Be careful what you say on your cell phone.
According to a tip posted on Above the Law, Robert Robbins, who heads Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman’s corporate and securities practice, was overheard talking about imminent layoffs at the firm while on a train to New York.
It turns out that the substance of Robbins’ conversation held water because the firm issued a statement this afternoon confirming that layoffs are coming to the firm. The statement also apologizes for the "unfortunate manner" in which the rumors were confirmed.
The firm declined to comment beyond the statement, including on the number of lawyers and staff that would be affected. The report on Above the Law pegs that number at 15 to 20 in four U.S. offices.
Here is the statement from Pillsbury:
"It is an unfortunate fact in today's economy that no business or law firm can rule out adjustments to their overall workforce levels. This includes Pillsbury, and, among other cost cutting measures, we will be implementing reductions to ensure that our resources are aligned with our business needs. We apologize for the unfortunate manner in which our deliberations about reductions have become public."
What in the world? Am I the only one who thinks that abovethelaw is responsible for "leaking out" here, and to a much lesser extent, Robbins?
He was careless and naive in thinking he could speak on his phone without a snoop listening in and broadcasting his conversation to the world through abovethe law, but that's it.
Believe me, I know I am "off base" on this because the dozens of responses at ATLaw that I read were consistently supportive of the website for their action and absolutely none even questioned their ethics. Robbins is a dog and the peeping tom along with ATLaw are heroes for getting this confidential information out to the public.
Lawyers...
Unbelievable.
Posted by: Mike Jackson | February 20, 2009 at 04:16 AM
Mr. TenHoor, the President still has his BlackBerry, albeit an NSA modified $3300 one. He is Barack Obama, that's why. In case you wondered.
Posted by: JAL | February 20, 2009 at 01:09 AM
C'mon. Everyone knows Karl Rove was listening in on his portable Echelon system to hurt a firm that donated huge money to Obama.
Posted by: Joe Schmo | February 20, 2009 at 12:36 AM
When I went to work for PricewaterhouseCoopers a decade ago, we had mandatory training that included a video (acted, not real) showing a PwC employee unthinkingly revealing confidential information in an elevator conversation with a few non-PwC people standing around. The point was stressed several times in the training about the need to be constantly aware of where you were and who else was around when you said anything that might be confidential.
Having used Amtrak many, many times to travel between DC and points north (mostly NYC and Philadelphia), I struggle to understand why Robbins would openly (and apparently loudly) discuss such sensitive information in such an open public setting. ..bruce..
Posted by: bfwebster | February 19, 2009 at 11:01 PM
I do not like lawyers, and I especially despise cellphone loudmouths. May he writhe in the shame he deserves. And maybe, just maybe, be laid off...
Posted by: Ellen | February 19, 2009 at 11:01 PM
Bad weather is "unfortunate." Someone being incompetent or arrogant is not "unfortunate"; it is either incompetence or arrogance. Or both. And I am guessing this guy was simply arrogant, to the point that he thought everyone around him was just a faceless peon who couldn't possibly know hot gossip if it bit them on the nose, and that therefore he was free to blabber on about all sorts of stuff that ought to have been kept private. I am a young lawyer low on the totem pole and before that I sometimes worked as a paralegal, and I can't count the number of times I have heard partners in the largest NYC firms talking about this sort of thing in elevators. They very clearly think that people like me - and people like this law student, who knew what she was hearing - are so inconsequential that we are all but invisible. It's dumb. To be arrogant that way is self-destructive.
Posted by: Anonilawyer | February 19, 2009 at 06:11 PM
people (at least in california) have been disciplined for exactly this kind of conduct. biglaw should thank its lucky stars this buffoon wasn't talking about juicy client gossip. a disgrace.
Posted by: Joe | February 19, 2009 at 05:10 PM
I guess we know why they took Obama's Blackberry away!? It is really unfortunate how the initial news of this Pillsbury layoff got communicated by Mr Robbins. There's no excuse for not having better awareness of your environment. I was first going to say we should cut the guy some slack but after reading the account in abovethelaw.com, I guess Michael Phelps and his bong now rank second to this faux pax.
Posted by: Stuart TenHoor | February 19, 2009 at 04:58 PM