Proskauer Lays Off 35 Associates, 25 Staff

It's beginning to seem as though it would be more newsworthy to find a firm that isn't laying off attorneys, whether openly or by stealth. On Thursday, it was Proskauer's turn. The firm is parting ways with 25 administrative staff and 35 associates, according to a statement. Proskauer said the layoffs are due to both the economic crisis and the "unprecedented reduction in our historical lawyer attrition rate."

Zach Lowe

The American Lawyer

2008-12-05 12:00:00 AM

It's beginning to seem like it would be more newsworthy to find a firm that isn't laying off attorneys (either openly or by stealth). In just the last two weeks, we've had major layoffs at Reed Smith, White & Case, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, and several other Am Law 100 firms, not to mention bonus cuts and staff reductions at a host of other places.

Thursday, it was Proskauer Rose's turn. The firm is parting ways with 25 administrative staff and 35 associates, according to a statement the firm released Thursday. (News of the layoffs first appeared on Above The Law.)

The statement does not say which offices or practice areas will suffer the most. The firm said the layoffs are due to both the economic crisis and the "unprecedented reduction in our historical lawyer attrition rate." The layoffs, in short, do not appear to be performance-related.

The Am Law Daily reached out to Allen Fagin, Proskauer's chairman, but we haven't heard back yet.

This article first appeared on The Am Law Daily blog on AmericanLawyer.com.