I've been following the travails of the law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf. For those whose minds have been elsewhere, D&L is teetering toward what promises to be the largest law firm bankruptcy on record. The firm and its former chairman, Steve Davis, are also said to be the subject of a criminal probe by New York State prosecutors.
Full disclosure: Long ago, in another lifetime, I was chief marketing officer for the firm's predecessor, LeBoeuf Lamb. I am acquainted, at a distance, with some of the major players in this drama. In fact, one of them fired me back in 2007, shortly before the now-imploding merger with Dewey Ballantine.
My termination was handled courteously -- it was nothing personal, the firm was just "going in a different direction." The writing had been on the wall for some time. All summer, the New York office was a hive of closed-door meetings. If you weren't invited, it was probably time to call the headhunters.
There was a lot of talk about trust. "Trust no one, least of all me," my immediate supervisor told me. This turned out to be good advice. The other analogy I remember was the bus: "You're either on the bus or off the bus," the same manager said.
Now it seems like a large group -- maybe every one of the firm's 2,200 (according to its website) lawyers and staff -- will be getting off the bus. Some are moving to other firms, but many will be heading in a different direction.
To those parting ways with the firm, I say "Go with God," and also "Rejoice!" Once you get past the initial panic, chances are you will be giddy with relief. Change is hard, but thriving in a tense, secretive work environment is nearly impossible. As one partner said, "It's like living next to the runway at JFK. You don't even notice the noise, but then you wake up one morning and you're deaf."
As for me, after the sting of rejection subsided, I was very happy to be off the bus. I realigned my priorities, freelanced for a few years, and eventually moved on to a new career.
I would trust my current boss with my life, a fact I am grateful for every day. You'd be amazed at how quickly you can move forward when you don't have to watch your back.
And that's definitely a step in the right direction.
Follow Deborah Gaines on Twitter: www.twitter.com/deborahgaines
A lot of people (not just fat cat partners), including struggling secretaries, assistants, and new lawyers with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of student loan debt, are about to lose their jobs. Grow up and have some respect.
This article has nothing to do with the financial condition of this firm and everything to do with sour grapes. In her own words:"Long ago, in another lifetime", it's been five years...get over it.
It is Dewey Cheatem and Howe
Take the money and run.
You've just made my personal list of the top ten stupidest things ever posted (you might try reading your ideological nonsense before you post just to ensure there aren't typos.)
Here's a story you'll appreciate.
One of our group members happened to have a digital recorder in his pocket in a men's room and caught two opposing lawyers discussing strategy and how much they could best run up the legal fees.