could get the answers much more quickly than a junior lawyer might.

Update your Resume, Update yourself

2009-06-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

It's one of the first things people think to do after losing a job: quickly get a résumé into as many hands as possible. But career experts say doing so without a strategic plan is a mistake -- wasting time and energy and resulting in few callbacks. "Most people sprinkle their résumé around like confetti hoping they will land in the right spot," says Ford Myers, president of Career Potential LLC, a Philadelphia-based career consulting firm. "It's a bad strategy." How to get the most out of your résumé:

Make a wish list. Take the time to identify the companies you want to work for before you sit down to write your résumé. "You have to know where you are headed," says Robert Saam, a senior vice president at Woodcliff Lake, N.J.-based outplacement firm Lee Hecht Harrison. "This informs how to do your résumé." For example, knowing a company you are applying to is in the midst of making acquisitions can help you structure your résumé to highlight relevant work experience, he says.

Use keywords. Particularly when answering ads through online job boards or through a corporate Web site, be sure to include critical keywords high up in your résumé. For example, for someone applying for a human-resources position, it would be wise to include key words such as "recruiting" and "hiring" near the top of a résumé for better search optimization. Other clues to the right keywords can be found in the job description -- try to use words found there in your résumé.

Tell your story. Once you're ready to send out the résumé, make sure it's doing the job of showcasing your skills and accomplishments. Many résumé writers begin by trying to construct concise bullet points. But that can mean losing some of the critical pieces of information involved in what you've accomplished. So, Mr. Saam suggests first spelling out the details of a work-related situation, any obstacle, the action you took to resolve the issue, and the results of your actions. Write out the complete story, he advises, and then whittle it down to a series of concise descriptive bullet points.

Find an insider. Develop a networking list of friends, former colleagues, and acquaintances who might know people at your target companies. Taking the time to pinpoint key contacts at the company where you are applying will help ensure your résumé gets into the right person's hands. What's more, an introduction to an insider will help avoid needing to use the résumé upfront.

Try a personal touch. For Daniel Muldowney, who has been looking for a marketing job since he was laid off in March, putting a personal touch on his résumé is one way to grab the attention of hiring managers. Mr. Muldowney encloses a handwritten note with his résumé, making clear that he has researched each company, mentioning, for example, the firm's last quarterly report or a recent speech made by the CEO. "The ultimate goal is to catch an executive's attention," says Mr. Muldowney.

Re-evaluate regularly. If you've been sending your résumé out for a month or more with no response, ask yourself a few questions. Have you developed a plan that outlines the job functions and industries that most interest you? Are there new keywords you need to incorporate or are your bullet points not playing to your strengths or the company's needs?

Great examples of resumes are available on Warren Recruiting's website.

Courtesy of WSJ

Summer Associates Feel the Heat

2009-06-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

The theme song of the 2008 Big Law Summer Program (and all those glittering summers that preceded it) as “Celebration.” As in, “Celebrate good times … Come on!”

For decades, that party went on. And on. And on.

But in case you hadn't noticed that the tune in your head's been sounding a little different recently, let me be the first to tell you: That “Celebration” record has been jerked off the turntable/deleted from the iPod/dumped from the jukebox playlist and replaced by the Summer of 2009 anthem: “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”

Working as a Cog at Big Law after your colleagues were canned and while profits plummet is sad enough, but working through the pain and awkwardness that is Big Law Summer Camp 2009 is sure to become an instant war story: “… and then the summer associate started crying in my arms … but he wasn't even drunk. He just realized he had no prospects of being hired.”

This anthem-change from Kool and the Gang to Green Day reflects a seismic shift in Big Law Summer Camp from an environment of excess, lavishness and frivolity to one of anxiety, penny-pinching and angst. Offices formerly occupied by recently laid-off, eager, young associates trying to pay off law school debt and make it in the Big Time have been swiftly bleached, vacuumed, dusted and re-painted to remove the taint of shattered dreams—just in time for summer associates to roll in and start testing out their new Big Law e-mail addresses.

Those of us who are anxiously hoping not to be next on the casualty list are forced to act as if everything is fine when we do not know if we will still have a job in 2010—much less whether there will be room on the payroll for these eager law students. So much for “Two! Four! Six! Eight! Summer Camp is really great!”

The few kids who participated in 2008 Big Law Summer of Fun and are now back again for 2009 Summer of Seriousness will notice a few obvious changes:

2008 retreat

Three-day beach retreat complete with spa day, golf tourney, all-you-can-eat shrimp and crab buffet, poolside pina coladas, parasailing and logo-embroidered Big Law golf shirt!

2009 retreat

Friday afternoon “retreat” to the firm's largest top floor conference room where the furniture has been removed to make way for the “Mexican Madness” party complete with buckets of Tecate in a can, tacos, chips and a piñata full of foil-wrapped chocolates. Take out your frustration on the economy by whacking the multicolored papier-mâché donkey until the mini-Snickers bars rain upon you. Paartaay!

2008 lunch

Big Law associates fighting to take summer associates to fully expensed two-hour, four-course lunches at the latest, hippest eateries. “Molten chocolate cake anyone?”

2009 lunch

Big Law associates working feverishly through lunch while refusing to give summers any projects because the associates need the hours more. “Hey Summer, sorry I had to cancel lunch, but I have to finish up the document review I was going to give you. There is an excellent sub shop in the lobby—here's five bucks—knock yourself out!”

2008 Tuesday afternoon

Big Law halls full of laughter as summers head out early for an afternoon golf outing. “Jimmy, you are so crazy. I can't believe you started drinking at noon!”

2009 Tuesday afternoon

Big Law halls full of whispers and keyboard pecking as summers form alliances and strategize about ways to get one of the two spots for which the 50 of them are vying: “If we get the Duke Dork to believe that the firm is looking for real estate lawyers because they accidentally fired them all, he won't try to nab that one spot in litigation. ... If we get Harvard Hottie really drunk one night, she might miss a deadline on the corporate project and get cut!”

Most common phrases uttered during the summer program of 2008:

• “toe up” (slang for “tore up” on too much alcohol);

• “keg stand” (upside down drinking of beer from iced keg through plastic pump);

• “skip day” (firm-sanctioned field trip to the local microbrewery); and

• “mild distraction” (the two legal projects the summers were required to complete).

Most common words/phrases you're likely to hear during the summer program of 2009:

• “layoffs” (as in, were there enough to make room for us?);

• “chapped lips” (a condition resulting from kissing up to too many partners and associates in an effort to secure a favorable position among the many nameless masses in the summer program for the few potential job offers);

• “whiplash” (the feeling a repeat summer associate experiences after the transition between Summer of 2008 and Summer of 2009); and

• “elephant in the room” (the awkwardness that results from Big Law attorneys avoiding any contact with the summers for fear of being asked about the financial health of the firm, the job prospects of the summer class or why they love their Big Law jobs).

Seriously, just one year ago the entire purpose of the Summer Program was to make all summer campers fall in love with the firm by spoiling them rotten. In order to make sure their recruiting stats stayed strong, Big Law gave offers to 99 percent of the summer associates who came through the “program.” To not get an offer after 10 weeks of gourmet lunches, concerts and a few legal writing projects meant that either you got so drunk on the cash and cordials that you hit on the managing partner's wife at the “Endless Summer” black tie gala or you dove into an unsanitary waterway from the balcony of a cocktail party.

This summer, my guess is 99 percent of participants will not get an offer, or at least, not an offer that means much more than the paper upon which it is written. The tables have turned, and I fear I will have to endure several weeks of witnessing the depressing scene of watching ambitious, talented young law students compete against one another for jobs that may or may not exist—including my own.

“Celebrate good times … Come on!”

Source - Daily Review

Firm Salaries to Fall...Quickly

2009-05-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

According to the National Law Journal, In D.C., big firms slash associate salaries
Atlanta-based McKenna cut first-year pay in Washington to $140,000 this year and others were quick to follow suit

Washington law firms are cutting costs anywhere they can, and associate pay is no longer an exception.

Seven Washington offices have slashed salaries. Others—including D.C. stalwarts like Crowell Moring, Hogan Hartson, and Wiley Rein—are cutting pay for associates who don't hit their billable hour goals.

“Law firms are starting to realize what was obvious to everyone else. They're saying to each other, 'We've been nuts all these years to be paying $160,000 as a starting salary,'” said Jerry Kowalski, a New York-based legal consultant. Kowalski said he expects more firms to experiment with tiered or merit-based pay structures as they look for something other than lockstep.

They have plenty of incentive. Firms don't make money off first-year associates once recruiting costs, summer programs, summer salaries and training are factored in, said Jim Leipold, executive director of the National Association of Legal Professionals. Leipold estimates that those costs could reach $300,000 per associate before they start making money for the firm. And clients, who are facing layoffs and salary cuts of their own, don't like hearing about high associate salaries, and they really hate paying for them.

“It was a regular comment from in-house counsel. They would request that first-years not be put on their matters,” said Jeffrey Haidet, chairman of Atlanta-based McKenna Long Aldridge, which cut salaries for incoming first-year associates to $140,000 this year in Washington. In Atlanta, the firm cut first-year pay from $145,000 to $125,000.

Haidet said McKenna was inspired by the now-defunct Philadelphia firm WolfBlock, which cut associate salaries by 10 percent last February.

Other firms quickly followed suit. Thompson Hine announced a $17,500 base salary reduction for all nonpartner lawyers, including about 17 in Washington, with a caveat that allows lawyers to earn back some or all of that amount if they bill 1,750 hours by year's end. Baker McKenzie, which has about 95 lawyers in Washington, confirmed that it cut salaries, but the firm would not say by how much or how many people were affected. Womble Carlyle Sandridge Rice cut 10 percent off salaries for all but the firm's top-billing lawyers. Womble Carlyle has about 70 lawyers in its Washington, Tysons Corner, Va., and Baltimore offices.

“I fully expect this to be more widespread,” said Keith Vaughan, chairman of Womble Carlyle, adding that when the firm decided to cut, it did so on the expectation that others would, too.

Eight Washington managing partners declined to be quoted by name on the associate pay issue, saying it was too sensitive. All, however, said they would not rule out salary cuts. “Any firm not thinking about associate salaries should be,” said one.

So far none of the biggest Washington firms have made across-the-board salary cuts. Hogan Hartson and Wiley Rein, which have tiered associate salary structures, have been moving lower-billing associates from top salary tiers to the bottom, something they haven't done aggressively in past years. Both firms say they allow associates to work their way back into the top tier if their billable hours improve.

“If we pay somebody $160,000 and they don't make their hours, we're not going to go and ask for it back. It's always better to have people making their hours. But if they aren't, this does save money,” said Wiley Rein managing partner Richard Wiley. Wiley wouldn't say how many associates were affected. But with salaries on the firm's lower tier set at $125,000, even moving a few of the firm's 17 first-year associates from the $160,000 tier to the $125,000 one could save the firm quite a bit of money.

Crowell Moring, which doesn't have a tiered structure, has nonetheless been approaching individual lawyers whose hours are off and adjusting their salaries on a case-by-case basis. Ellen Dwyer, managing partner of Crowell Moring, said that fewer than 20 lawyers have been reclassified so far. “We just don't want to get to a place where some of our peers are that have had layoffs or taken other draconian steps,” Dwyer said. Crowell has so far been able to avoid layoffs. The lawyers Crowell approached had all been at the firm at least a year.

Though they're pushing back on associate pay, firms say being one of the first to cut salaries could hurt when it comes to recruiting talent—even now. “If you're a new Harvard grad looking at five firms, are you going to talk to the four firms paying $160,000 or the one firm paying $145,000?” said Eric Bernthal, managing partner of Latham Watkins' Washington office. Latham has not cut associate salaries.

All the firms are worried about staying competitive when it comes to recruiting. Dan Binstock, managing director of recruiting firm BCG Attorney Search, said targeting salaries among lawyers already at a firm can be a way for firms to push costs down while avoiding paying less than other firms for first-years. “Salaries are a shorthand among law students,” Binstock said. “Keeping first-year salaries at $160,000 is a way to preserve a law firm's brand.”

Of course, prospective associates are hardly in a position to fuss. “Look, I know that I am not worth $160,000. But if firms are willing to pay it, I'm not going to turn it down,” said one first-year associate at a Washington-based firm who requested anonymity when discussing his salary. “If they came to me and said you're either going to take a pay cut or you're out of a job, I'd take the pay cut.”

If your concerned how this might impact your situation? Have questions about your career? Call Warren Recruiting at 713.524.4888.

A new model for a new economy

2009-04-21T07:06:00.000-07:00

Over the past decade we’ve witnessed unprecedented growth in the legal economy prompted by a number of change factors including technology, a strong global economy and the infusion of top managers. The technology responsible for this growth includes the Internet, VOIP, outsourced cheaper partners, better research tools and the ubiquitous blackberry.

The economy fueled by cheap debt, a robust capital market and low taxes led to an increased need (Mr . Supply meets Ms. Demand) of top legal talent. The technology leaps which was referenced earlier was also responsible for the surge in IP Attorneys which then fed the Corporate Attorneys and is now feeding the restructuring attorneys.

Along the way the law firms hired outsiders to help them lead their companies. These outsiders joined the firms with of a wealth of management speak and were responsible for significant maturity in financial, marketing, human capital and supply chain issues. Amidst the efficiencies achieved perhaps no greater was that of the economy of scale which led to the growth of the mega-firms. These mega-firms with hundreds of lawyers, regional and international offices, and a wide spectrum of service offerings.

The megafirms also hired Madison Avenue ad agencies who helped craft unique messages about the brand (aka the firm). These sophisticated firms also changed their names from an alphabet soup of partners names to a single strong name like Coke or Amazon.

With the current recession in full swing, these change factors are being put to the test. Can the reduced fees sustain the cost of operating the mega firms? Will the regional firms become dominant again? If there were economies of scale a few years ago, one would logically assume it’s more important than ever. This of course means the firms are going to have to find new ways to cut costs and further leverage these change factors.

Warren Recruiting is looking forward to seeing the impact of the Change Factors and helping the legal landscape evolve.

Making Progress?

2009-04-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it’s just the beautiful weather, or because baseball is back in season but the economy seems to doing better (or sucking less if you’re a half empty kind of person). The most recent data points (GDP, bank loans, retail numbers, etc) are all pointing that the economy is getting healthier. This is great news and should lead to the end of the layoffs and in the near future should lead to increased hiring. In the past weeks, Warren Recruiting has seen more new positions than any period since November 2008.

While the recession marathon is hardly over, we’ve now reached a sustainable stride and if we can keep it up, we will certainly reach a full recovery. To learn more about our new job orders, our client’s needs or how to land the next big position, give us a call.

A Holistic View of the Downturn

2009-04-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

Interesting read for the AP. In America, there are always people to sue or contracts to negotiate, right? Apparently there aren't enough.

The recession is taking a steep toll on the legal profession, an industry long seen as immune from the ups and downs of the economy. Trying to weather the financial crisis, the nation's largest law firms are laying off attorneys and delaying the hiring of others.

More than 3,000 lawyers have been laid off in the first three months of 2009.

A lot of people go into the law because it's one of those professions where you're always going to have work. There aren't typically big layoffs," said Samuel Smith of Charlotte, N.C. "Realistically, I don't think people saw this coming."

Last summer Smith was working at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft while flirting with job opportunities at a few other firms. But in August, Smith was laid off as the economy soured. The firms that earlier had been interested were now reluctant to hire.

"I'm still looking for jobs," said Smith, who launched http://www.rateapartner.com, a Web site that links to legal business news articles and allows lawyers and clients to anonymously rate law firm partners.

Just how bad is it out there?

The Labor Department said the number of unemployed lawyers jumped 66 percent last year to a 10-year high of 20,000.

The first time this year that three consecutive business days passed without one of the nation's top law firms announcing job cuts came in mid-March, according to the Web site Lawshucks.com. They have counted 3,149 lawyer layoffs—just in the big firms, just in the first three months of the year.

The New York City Bar Association, for the first time in its more than 135 years, is offering career counseling services to lawyers between jobs.

Law firms are delaying the hiring of final-year law students, who normally are brought on a year in advance of graduation. Law students graduating with jobs this spring are being paid to delay their start date. Some are being told there will be no work until later in the year, maybe in 2010.

So many would-be lawyers are facing this situation that Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, a group that trains volunteers to provide free legal assistance to low income clients, held a "Deferred Associates Job Fair" in Newark, N.J., for graduates looking for temporary work while waiting for permanent jobs to come through.

For some Americans, there's not much sympathy for lawyers who are suddenly jobless.

They make more money than the Average Joe, with the nation's million-or-so employed lawyers averaging $118,280 in 2007, or $56.87 an hour, according to the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And the number of out-of-work lawyers is minuscule compared with the manufacturing sector, which had 945,000 unemployed workers last year, or the construction industry, which saw more than 1 million jobs disappear in 2008.

But those careers don't require four years of college plus a degree from a law school that costs about $70,000 to attend.

"My computer is about to die with the amount of resumes I've sent out," said Tim Brown, 32, of Alexandria, Va.

Brown was laid off from his job working on franchise law for the National Auto Dealers Association on March 26 and has sent out hundreds of resumes. The response?

"'We've received your resume. Thank you very much,'" said Brown, who made April's loan payment but is concerned about May.

Karla Cortes, 33, lost her job as a Nature Conservancy attorney in November, only two years after graduating from American University's law school.

Money is now getting tight, said Cortes, who attended a George Washington University workshop on getting a legal job in the tough economy. "I hope to find a job soon," she said. "Otherwise, I will have to return to Puerto Rico because my savings will be depleted."

Tommy Wells, president of the American Bar Association, said the increase in lawyer layoffs is partly the legal industry's fault.

In the past, large law firms diversified by having lawyers work in areas such as bankruptcy and litigation that could support the corporate and mergers-and-acquisition work when the economy soured and vice versa, he noted.

"Firms probably got a bit out of balance in terms of their practice areas and put a lot of resources into areas that unfortunately are not nearly as active as they were a few years ago," he said.

The economy is being blamed for entire law firms going under.

In Philadelphia, WolfBlock, which has been in business since 1903 and has more than 300 lawyers in several states, is "unwinding" in preparation for closing. Partners blame the banking crisis, the recession—especially in the firm's core real estate practice—and lawyers and clients bailing as the writing on the wall became clearer.

In New York City, Thacher Proffitt & Wood, in business since 1848, survived the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001; it had offices in the World Trade Center and lost none of its more than 300 lawyers and support staff. But it couldn't survive the bad economy and closed in September.

Fanni Koszeg, 34, of New York City, lost her job at Thacher in April 2008. Koszeg thought she would take the summer off and maybe go back to work as a public interest lawyer.

"That was very naive of me," Koszeg said. "Now, all of the other law firms have been laying off hundreds of lawyers."

Summer Programs

2009-03-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

According to Texas Lawyer despite a sagging economy, recent layoff announcements and the discontinuation of a summer associate program by one large Texas firm, 17 of the 25 largest firms in Texas confirm they are continuing with their 2009 summer associate programs.

Summer associates are the primary recruiting pool for the new talent hired by many firms. The students who will be working at firms during the summer of 2009 will become the majority of the firms' first-year associates in 2010.

Summer associate programs are expensive. Most of Texas' large firms pay the students $3,000 a week for positions lasting from six to 10 weeks. The firms also pay housing allowances for the students, as well as entertainment costs, such as meals and tickets for concerts and sports events.

But these are tough times, even in Texas. Six firms with large Texas operations — Andrews Kurth; Baker Botts; Gardere; K&L Gates; King & Spalding; and Winstead — have laid off lawyers this year. Also, earlier this month, Winstead cancelled its summer associate program. [ See "Inadmissible," Texas Lawyer , March 16, 2009, page 3. ] Firm spokeswoman Shannon Tipton declines to specify the number of students involved or when they were notified that the summer program was cancelled. During the summer of 2008, Winstead employed 28 summer associates.

One student from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in Dallas was affected by Winstead's decision to cancel the 2009 program, says Karen C. Sargent, assistant dean and director of career services for the law school. Sargent says the affected student is one of the school's best and has other opportunities.

Donna David-Gregory, assistant dean of career services at Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law, says that none of the law school's students were in the summer program cancelled by Winstead.

Career services officials at the other seven American Bar Association-accredited law schools in Texas did not, before presstime on March 19, return a telephone call made to each seeking comment. Most Texas law schools were on spring break last week.

But at least 17 of the 25 firms employing the most lawyers in Texas, as listed on Texas Lawyer's "The Texas 100" poster published April 28, 2008, say they are committed to employing those students recruited in the fall of 2008 for the 2009 summer programs. Most of the firms, as anticipated, hired smaller 2009 summer classes than they did in 2008. [See "Some Firms Scale Back Summer Programs in Tough Economy," Texas Lawyer , Oct. 27, page 1. ]

Seven firms among Texas' largest 25 did not respond to requests for information about their 2009 summer programs before Texas Lawyer 's presstime on March 19: Brown McCarroll; Clark, Thomas & Winters; Fulbright & Jaworski; Gardere; King & Spalding; K&L Gates, and Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr.

"It's just a sign of the times when you're trying to cut expenses and laying off people that you ask 'Why spend money on the summer associate program?' " says William C. Cobb, a Houston recruiter and consultant. All firms have conservative budgets this year and are cutting costs where possible, such as canceling annual firm meetings or holding them in a firm office rather than at an off-site resort, he says.

Cobb says most firms will continue with their summer associate programs to maintain good public relations with potential future employees. "But I bet all the summer associate programs will do things a lot more cheaply than is normally done," he says. "They will cut back on entertainment, parties and buying expensive wines."

Despite layoffs, two large Texas-basedfirms are continuing with their 2009 summer associate programs. Baker Botts has hired 83 summer associates for its offices in Austin, Dallas and Houston, writes Rachel S. Koenig in an e-mail message. She is the firm's director of recruiting and development. The firm employed 124 summer associates in Texas in 2008. The Houston-based firm, which laid off lawyers and staff earlier this year, declines to specify the number of layoffs. [See "Baker Botts Layoffs," Tex Parte , March 13, 2008. ] It employed 554 lawyers in Texas and 825 firm-wide as of Jan. 1.

Why is the firm continuing with a summer program despite recent layoffs? "It is absolutely vital to keep recruiting during an economic recession," Koenig writes.

Another firm that had layoffs, according to two former associates and three legal recruiters who requested anonymity, was Andrews Kurth. [See "Layoffs at Andrews Kurth," Tex Parte , March 3, 2008 ]. The firm declines comment about the layoffs reported in Tex Parte.

But the Houston-based firm is continuing its summer program. The firm has hired 31 summer associates, says Alexis J. Gomez, hiring partner for the firm's Houston office. The firm employed 328 lawyers in Texas and 390 firm-wide as of Jan. 1.

Andrews Kurth hired a smaller number of summer associates for 2009, compared to the 51 Texas summer associates hired in 2008, due to a "record number of acceptances from our 2008 summer program and in order to accommodate the firm's future needs," Gomez writes in an e-mail message. The firm made full-time job offers to 29 of its 34 second-year 2008 summer associates, and 19 of those students accepted jobs with the firm beginning in the fall of 2009. "We also expect to scale back our [summer associate] entertainment in order to focus more on the firm's core values in 2009," he writes.
Steady Approach

Bracewell & Guiliani has hired 49 summer associates for its Texas offices, says Michael S. Telle, hiring partner for the Houston-based firm. "We think it's important to maintain a steady, disciplined hiring program regardless of short term changes in the economy," Telle says.

The 451-lawyer firm hired 55 Texas summer associates in 2008. The firm looks at the summer program's expense as a long term investment, he says.

"We hope these students will spend their career with us, which will last 40 or 50 years," he says. "If we stopped hiring just because of a short-term blip in the economy, we would end up with a hole in our ranks at the associate level and that hole would exist up through the partner level."

Telle says Bracewell's smaller 2009 summer class size is due to a high acceptance rate by 2008 summer associates who accepted jobs for the fall of 2009. The firm offered jobs to 38 of its 42 second-year summer associates in 2008, and 24 of those 2Ls have accepted full-time jobs with Bracewell beginning in the fall of 2009. [See "BigTex Firms' Acceptance Rates Consistent in '08," Texas Lawyer , Dec.15, 2008, page 1 ].

Dallas-based Thompson & Knight has hired 22 summer associates, says J. Holt Foster, hiring partner for the 432-lawyer firm. Last summer the firm employed 36 summer associates but decided to decrease its 2009 summer program when the economy continued to slow down in the second half of 2008, he says. Foster says the summer associate program is an integral part of the firm's future.

"You need to be long-term sighted," he says. "You always want to make sure, as a top tier firm, that you put yourself in a position to find the most talented students and create a relationship with them. We're in this for a marathon, not for a sprint."

Washington, D.C.-based Patton Boggs has hired nine summer associates for its Texas office, says Eric White, hiring partner for the firm's Dallas office. The firm employs 104 lawyers in Texas and 540 firm-wide.

"We're still going to have our format as outlined for our summer associate program, which is first half only for six to seven weeks," White says. "We have no plan to scrap it or reduce it or anything like that."

The firm employed 16 Texas summer associates in 2008 and decided, when recruiting for the summer 2009 class during the fall of 2008, that a smaller class would be appropriate this summer. "With the uncertainty of the economy, we thought it was prudent to have a smaller class," White says.
Less Lavish

Dallas-based Haynes and Boone also is reducing entertainment costs for the approximately 56 law students it is bringing in to work in its Texas offices as summer associates, says Thomas H. Yang, the 464-lawyer firm's hiring partner. In 2008, the firm employed 71 Texas summer associates.

"In general we've always been cost conscious about expenses, not just for the summer," he says. "Rather than go to the nicest restaurants in town for lunches and dinners, we can go to more reasonably priced restaurants," he says.

Yang says that the firm's budget for dollars spent per recruit is less than it has been in previous years but that it's important for the firm to hire summer associates, despite the economy. "We take a longer term view, and therefore I think it is important for us to continue to recruit and attract the top students to the firm," he says.

Glenn D. West, managing partner of the Dallas office of New York-based Weil, Gotshal & Manges, says it would be "imprudent, if not offensive" for a firm to not be trying to cut costs in this environment. Weil, Gotshal has hired 25 summer associates for its offices in Austin, Dallas and Houston, West says. The firm employs 128 lawyers in Texas and 1,365 firm-wide. In 2008, the firm employed 40 Texas associates.

"We've never had a highly entertainment-oriented summer associate program," West says. "I'm not even sure that there is much additional cutting to do. We certainly will be looking at it," he says.

But West notes that recruiting is an essential firm expense. "There may be a lot of things one should do, in this environment [to reduce costs], but stopping or thwarting recruiting is not one of them, in our opinion," he says.

"A law firm is a bit like a fishing stream," West says. "If you don't have the spring pumping new water into the stream, it can stagnate."

Thomas S. Leatherbury, hiring partner for Houston-based Vinson & Elkins, agrees that summer associate programs are a necessary firm expense.

"It's an expensive process, but it is the future of the firm," Leatherbury says. "We hire most of our [entry level] lawyers from the summer program. It is very important to us to hire exceptional legal talent, and that's where we get it from, our summer program."

The firm, which employs 532 lawyers in Texas and 736 firm-wide, has hired 119 summer associates, about the same number of summer associates the firm hired in 2008, he says.

Hunton & Williams also has hired the same number of summer associates for its Texas offices — five students — as it did in 2008, says Patrick E. Mitchell, the managing partner of the Dallas office of the Richmond, Va.-based firm.

"We always planned on having five, and that is what we've got, and we're looking forward to it," he says. The firm employs 135 lawyers in Texas and 976 firm-wide. Mitchell says it is important for firms to have summer associate programs despite an uncertain economy. "The only product we sell is people," he says.

At San Antonio-based Cox Smith Matthews, 17 or 18 students will be working at the firm this summer, says Scott B. Bankler, chairman of the recruiting committee of the 127-lawyer firm. In 2008, Cox Smith hired 19 summer associates.

"We're taking a look at expenses, given the economy, but we hope we can run a similar program to those in previous years," Bankler says.

Fort Worth-based, 126-lawyer Kelly Hart & Hallman has hired seven summer associates, a few less than the nine students the firm hired in 2008, says firm recruiter Prissy Moore.

Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons, with 104 lawyers, has hired six students as summer associates, says Ellen M. Van Meir, a partner in Dallas and chairwoman of the firm's associate and recruiting committee. "The program is still going forward," she says. The Dallas-based firm employed 10 students during its 2008 summer associate program.

Five other large firms reported the number of students hired for the 2009 summer associate programs in the firms' Texas offices. Dallas-based Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has hired 26 summer associates, says spokeswoman Sheila Turner. Jackson Walker, based in Dallas, has hired 24 summer associates, recruiting director Kim DiLallo writes in an e-mail. Cleveland-based Jones Day, which has offices in Dallas and Houston, has hired 41 summer associates, says Kathy Shea, recruiting manager for the Dallas office. Dallas-based Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell has hired 38 Texas associates, firm spokeswoman Julie Gilbert writes in an e-mail. Strasburger & Price, based in Dallas, has hired six summer associates, writes Linsi Walker, the firm's recruiting and professional development manager, in an e-mail.

Interviewing with small firms

2009-03-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

As the number of larger firms laying off associates increases, the focus on small firms grows. The folks over at Above the Law had some great ideas:

I work for a small law firm in a major metropolitan area that is in the enviable position of hiring right now. We are getting a flood of Big Law resumes. I get to hear all of you pedigreed, ambitious, driven, hard-working and talented attorneys crash and burn without even knowing you're doing it. Here is my advice on how to actually get the job, especially if it's with a smaller, scrappier law firm than you're used to. In no particular order:

1. Nobody Cares. Your resume speaks for itself, and the attorneys who are interviewing you are well aware that you come from BigLaw stock, have an Ivy League degree, fancy clerkships or once worked for Famous Attorney. Keep in mind that right now, you're sitting across the table from attorneys who once did not get the job with BigLaw, probably because of you. They have not forgotten this, and Schadenfreude is still alive and well. Bragging about your BigLaw experience will make them loathe you. If they ask you about BigLaw, answer the questions but don't go on and on about how much you loved that high salary and perks that kept you tethered to your desk. Your interviewers absolutely do not want to hear it. Conversely, avoid denigrating your BigLaw experience because...

2. Nobody Likes A Whiner. Don't bitch about how you're secretly grateful you're out of that hellhole because you hated the BigLaw experience and the high salary and perks that kept you tethered to your desk. Your interviewers might believe you, but if you're denigrating your prior firm, you're most likely going to also bad-mouth ours. Keep in mind that your interviewers might once have had, or still have, BigLaw connections. Their spouses might still work for BigLaw. Their parents, siblings or children might work for BigLaw. This law firm might have once poached a chunk of attorneys from BigLaw. You never know.

Some notes about fitting in, after the jump.

3. Figure Out How To Fit In. This is the single biggest reason why the BigLaw candidates are getting rejected. We're looking for attorneys who will fit in seamlessly with our firm culture, which is vastly different from BigLaw. If you're used to working in teams, you won't be doing that here, because you will be running your own cases and won't have anyone else to rely upon. When this was told to one candidate, rather than praise this method and explain how well he'll be able to do that, he said simply, "I've never done that before." That may be true, but that's not what we want to hear. If you've never done that before, be honest about it, but follow up with an explanation of how you plan to remedy that quickly and do that over and over again, brilliantly and while adding value to the firm. Adaptability is key.

4. Dress Appropriately. All of you know how to dress for a job interview, but leave your fancy cuff links, expensive embossed portfolio, diamond jewelry (even the tasteful studs), and logoed accessories at home. Wearing them will remind your interviewers how high your salary was at BigLaw, which may be more than they're currently making right now, and they will hate you.

5. Show Respect for Your Elders. One of the hiring attorneys at my firm is an extremely senior partner, and he looks his age. What the candidates do not know is that despite his doddering exterior, he is brilliant and scrutinizing. He did not get this task because he's nearing retirement and needs something to do. He got it because everybody respects his opinion. During one interview, the candidate apparently mistook him for her grandfather and spoke to him like he had dementia: "Well aren't you sweet!" She will not be back. He may be old, but he deserves the same amount of respect as your peers. Assuming you do in fact respect your peers.

Black in Back - Bankruptcy Lawyers Regain Glory, Demand

2009-02-25T07:01:00.000-08:00

According to Nathan Koppel of the WSJ, Corporate law firms are facing a boom in bankruptcy work but the rising demand in services has the firms fighting to hold on to their bankruptcy attorneys.

To claim a share of the lucrative bankruptcy market, firms need a stable of restructuring partners with loyal client followings and big-case experience. It costs more for firms to both retain that kind of talent or to hire such lawyers on the open market.

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP last year offered more than $5 million a year to land Luc Despins, a New York lawyer who has represented creditors in many high-profile bankruptcies, including those of Enron Corp. and Lehman Bros. Holdings Inc. Paul Hastings, according to a partner at the firm, also guaranteed Mr. Despins that he would maintain his pay level for three years -- a rarity in the legal industry, where partner compensation typically fluctuates along with a firm's overall profit.

Mr. Despins declines to discuss his compensation. He says he joined Paul Hastings because it has a broad corporate client base, both domestically and abroad.
"When you see headhunters descending like locusts on any bankruptcy professional who can fog a mirror, then you know the market is a little frothy," says New York bankruptcy attorney John Bicks, who says his phone "rings constantly" from headhunters.

Corporate restructurings in court can be particularly lucrative for firms, often requiring a small army of lawyers to toil years before a matter is resolved. In the past two years, Kirkland & Ellis LLP has earned at least $225 million in fees in completed corporate bankruptcy cases, while Sidley Austin LLP and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP have each earned more than $100 million in completed corporate bankruptcies during that time, according to BankruptcyProfessional.com, which tracks fees in bankruptcies involving public companies.

Many law firms are looking to either add lawyers to their existing bankruptcy practices or to start a department from scratch, leading to a surge in hiring that is enabling some lawyers to increase their compensation by 20% or more if they are willing to jump ship to a competitor, New York recruiter Alisa Levin says. "Bankruptcy lawyers had their heyday years ago, and they have waited a long time to get back," she says.

Andrews Kurth LLP, a Houston-based firm with more than 400 lawyers, would like to deepen its bankruptcy bench, but it has been put off by many lawyers' salary demands, says Hugh Ray, head of restructuring at the firm. "Most lawyers want 20% to 30% over the firm's market [salary] rate," he says. "They feel they have been making less than their colleagues for years, and they think it's payback time."

New York bankruptcy attorney Raniero D'Aversa Jr. says that when he started searching for another job in 2007 he drew up a wish list of 20 law firms. Most of the firms agreed to meet with him, he says, and many offered attractive compensation packages.

"There were so many options," says Mr. D'Aversa. "There are a lot of firms eagerly looking to build in this space." He ended up taking a job last year at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, which is paying him about $2.5 million in annual compensation, a pay raise of about 25%, according to people familiar with the compensation package.

Hiring activity is particularly frenzied in New York City and Wilmington, Del., the primary venues for corporate bankruptcy filings.

Where Did All the Jobs Go?

2009-02-18T06:52:00.000-08:00

These days it seems like every lawyer has been touched by this economic downturn. Either you’ve been laid off from your law job or someone you know has been laid off from their law firm. And the layoffs have now finally reached the Texas market. Well, you’re not alone. It’s been reported that in 2008, around 1800 legal jobs were lost (including lawyers and legal staff). It’s also been reported that in just January and so far in February around 3000 legal jobs have been lost nationally, a number of those jobs here in the Texas market. Those numbers don’t include unreported layoffs or secret layoffs from big law firms that so many of you have been telling us about. Faced with losing a job, the obvious question is what do I do next.

Nationally, lawyers are retooling themselves. They’re retooling their legal resumes to show a broader depth of law practice experience, which is particularly a great idea for the transactional lawyers out there with corporate, finance and real estate experience. While litigation and bankruptcy practices are busy, it’s best to show that you have some legal experience in these busier practices. Lawyers are considering law jobs that pay less, and in some instances a lot less than their previous law firm job. They are thinking about geographic moves to locations with no connection other than a good legal job. And they’re even thinking about non-legal jobs until the economy improves. In these times, it pays to be creative and think outside the box about how to best market your legal skills and distinguish yourself from every other lawyer or candidate out there.

And the hits keep on coming...

2009-02-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

According to the Daily Journal, the pace of law firm layoffs accelerated drastically nationwide in January, but Atlanta's largest firms do not yet appear to be caught up in large-scale terminations of attorneys and staff.

Of the seven large Atlanta-based firms contacted for this story, four confirmed layoffs of attorneys or staff, with varying degrees of detail. Two firms said they haven't had layoffs and another declined to comment. Recruiters at six firms contacted by the Daily Report, however, said they're seeing résumés from lawyers at all the large firms.

Since the beginning of the year, about 30 firms nationwide have announced layoffs totaling 1,528 staff and lawyers--compared to 1,762 layoffs announced by firms for all of 2008, according to Lawshucks.com. The Web site has meticulously compiled national layoff figures from confirmed reports in the legal press in a feature called Layoff Tracker.

In the last week of January alone, a whopping 858 lawyers and staff lost their jobs at big law firms nationwide, according to Layoff Tracker.

The figures compiled by the Layoff Tracker do not include so-called “stealth layoffs” that have not been confirmed, where firms lay off personnel in small increments in order not to attract attention.

Atlanta has not seen the large-scale layoffs that have hit firms in New York and California that invested heavily in structured finance practices. San Francisco's Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe, for example, announced in November it was laying off 75 associates, counsel and staff.

Firms in other cities that publicly are announcing cuts are shedding eye-popping numbers of lawyers and staff. Just last week, San Francisco's Morrison and Foerster announced it was laying off 201 people: 53 lawyers and 148 staff.

Other announcements last week that sent shockwaves through the national legal community came from Palo Alto, Calif.'s Wilson Sonsini, which cut 113 people (45 lawyers and 68 staff) and Boston's Ropes and Gray, which let go of 106 staff. The British firm Linklaters terminated 270 people: 120 lawyers and 150 staff.
Atlanta's legal recruiters say that most of the city's big firms are laying off lawyers, but they agree that the numbers, so far, are smaller than those seen in California, Chicago and New York.

“We're seeing firms very quietly trying to trim the fat, I think, at all levels from equity partner on down,” said Ilene Rosh, a recruiter at Hughes Consultants.
“We're seeing résumés from a lot of large firms that we don't normally see,” said Richard Rice, the head of attorney recruiting at firstPRO.

Big Firms in Texas Freezing Salaries

2009-01-20T14:25:00.001-08:00

You may have heard by now that several large Texas-based law firms have frozen 2009 salaries at 2008 levels. Fulbright and Jaworski and Haynes and Boone are the first of the big Texas firms to freeze associate salaries but they are in good company. Firms nation-wide have instituted salary freezes in the past several months, including Godwin Procter, Alston & Bird, Perkins Coie, Shulte Roth and Zabel, Latham and Watkins, Orrick, Dickstein Shapiro, Sheppard Mullin, Venable, Bryan Cave, Arnold and Porter and Steptoe and Johnson. Firms that have instituted salary freezes that have offices located in Texas but are based elsewhere include Morgan Lewis, Hogan and Hartson, DLA, Squire Sanders, Sonnenschein, Sutherland, McDermott Will and Emery and Sidley Austin. Fulbright has frozen salaries through the first quarter of 2009, unlike most firms which have instituted an indefinite freeze.

Big Firms in Texas Freezing Salaries

2009-01-20T14:25:00.000-08:00

2008 Associate Bonuses Strong

2009-01-19T07:20:00.000-08:00

These days everyone is tightening their belts- whether we need to or have the perception that we need to. In the current economic downturn, with firms and corporations cutting staff, companies filing bankruptcy, law firms dissolving and new job opportunities few and far between, it gets difficult to see the silver lining. But lawyers at large law firms throughout the state have something to smile about.

Bonus reports are in and associate bonuses for 2008 in Texas were strong, nearing levels of bonuses given in 2007. That is welcome news for many who were holding their breaths, hoping not to be the victims of the next round of layoffs. There is much to celebrate. Many firms here in Texas were not greatly affected by the economic downturn because of the types of cases and deals the firms take on and the types of clients they have. As a result, firm profits were strong and the partners graciously shared the wealth. Interestingly, the firms that saw drops in associate bonuses tend to be the New York based law firms, the same firms that historically gave bonuses and have base salaries well above the Texas market. No one knows what 2009 has in store, but let’s hope that it follows the trend of 2008.

Resume Resolution

2009-01-15T13:33:00.001-08:00

It’s a new year and that means new resolutions, so add one more to your list: a new resume. In fact, make that many resumes. With the recent economic downturn employers are becoming more and more focused on finding the perfect candidate, not just any candidate. Employers are looking for someone who has the perfect background for the job at hand, not just a good enough background.

With this in mind, create a resume that illustrates why you’re the perfect fit. Create a unique resume tailored for the job you’re trying to secure, not a generic resume for any and all jobs available. For more information on creating a great resume, visit the Candidate Resources Center on WarrenRecruiting.com.

Interview Stories: Truth or Tabloid

2008-11-13T15:44:00.001-08:00

As a child your parents were always there with advice. Don't talk with your mouth full. Look someone in the eye when you talk to them. Sit up, don’t slouch. Somehow it seemed that these words of etiquette wisdom were things you could figure out for yourself. The same story is told about interviewing for your next job. A recruiter will always be there with advice. Have a firm handshake. Bring a copy of your resume. Don't talk about politics, sex or religion. After four years of undergraduate school, three years of law school and years practicing law, these are all things that you could figure out for yourself, things you do not want to be told, things you do not want to hear. Well, you would be surprised. What follows are a few pearls of wisdom from interviews gone awry. Are they warnings you should heed based on true interview experiences or merely far-fetched suggestions of what could go wrong? You decide.

Be prepared – do your homework, think of some questions. Know about the company or firm you are interviewing with. If possible, find out who you will meet ahead of time and research their backgrounds. If there's ever a lull in the conversation, you can create conversation with this information or ask the questions you have prepared.
Turn off your mobile phone, your pager, your blackberry, your iPAQ, anything that buzzes or rings. And if by chance it does ring, DO NOT answer it!
Dress professionally, for the job you want, not the job you have. Remember lawyers command respect so dress in a manner that shows you deserve it. So tuck in your shirt, shine your shoes and tone down your makeup.
Be on time, and if for some reason you are running late, call and let the interviewer know you are on your way.
Freshen up on the way. People remember the bad things – bad hair, bad makeup, bad breath.
Skip wearing perfume or cologne. Not everyone agrees with your choice in scents.
Do not discuss money at your first interview. Discuss your expectations with your recruiter and negotiate after you already have a job offer. Convince the interviewer you are the perfect candidate for the job and your bargaining power improves.
Be gracious to your interviewer for their time. Thank you notes or emails are always appreciated when someone takes time out of their day to interview you.

10 Tips for a More Effective Legal Resume

2008-11-13T15:43:00.000-08:00

1. Tailor your resume - take the time to highlight experience that is relevant to the job you are applying for, do not just send the same resume for every job opportunity

2. Keep it simple - one page is ideal, two pages is the maximum, three pages is futile; keep your descriptions precise, avoid the use of "I" or "my" and if you use a second page, put your name and contact information on the top of it

3. Skip the objective - everyone knows your objective, to be an excellent lawyer

4. Don't be cute - no pictures (even if you are a model), drawings, artwork, frames or creative fonts

5. Put your best foot forward - put your most impressive credentials first; if you went to a fantastic school list your education first; if you worked at exceptional firms or companies put your job experience first

6. Everyone knows what a Summer Associate does - do not try to dress it up with fancy descriptions and if you have extensive experience do not waste space by describing your duties

7. Tell the truth - do not make up jobs, experiences, grades or community involvement, the truth will always come out in the interview

8. Be active - accomplishments are more important than responsibilities so use active voice to energize job duties and successes

9. Set yourself apart - if you have a particular interest or hobby that makes you unique, add it under a "Personal" or "Interests" section; but keep it professional and use discretion, not everyone is impressed that you attend Star Wars conventions

10. Proofread - lawyers are hired to pay attention to detail