Despite impressive gains at the top of the Am Law 200 charts and a mindset geared more toward growth, layoffs and cuts continue to rattle the industry.

Several Big Law firms trimmed their ranks in 2023 and deferred associate classes amid economic headwinds and depressed demand, including in technology and corporate practices. And this year, productivity and utilization remain a problem, observers and analysts have said, as some firms expect deal work to improve only ”incrementally” and the tech sector in particular just hasn’t shown enough resilience.