Last month Winstead, a Texas law firm with seven offices, canceled its 2009 summer associate program. The firm is offering $5,000 each to the 2Ls who are left without summer employment.
Now online sources are claiming the firm has revoked offers to incoming associates, without any kind of severance.
The firm denies the revocation rumor, stating that start dates have merely been deferred, with stipends.
If you know anything about the situation at Winstead, please — send us a confidential tip!
Winstead PC has offices in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and The Woodlands, Texas; and in Washington, DC.
UPDATE:
A JDJournal tipsters says:
I can confirm that incoming associates have had their offers rescinded without any severance at the Houston office. It happened to a close friend of mine. In fact, the news was delivered without so much as an apology. Worse, the firm promised to do everything possible to help with outplacement, but when contacted about it, simply said they would “let them know if anything comes up,” i.e. they aren’t planning to do anything. It’s odd, really, that they would offer a severance to 2Ls without a summer clerkship, but nothing to a 3Ls with rescinded permanent offers.