The National Law Journal reports that lateral movements were down in Texas last year.
Nineteen of the state’s 25 largest firms, listed on Texas Lawyer’s “The Texas 100” poster published in 2008, participated in this year’s lateral hiring survey. They report hiring a total of 270 laterals in 2008, down 47.2 percent when compared to the 511 lawyers hired by the same firms in 2007. Fourteen of the firms report hiring fewer laterals in 2008, while four firms increased their lateral hiring and one firm hired the same number…
Three Texas recruiters say lateral hiring was almost non-existent during the second half of 2008, particularly for associates, as firms assessed the crumbling economy. The recruiters predict that lateral hiring will continue to be slow, especially for associates, at least until the fourth quarter of 2009.
Via NLJ.