DLA Piper, the world’s largest law firm (by number of lawyers) which employs more than 3,700 counsel in 28 countries, may have to make more substantial layoffs.
The firm has consistently denied it is looking at redundancies, and has accused those claiming the contrary of spreading “malicious” gossip.
At the beginning of this month, DLA Piper announced that forty staff in the United Kingdom will be cut; half of them will be lawyers.
The question now is where those cuts will be made. DLA Piper said the redundancies will be spread across its UK offices, in real estate and finance practices. But the rumor mill says the firm’s regional offices are most likely to feel the pain.
DLA Piper was formed as a result of the 2005 merger of San Diego’s Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich, Britain’s DLA LLP , and Piper Rudnick. In 2007, the firm had more than $2.1 billion in revenue, making it one of the highest grossing law firms in the world.
Via The Lawyer.
UPDATE:
Above the Law reports the rumor that Thacher Proffitt is shutting its litigation department, and that department head Richard Hans will jump ship to DLA Piper, his former firm. Word is that he will be taking a few attorneys back with him.