“Let me spell reality out for you real quick?“

This reads like an email to a fraternity about the hazing plan.

In literally any industry this is incredibly demoralizing and patronizing and borderline abusive. How anyone would think this is appropriate is beyond me.

I used to be in the K&E DC office and this is horrible. People in big law are just so jaded by big law BS that they don't realize that there is a better way to handle things. I was SHOCKED when I left big law and went in house and saw that a legal department can run successfully with well behaved, caring, emotionally intelligent lawyers.

If there are individual attorneys that are not billing enough, pick up the phone and call them. Have the NSPs on the restructuring cases make the calls because he's obviously too busy/important to reach out to individual human beings. Sending a blanket message to all, and including those that are actually "stepping up so far" is an unnecessary scare tactic.

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.

His message would ONLY be appropriate if it is sent directly to someone who was approached with work, turned it down, and then billed 80 hours last month (and didn't have extenuating circumstances because of the pandemic). Then I agree with this message. But sending this to everyone is a typical Kirkland d-bag move. Andy needs to get the eff over himself.

I also don’t think this is a big deal and I’m no fan of biglaw. I assume by “restructuring” he means bankruptcy, layoffs, and other work that people probably think of as boring shit work. Im not surprised people are keeping their heads down and hoping for better work, and I don’t think its out of line for thr managing partner to tell them that this is monsoon season and everyone is expected to grab a bucket and start moving muck, even if they’d rather be doing something more exciting or intellectually stimulating.

I really don't see how this is that horrible. Associates get paid a ton of money and if their hours are low and they are not reaching out to see if help is needed then that is a problem. I mean the tone is not great, but what do you really expect? I am a pretty junior partner at a biggish firm if it makes any difference.

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"

Anonymous wrote:What is SP?

Share partner (i.e. real partner). The alternative is NSP, or glorified senior associate.

What is SP?

Shitty, but that’s what the money is for.

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.

IME partners delude themselves into thinking there's always work and if you don't have any it's because people don't want to work with you. It's probably because partners lie to each other about how busy they are.

PP here and I agree with that. I'm not at K&E so I dont know if its true or not but he identified specific people to talk to so I'm guessing there is work to do.

Oh I'm SURE it's true KE has plenty of billables. Just in general, it's the rare firm where the partners demanding you get your billables up understand that they're trying to squeeze blood from a stone. They always think it's the associate's fault.

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.

IME partners delude themselves into thinking there's always work and if you don't have any it's because people don't want to work with you. It's probably because partners lie to each other about how busy they are.

PP here and I agree with that. I'm not at K&E so I dont know if its true or not but he identified specific people to talk to so I'm guessing there is work to do.

There is a reason this place is the most miserable sweatshop in the entire profession.

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.

IME partners delude themselves into thinking there's always work and if you don't have any it's because people don't want to work with you. It's probably because partners lie to each other about how busy they are.

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.

I really don't understand the logic of sending this out en masse. It's going to end up in ATL and make you look bad. In the meantime, you have a literal list of low billers--use it.

https://abovethelaw.com/2020/05/partner-shows-all-the-compassion-youd-expect-from-biglaw-read-none-at-all/