The 778-lawyer firm also pushed back the start date for its 2009 first-year associates to January, 2010 and cut two weeks from its summer associate program.
Robert W. Webb Jr., the firm’s chairman, announced the plans to associates and staff in firmwide meetings.
The firm, which is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, has offices in Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, Newark, Norfolk, Orange County, Raleigh, Richmond, San Diego, Shanghai, Tyson’s Corner, Virginia Beach and Washington, DC.