Dechert announced earlier today that it would be laying off 63 attorneys and 62 administrative staff members across its 18 offices.
While the firm would not say how many of those would be in Washington, a Dechert spokeswoman confirmed that the firm’s 85-lawyer D.C. office was not left unscathed. The firm has over 900 lawyers worldwide.
The firm has had several rounds of layoffs since the beginning of 2008. In March of last year, the firm laid off 13 associates across the U.S. In December, Dechert laid of 72 staff members. Today's announcement adds to the 17 associates, 10 staff attorneys, and 2 counsel already pink slipped in 2009.
In a firmwide e-mail, Dechert chairman Barton Winokur attributed the cuts to the increasingly familiar and unpleasant refrain of “decreased market demand for legal services worldwide.”
The Legal Intelligencer has more here.
Here is Winokur’s e-mail:
In light of the decreased market demand for legal services worldwide, we are planning to reduce the number of lawyers and other time keepers in the firm by 63 and administrative staff by 62. Some of these individuals are being given notice today, and we are beginning the required consultation process with others. The reductions affect offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Needless to say, we are taking these steps reluctantly and with great regret. None of these decisions has been made easily because we know how difficult it is to find new jobs in this challenging economic environment. We thank all these individuals for their contributions to the firm over the years.
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