K&E partner's stupidly aggressive email on ATL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Email was not that bad. Could have used some empathy to also add “unless you are directly impacted by COVID in some way we understand, but the rest of you, we expect you to step up per normal.” As for why send it out to everyone, it actually is a benefit to those currently busting their butts - telling them we see you, we thank you and we don’t expect you to carry the water for everyone else, while they get to relax and enjoy the benefits without pulling their weight.

Sorry, I must have missed it. Where was the "thank you" in his email?

[Anonymous]

Now imagine what it’s like to be married to Andy. Or be his brother. Or mom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Given the current climate, nobody is sitting at home, purposely not billing, and riding the "gravy train" until the wheels fall off. Everyone knows they are one bad month away from a stealth lay off. eff over himself.

I disagree. I’m at a top 20 Biglaw firm and know at least one lawyer who hasn’t been affected by the virus and hasn’t billed anything while we’ve been working from home (since mid-March). We have lockstep salaries and bonuses. I feel like a sucker because I’m trying to juggle billable work with childcare/homeschooling. I wish my firm would send out an email like this, but it never would. It is much more focused on image and optics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that there are so many justifying this garbage just goes to show how toxic big law remains.

+1 Stockholm syndrome

I agree. There is a totally professional way to convey this same information. This was not it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Given the current climate, nobody is sitting at home, purposely not billing, and riding the "gravy train" until the wheels fall off. Everyone knows they are one bad month away from a stealth lay off. eff over himself.

I disagree. I’m at a top 20 Biglaw firm and know at least one lawyer who hasn’t been affected by the virus and hasn’t billed anything while we’ve been working from home (since mid-March). We have lockstep salaries and bonuses. I feel like a sucker because I’m trying to juggle billable work with childcare/homeschooling. I wish my firm would send out an email like this, but it never would. It is much more focused on image and optics.

Do you know for a fact that no one has reached out to this lawyer and told them they aren't meeting expectations? Why should the firm send out a firm-wide email? Employee discipline should be done privately. You have no idea what's been done with respect to this lawyer, or what will happen at the end of the year, etc. Nor should you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Given the current climate, nobody is sitting at home, purposely not billing, and riding the "gravy train" until the wheels fall off. Everyone knows they are one bad month away from a stealth lay off. eff over himself.

I disagree. I’m at a top 20 Biglaw firm and know at least one lawyer who hasn’t been affected by the virus and hasn’t billed anything while we’ve been working from home (since mid-March). We have lockstep salaries and bonuses. I feel like a sucker because I’m trying to juggle billable work with childcare/homeschooling. I wish my firm would send out an email like this, but it never would. It is much more focused on image and optics.

Do you know for a fact that no one has reached out to this lawyer and told them they aren't meeting expectations? Why should the firm send out a firm-wide email? Employee discipline should be done privately. You have no idea what's been done with respect to this lawyer, or what will happen at the end of the year, etc. Nor should you.

+1. Worry about yourself, your career, and your bank account. If that associate isn't pulling his/her weight it's not your problem (unless you're on a case together and they are missing deadlines and that directly affects you. But that's a different issue and would be appropriate to address on an INDIVIDUAL basis).

[Anonymous]

I'm in biglaw and have no hours rn, and I WISH our firm was staffing everyone on restructuring matters just to get some billables. Instead we're siloed and people with no work are just writing articles about Covid and waiting for our clients to resume work.

[Anonymous]

Any other time, dickish but whatever. But right now, when lots off people are trying to juggle lack of childcare, illness in their own households or extended family, etc., I think this was really inappropriate. If there are individuals that they know are twiddling their thumbs but not taking on this work because it’s not what they want to do, address that with them directly. Don’t shame people who may be struggling just to meet their minimum requirements because of an external crisis over which hey have no control.

I also work in big law, and my group is still very busy. Our senior partners are really sensitive to what’s going on, they’re checking in with people individually so they know who might have extenuating circumstances, and they’re distributing work accordingly with promises that nothing is going to be held against people who can only do the minimum right now. And yet, my firm is doing well. Our Billings and revenues are strong, and they’ve told us explicitly there are no plans for pay cuts or layoffs because we don’t need them. So it can be done if you’re just not an asshole.

[Anonymous]

As a former big law restructuring associate, I would have appreciated an email like that. No one (who didn't sign up for it) wants to do bankruptcy/restructuring but if it's what is needed, then everyone should be willing to step up. I would be pissed if my corporate or litigation colleagues were just hanging out and collecting the same salary while I was busting my butt!

[Anonymous]

I don't know what else you'd expect, working in BigLaw. If you're in that world, I think you should just count yourself lucky your firm has enough work to go around and that they want you to do it, frankly.

if you don't like this sort of email, get out of BigLaw, and give up the BigLaw$$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont think its all that bad since there is actually work available. I think it would be way worse to chastise people when there was no work available.

It sounds like there are people who can work or work more and are not and it makes sense not to turn work down. I don't see the issue. They are there to make money.

You are assuming he is telling the truth. Maybe he knew this would get into ATL and he's trying to blame associates for being slackers before they do a slew of layoffs. Instead of acknowedlging they arent getting enough work, he is blaming associates for ducking work. Who knows if they actually are.

He's a lawyer. He knows the fired associates can request a forensic accountant to see just how much work their actually was.

Aside from that K&E is the largest law firm in D.C. I would not be surprised at all if they have a heavy workload because the federal government is pushing more stimulus plans and acts than ever before.

Half their notable former alumni, including a current SCOTUS Justice and the current White House Counsel, works in the Trump administration. All of them would be making sure K&E's back is scratched.

This is....not a thing that happens when people get laid off at Biglaw.

Yeah, what a ridiculous notion. Nobody gets to look behind the curtain once they are laid off. That PP obviously has never been in biglaw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a former big law restructuring associate, I would have appreciated an email like that. No one (who didn't sign up for it) wants to do bankruptcy/restructuring but if it's what is needed, then everyone should be willing to step up. I would be pissed if my corporate or litigation colleagues were just hanging out and collecting the same salary while I was busting my butt!

I was a litigation associate and got roped into a restructuring case because they needed the help. A bunch of us were pulled in and of course, yes was the only answer when the call for help came. But the key was COMMUNICATION! If you need associates/NSP's, then look at the hours list and CALL THEM! But given the poor communication at most firms, they may not even know that this work is available! Especially now that everyone's working from home and you may not run into folks in person to talk about what's happening at the firm. If someone's hours are low and they turn down the work, address them accordingly. Don't send this d-wad email.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know what else you'd expect, working in BigLaw. If you're in that world, I think you should just count yourself lucky your firm has enough work to go around and that they want you to do it, frankly.

if you don't like this sort of email, get out of BigLaw, and give up the BigLaw$$.

In my many years of biglaw I’ve never experienced this sort of thing nor was being an utter a-hole to associates ever necessary for my firm to operate. My biglaw checks keep clearing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont think its all that bad since there is actually work available. I think it would be way worse to chastise people when there was no work available.

It sounds like there are people who can work or work more and are not and it makes sense not to turn work down. I don't see the issue. They are there to make money.

You are assuming he is telling the truth. Maybe he knew this would get into ATL and he's trying to blame associates for being slackers before they do a slew of layoffs. Instead of acknowedlging they arent getting enough work, he is blaming associates for ducking work. Who knows if they actually are.

He's a lawyer. He knows the fired associates can request a forensic accountant to see just how much work their actually was.

Aside from that K&E is the largest law firm in D.C. I would not be surprised at all if they have a heavy workload because the federal government is pushing more stimulus plans and acts than ever before.

Half their notable former alumni, including a current SCOTUS Justice and the current White House Counsel, works in the Trump administration. All of them would be making sure K&E's back is scratched.

This is....not a thing that happens when people get laid off at Biglaw.

Yeah, what a ridiculous notion. Nobody gets to look behind the curtain once they are laid off. That PP obviously has never been in biglaw.

This doesn't happen anywhere without a lawsuit and a discovery request, does it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont think its all that bad since there is actually work available. I think it would be way worse to chastise people when there was no work available.

It sounds like there are people who can work or work more and are not and it makes sense not to turn work down. I don't see the issue. They are there to make money.

You are assuming he is telling the truth. Maybe he knew this would get into ATL and he's trying to blame associates for being slackers before they do a slew of layoffs. Instead of acknowedlging they arent getting enough work, he is blaming associates for ducking work. Who knows if they actually are.

He's a lawyer. He knows the fired associates can request a forensic accountant to see just how much work their actually was.

Aside from that K&E is the largest law firm in D.C. I would not be surprised at all if they have a heavy workload because the federal government is pushing more stimulus plans and acts than ever before.

Half their notable former alumni, including a current SCOTUS Justice and the current White House Counsel, works in the Trump administration. All of them would be making sure K&E's back is scratched.

This is....not a thing that happens when people get laid off at Biglaw.

Yeah, what a ridiculous notion. Nobody gets to look behind the curtain once they are laid off. That PP obviously has never been in biglaw.

This doesn't happen anywhere without a lawsuit and a discovery request, does it?

No laid off lawyer is going to sue. It's career suicide.