Law Firms Mix Hiring, Firing to Protect Profits Amid Uncertainty

Goodwin Procter, after announcing layoffs in January, hired 14 lawyers from a rival the same month—and then added four more from that firm in February.

Law firms are hiring and firing in substantial numbers—sometimes at the same place. Their approach is a blend of the aggressive job cuts in the last recession and the intensive recruiting during the 2021 boom.

The hires now are strategic, as opposed to building to meet demand, and the cuts are “people who are not necessarily producing revenue for the firm, but just cost centers,” said Mary Rosenfeld D’Eramo, vice president of operations at legal ...