Arent Fox Revokes Some Associate Offers

By Tina Peng

Law360, New York (September 24, 2009) -- Arent Fox LLP has revoked some of the employment offers it made to its incoming associate class, a firm representative confirmed Thursday.

In a statement published by legal blog Above the Law, Arent Fox said it had “reluctantly concluded that it would have to withdraw offers of employment made to some — not all — very highly qualified members of our incoming associate class” and would provide a $20,000 stipend to assist the transition.

Several of Arent Fox's new associates have already started, and the remaining associates' start dates are staggered, according to communications manager Steven Harras. Specific numbers were not immediately available.

“The firm sincerely regrets having to make this decision,” Arent Fox said in the statement published on Above the Law. “The firm does believe however that the approach it has taken today is better than indefinite postponement of an associate’s projected start date.”

Even with the withdrawal of “these several” offers, the number of junior associates joining the firm this year “is commensurate with the number that has joined in past years,” Arent Fox said in the statement.

“We had a larger-than-usual 2008 summer class, and as we said, the firm has determined that it simply cannot accommodate those higher-than-usual numbers at the this time,” it said. “Of course it’s possible that our needs will change, and we will develop a greater need for junior associates. Should this occur we will contact individuals on a case by case basis, to determine their availability.”

Alston & Bird LLP said Monday that it had further deferred the start date for some members of its incoming associate class from January 2010 to an unspecified point later in 2010.

While some members of the class will still begin work in January, those in economically challenged practice areas will have to wait longer, the firm said Monday.

“As seems to be the case with what other firms and businesses are experiencing, those affected are the associates practicing in the areas most impacted by the weakened economy and drop in demand for legal services,” said Liz Price, Alston & Bird's professional personnel partner.

“There is no single deferral date,” Price said. “Rather, as business conditions stabilize, as the firm is seeing and expect to continue, Alston & Bird hopes to start them as soon as possible.”

The firm informed its incoming associate class earlier in 2009 that they would be starting in January, rather than in the fall.

Law school students are facing a tough job market, with numerous firms deferring start dates and canceling summer programs.

Seyfarth Shaw LLP canceled its 2010 summer associate program to allow the firm “to effectively integrate those associates who already are set to start or participating in this year's summer program,” according to an internal document posted on the legal blog Above the Law.

Any associates offered jobs this year will not start until January 2011, the document said.

Also in August, Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky & Popeo PC pushed back associate start dates for the second time.

The firm, which had already deferred start dates until January, said half its incoming class would begin in April 2010, with the other half starting in January 2011.

--Additional reporting by Ryan Davis and Nick Brown