K&E partner's stupidly aggressive email on ATL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's the email if you don't feel like clicking the link - horrible.

"Folks,

Just hung up with some of the restructuring SPs. There are some huge cases coming in and they have no staffing. Thanks to everyone for stepping up so far on cases.

For those that aren’t fully occupied right now, and are not on a single restructuring matter because they have been hiding, let me spell out reality for you real quick. I am seeing a ton of money being left on the table on the matters coming in and I have seen all of your hours today (from most junior associate through SP). Am pretty shocked and the math is not going to work out well for you at the end of the year.

Bacon and Larson will continue to staff folks below SP over the coming days/weeks, I will be calling SPs personally. Given the market you should feel extremely lucky to be in an institution with too much work. That doesn’t mean you have an annuity here. If you get a call or don’t have enough to do, I suggest you grab a restructuring assignment ASAP and roll up your sleeves. If it was me in 2008 I would be pre-emptively calling Doug or Adam after you read through the end of this note. This isn’t a gravy train where you can just chill and be along for the ride.

Andy"

See the bolded. He seems to be saying that all the associate and NSP work on these cases will be done by another firm. So is he really just addressing this to his fellow SPs (while taking a random dig at junior associates)? If so, it’s obnoxious in a completely different way than I’d first assumed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Associates are also at will employees. The whole “building a justification for layoffs” is a PR issue, not a legal one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the email if you don't feel like clicking the link - horrible.

"Folks,

Just hung up with some of the restructuring SPs. There are some huge cases coming in and they have no staffing. Thanks to everyone for stepping up so far on cases.

For those that aren’t fully occupied right now, and are not on a single restructuring matter because they have been hiding, let me spell out reality for you real quick. I am seeing a ton of money being left on the table on the matters coming in and I have seen all of your hours today (from most junior associate through SP). Am pretty shocked and the math is not going to work out well for you at the end of the year.

Bacon and Larson will continue to staff folks below SP over the coming days/weeks, I will be calling SPs personally. Given the market you should feel extremely lucky to be in an institution with too much work. That doesn’t mean you have an annuity here. If you get a call or don’t have enough to do, I suggest you grab a restructuring assignment ASAP and roll up your sleeves. If it was me in 2008 I would be pre-emptively calling Doug or Adam after you read through the end of this note. This isn’t a gravy train where you can just chill and be along for the ride.

Andy"

See the bolded. He seems to be saying that all the associate and NSP work on these cases will be done by another firm. So is he really just addressing this to his fellow SPs (while taking a random dig at junior associates)? If so, it’s obnoxious in a completely different way than I’d first assumed.

Those are other Kirkland partners. Not another law firm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the email if you don't feel like clicking the link - horrible.

"Folks,

Just hung up with some of the restructuring SPs. There are some huge cases coming in and they have no staffing. Thanks to everyone for stepping up so far on cases.

For those that aren’t fully occupied right now, and are not on a single restructuring matter because they have been hiding, let me spell out reality for you real quick. I am seeing a ton of money being left on the table on the matters coming in and I have seen all of your hours today (from most junior associate through SP). Am pretty shocked and the math is not going to work out well for you at the end of the year.

Bacon and Larson will continue to staff folks below SP over the coming days/weeks, I will be calling SPs personally. Given the market you should feel extremely lucky to be in an institution with too much work. That doesn’t mean you have an annuity here. If you get a call or don’t have enough to do, I suggest you grab a restructuring assignment ASAP and roll up your sleeves. If it was me in 2008 I would be pre-emptively calling Doug or Adam after you read through the end of this note. This isn’t a gravy train where you can just chill and be along for the ride.

Andy"

See the bolded. He seems to be saying that all the associate and NSP work on these cases will be done by another firm. So is he really just addressing this to his fellow SPs (while taking a random dig at junior associates)? If so, it’s obnoxious in a completely different way than I’d first assumed.

Those are other Kirkland partners. Not another law firm.

Lol. I’m an idiot. Bacon and Larson does have a law firm ring to it though.

[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.

It wasn’t firmwide. It was to the associates in one office.

[Anonymous]

God, how bro-ish to refer to the other partners by just their last names in what purports you be a professional email. I guess some people never left the frat house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the email if you don't feel like clicking the link - horrible.

"Folks,

Just hung up with some of the restructuring SPs. There are some huge cases coming in and they have no staffing. Thanks to everyone for stepping up so far on cases.

For those that aren’t fully occupied right now, and are not on a single restructuring matter because they have been hiding, let me spell out reality for you real quick. I am seeing a ton of money being left on the table on the matters coming in and I have seen all of your hours today (from most junior associate through SP). Am pretty shocked and the math is not going to work out well for you at the end of the year.

Bacon and Larson will continue to staff folks below SP over the coming days/weeks, I will be calling SPs personally. Given the market you should feel extremely lucky to be in an institution with too much work. That doesn’t mean you have an annuity here. If you get a call or don’t have enough to do, I suggest you grab a restructuring assignment ASAP and roll up your sleeves. If it was me in 2008 I would be pre-emptively calling Doug or Adam after you read through the end of this note. This isn’t a gravy train where you can just chill and be along for the ride.

Andy"

See the bolded. He seems to be saying that all the associate and NSP work on these cases will be done by another firm. So is he really just addressing this to his fellow SPs (while taking a random dig at junior associates)? If so, it’s obnoxious in a completely different way than I’d first assumed.

Those are other Kirkland partners. Not another law firm.

Lol. I’m an idiot. Bacon and Larson does have a law firm ring to it though.

Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe
Wringer, Fleasom, and Tick

[Anonymous]

Looked up his pic, just about exactly what you'd expect. Dou chb ag https://www.kirkland.com/lawyers/c/calder-andrew-pc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looked up his pic, just about exactly what you'd expect. Dou chb ag https://www.kirkland.com/lawyers/c/calder-andrew-pc

This surprised me:

Education
Oxford Institute of Legal PracticeLPC2002
BPP Law School, LondonCPE2001
University of EdinburghLL.B.Law Honors2000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:God, how bro-ish to refer to the other partners by just their last names in what purports you be a professional email. I guess some people never left the frat house.

See also, former K&E partner Brett Kavanaugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God, how bro-ish to refer to the other partners by just their last names in what purports you be a professional email. I guess some people never left the frat house.

See also, former K&E partner Brett Kavanaugh.

Ha ha ha

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Exact.mlt. It’s not the message, it’s the time. How can anyone justify this in a professional setting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God, how bro-ish to refer to the other partners by just their last names in what purports you be a professional email. I guess some people never left the frat house.

See also, former K&E partner Brett Kavanaugh.

Ha ha ha

And in true Kavanaugh fashion, Calder is now saying he didn't write the email: https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/did-kirkland-partner-write-this-isnt-a-gravy-train-email-only-part-of-it-sounds-genuine-he-says

[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

So much sick alpha male aggression. Better firms know to get rid of these dinosaurs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God, how bro-ish to refer to the other partners by just their last names in what purports you be a professional email. I guess some people never left the frat house.

See also, former K&E partner Brett Kavanaugh.

Ha ha ha

And in true Kavanaugh fashion, Calder is now saying he didn't write the email: https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/did-kirkland-partner-write-this-isnt-a-gravy-train-email-only-part-of-it-sounds-genuine-he-says

He could just check his sent emails and confirm. SMH.