Wake Up Call: Freshfields Bucks NY’s Falling Headcount Trend

In today’s column, Davis Polk announced its office return plan; two of the three latest firms announcing associate pay hikes matched the market standard; Facebook said it hired an ACLU attorney to lead its civil rights law team.

• Leading off, Dentons, Hogan Lovells, and Winston & Strawn were among eight Big Law firms that saw their New York headcounts shrink by double digits in 2020, as the pandemic slammed the state’s legal business, according to a report. Paul, Weiss’ headcount fell 1.8% but remained the state’s biggest, at 817 lawyers, while U.K. elite firm Freshfields was the state’s biggest gainer ...