Morning News Roundup for Wednesday

This morning’s top stories:

According to a report released by the Project for Attorney Retention, which surveyed 100 American law firms, only 23 of those firms had partnership classes consisting of at least 40% women in 2008…

Sheppard Mullin, which instituted salary freezes in January, now admits it has been shedding attorneys since the beginning of 2009…

London’s Ashurst is in advanced talks to recruit at least 10 finance partners from McKee Nelson which, if finalized, would give Ashurst a practice in both New York and Washington, DC…

EpsteinBeckerGreen has brought on seven bankruptcy and corporate reorganization lawyers from Dreier LLP…

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman has announced a “voluntary departure” plan for any of the firm’s lawyers who don’t like hearing about their impending joblessness from the blogosphere instead of from  management…