Last Thursday, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman confirmed that it will be conducting layoffs after the legal blog Above the Law posted an anonymous tipsters detailed description of a loud cell phone conversation in a public place between two senior managers regarding the reductions.
“The call apparently took place between Robert Robbins, head of the corporate and securities practice, and COO Richard Donaldson. Robbins reportedly named out loud at least some of the 15 to 20 attorneys who the firm was talking about laying off in four offices by the end of March. The conversation apparently took place on an Amtrak train between Washington, D.C., and New York.”
“I, along with all of the other passengers, were sitting quietly when the man directly behind me decided to make a phone call using his Bluetooth. He was talking so loudly that I think most people in the car were able to hear him,” the tipster apparently told ATL.”
Apparently in his conversation, he was stressing how necessary it was that the info be kept secret.
His conversation detailed the firms plans to layoff 15-20 attorneys from four offices by the end of March. The attorneys are made up of a few senior associates with low billable hours and two or three first year associates.
“We apologize for the unfortunate manner in which our deliberations about reductions have become public,” Pillsbury said in a statement issued Thursday morning. “It is an unfortunate fact in today’s economy that no business or law firm can rule out adjustments to their overall workforce levels. This includes Pillsbury, and among other cost-cutting measures, we will be implementing reductions to assure that our resources are aligned with our business needs.”
Firms have been increasingly wary of the instant info made possible by blogs, which are more receptive to anonymous information than traditional media. Along with the initial conversation starting piece of info comments posted below blog stories often reveal confidential information as well.
To see the original article, click here.
RealDealDocs.com is a division of Practice Technologies, Inc. the creators of SmartRules.com, the first online practice guide for the national litigator and the national litigation practice.
Popularity: 8% [?]
