In
the
wake
of
Willkie
Farr’s
$100
pro
bono
payola
deal
with
Donald
Trump,
lawyers
have
been
fleeing
the
firm’s
West
Coast
office
in
droves.
Thus
far,
about
20
attorneys
have
decamped
from
the
firm’s
San
Francisco
office
for
Cooley.
Faced
with
an
exodus,
Willkie
is
now
sending
pretty
mixed
messages
to
its
employees.
What
do
we
mean
by
that?
The
firm
has
resorted
to
laying
off
staff
members,
while
at
the
same
time
offering
generous
bonuses
to
summer
associates
and
seasoned
associates.
These
aren’t
summer
bonuses,
mind
you
—
these
are
more
of
a
“please
don’t
leave
us”
payout.
The
American
Lawyer
has
additional
details
on
Willkie’s
bonuses
for
some,
layoffs
for
others
strategy:
A
paralegal,
a
billing
assistant,
two
secretaries
and
the
San
Francisco
office
manager
were
affected
by
staff
cuts
that
went
into
effect
last
week,
according
to
sources
familiar
with
the
situation,
who
requested
anonymity
to
speak
candidly
about
conditions
at
Willkie.
…Even
as
Willkie
cut
into
its
staff
in
the
office,
the
firm
began
offering
“generous”
retention
bonuses
to
first-year
and
second-year
summer
associates,
as
well
as
associates
in
the
Bay
Area,
sources
said.
Bonuses
for
summer
associates—offered
in
a
bid
to
bring
them
back
for
their
2L
summer
or
to
return
to
the
firm
after
law
school—fell
around
$35,000,
according
to
sources
with
knowledge
of
the
offers.Despite
the
bonuses,
sources
said,
at
least
two
2L
summer
associates
in
San
Francisco
have
instead
committed
to
join
the
litigation
team
at
Cooley,
while
most
of
the
1L
summer
associates
from
that
office
have
opted
to
not
spend
their
2L
summer
with
Willkie
and
committed
to
work
elsewhere,
in
a
broad
signal
of
disapproval
of
Willkie’s
deal
with
the
president.
Yikes!
Even
Willkie’s
summer
associates
are
turning
down
straight
cash
and
heading
to
Cooley.
In
a
legal
market
where
reputations
can
turn
on
a
dime
—
especially
when
a
firm
makes
a
“grave
mistake”
like
bending
a
knee
to
Trump
—
Willkie’s
retention
gambit
may
keep
some
lawyers
from
jumping
ship,
but
it’s
unlikely
to
quiet
the
whispers
about
what’s
really
going
on
behind
closed
doors.
We
wish
the
best
of
luck
to
those
at
Willkie
who
recently
lost
their
jobs.
If
your
firm
or
organization
is
reducing
the
ranks
of
its
lawyers
or
staff,
whether
through
deferrals,
open
layoffs,
stealth
layoffs,
or
voluntary
buyouts,
please
don’t
hesitate
to
let
us
know.
Our
vast
network
of
tipsters
is
part
of
what
makes
Above
the
Law
thrive.
You
can email
us or
text
us
(646-820-8477).
Thank
you
for
your
assistance.
If
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Layoff
Alerts,
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
layoff
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
layoff
announcement
that
we
publish.
Willkie
Cuts
San
Francisco
Staff,
Offers
Retention
Bonuses
to
Summers
[American
Lawyer]
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
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on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.