This morning a tipster informs us that Kirkland laid off 13 staff members in Los Angeles and 30 in Chicago; its unclear how many were let go in New York and DC.
The tipster says those laid off were given “industry-standard” severance packages (two weeks per year of service, maxing out at 26 weeks), continued medical benefits for several months, and paid two weeks notice.
If know have any details about layoffs at Kirkland & Ellis, please — send us a confidential tip!
Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a Chicago-based law firm that practices in the US and internationally. As of 2008, it was the seventh largest law firm in the US and the 11th largest in the world by revenue. It has offices in New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Munich, Hong Kong, and Palo Alto.
UPDATE:
A second tipster informs us that 14 staff members were laid off in the San Francisco office, with most focusing on the corporate side and general staff.
There are also rumors that attorneys could be next!
UPDATE of the UPDATE:
A third tipster repeats the above, but adds that some people did not receive severance.
A big thank you to our tipsters!
FINAL UPDATE
Blawg sites are now reporting that at least 80 staff were fired, with a focus on secretaries administrative assistants, although mail room and records personnel were affected.
The cuts affected Chicago, New York, and DC.
REALLY FINAL UPDATE, REALLY
An anonymous tipster writes (edited for length):
As far as the mail room layoffs, Kirkland has changed the way mail is delivered. In the new building, they have installed a dumbwaiter to transfer mail and documents between floors, eliminating those clunky mail carts being pushed in and out of the elevators…
Kirkland eliminated ALL of the receptionist positions. They changed the title of the receptionists, and then asked all of the former receptionists to apply for those five new positions. The rest were let go (most of them). The secretaries have had their number of assignments increased to as many as five or six attorneys apiece… They have eliminated ALL the floating secretaries, with the exception of a handful to replace secretaries who are out on trial or on leaves of absences…
Rumor is that the staff layoffs on Friday were only Round 1, with two more rounds to go. Since the staff is so lean at this point, it would seem more logical that Round 2 and Round 3 will NOT be staff!