Times may be good right now, but Biglaw and boutique firms alike are gearing up for a possible recession, leaving associates and staff members looking over their shoulders for the evil that may be lying in wait for them: layoffs. We first sounded the alarm on layoffs back in April, with continued coverage in the weeks that followed. Now, just two months later, our predictions have come to pass.
Redgrave — one of the largest information governance and eDiscovery boutique firms in the game — was due to merge with Am Law 100 firm Nelson Mullins in late 2020, but the tie-up was called off in early 2021 due to client conflicts. Now, Redgrave finds itself in an even worse state of affairs.
In a memo sent on June 9, managing partner Jonathan Redgrave notified all personnel that due to a “substantial decrease in demand” — demand that the firm does not see “returning to the same level in the near future — the firm would be “decreas[ing] [its] timekeeper staffing by around 10%.”
We certainly hope that this isn’t an indicator of what’s to come for the legal profession, but we haven’t even made it to the third quarter and we have a law firm laying off 10% of its workforce — and we’ve been told that attorneys were included in this unfortunate segment of the firm’s employees.
In the full memo (available on the next page), Redgrave goes on to assure remaining employees that those who have been laid off will receive severance packages and assistance to help them navigate “through this transition.”
Redgrave LLP did not immediately respond to requests for comment. We will provide an update if and when the firm provides us with a statement.
Best of luck to all those who are affected by the layoffs at Redgrave.
If your firm or organization is reducing the ranks of its lawyers or staff, whether through open layoffs, stealth layoffs, or voluntary buyouts, please don’t hesitate to let us know. Our vast network of tipsters is part of what makes Above the Law thrive. You can email us or text us (646-820-8477).
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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.
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https://abovethelaw.com/2022/06/law-firm-lays-off-10-of-all-timekeepers-due-to-decrease-in-demand/
