Pepper Hamilton, Cozen O’Connor, Fox Rothschild, Drinker Biddle & Reath, Duane Morris and Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott are all big firms by Pennsylvania standards, but when asked why they have been able to avoid the bulk of the trends stemming from the recession, the overwhelming theme is that they aren’t the biggest.
While many pointed to luck as a significant factor in their ability to avoid having to make tough decisions like mass layoffs, salary cuts, deferrals or axing their summer programs, the overriding answer dealt with the fact that they weren’t as leveraged with a large number of associates as their larger Am Law 100 counterparts.
