This Week in Layoffs – 1/30/09

Thank goodness that’s over.  There were 858 layoffs this week.  That’s more than double any previous month and almost a quarter of all the layoffs over the past 13 months.  And that’s just talking about those in BigLaw that qualfiied for the Layoff Tracker.  You’ll see a few more below that didn’t qualify.  It also doesn’t include L&W, where we know there have been serious “stealth” layoffs but nothing solid.  Also, don’t forget we’re not letting Cooley Godward off the hook yet.  Reports seem to be coalescing around 10%, but we prefer to deal in harder numbers.  If you know anything, send it in!

* Added Squire Sanders & Dempsey for 9 staff.
* Added Wilson Sonsini for 113 – 45 attorneys, 68 staff.
* Added 3 more to the Choate Hall layoff based on subsequent reports.  Brings total to 15 attorneys, 23 staff.
* Added Bingham McCutchen for 7 staff.
* Something is clearly going on at Latham & Watkins.  The firm claims it’s only the result of regular performance reviews, but the timing and severity suggest otherwise.
* Added Morgan Lewis for 50 associates.
* Added Linklaters for 270 – 120 lawyers, 150 staff.
* Added MoFo for 201 – 53 lawyers, 148 staff.
* Added Fish & Richardson for 70 – 30 staff confirmed, 40 associates reported.
* Added Ropes & Gray for 106 staff.
* Didn’t add Hammonds, from which 53 staff and 24 attorneys were fired, because they’re British and I’ve never heard of them.
* But I did add Clifford Chance for 5 more from the billing staff, bringing them back into the top 10.
* Never heard of Blake Lapthorn, either, so they avoid the list, despite laying off 33 in October and now 30 more.
* Added Fenwick & West for 30 staff.

We said last week was “BRUTAL.”  Not sure how to characterize this:

858 for the week.
1,528 for the month.
3,290 since 1/1/08.

Related posts:

1. This Week in Layoffs – 1/23/09
2. This Week in Layoffs – 2/6/09
3. This Week in Layoffs – 2/13/09
4. This Week in Layoffs – 2/27/09
5. The Month in Layoffs – Jan 09