Every firm is looking at staffing, with the intention of a head-count reduction. Law firms had more staff than they needed even prior to COVID. Working from home made clear that some staff weren’t busy. Also, lawyers have learned to do things on their own that they used to rely on other people for help with. It’s an overdue and appropriate business reaction.
— Altman Weil principal Eric Seeger, commenting on the fact that there are certain to be more layoffs ahead. Seeger says he’s spoken to about three dozen managing partners over the past month, and they’re all looking to trim down headcount at their firms. “[I]n an uncertain environment, they don’t want to let a crisis go to waste,” says Zeughauser Group consultant Kent Zimmermann.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.