K&L Gates Uses Layoffs to Reduce Costs

Summary: After a year of many changes within K&L Gates, their latest change is coming in the form of less people working in their offices across the world.

In an effort to cut costs, K&L Gates has reduced their number of secretaries and other staff. The layoffs are listed as “substantial,” although an official number is not known.

A K&L Gates spokesman said, “The firm works to assure the right employees are performing the right jobs in order to maximize client service and efficiency. As is the case with any global professional services organization, we periodically review our staffing needs and make adjustments for the good of the firm and its clients.”

The layoffs have been reported to affect office in Chicago, Dallas, Melbourne and Seattle. Those affected include the IT training team, Q/A team, Tier 2 Support, and one project manager. The individuals laid off receive two weeks per year of severance, benefits through the end of the month, and one month of career placement.

K&L Gates has experienced a lot of changes this past year so it is no surprise that more changes were to come. Chairman Peter Kalis stated in September that he was not seeking re-election. Michael Caccese will take over as chairman with James Segerdahl stepping in as the global managing partner. Chief information officer Scott Angelo also left recently to join Fragomen.

The firm has also seen large groups of partners leaving over the past year. John Casey, a commercial disputes partner, left the Portland office to join Stoel Rives. Jeff Randall, co-leader of the firm’s IP practice, left in January because the firm was “moving in a new and difference direction.” John Pierce left after being with the firm for only a few months to form his own firm with a former colleague. A bigger hit was when a 32-lawyer consumer lending regulatory group left the Washington D.C. office to join Mayer Brown nearly a year ago.