Large California firms are increasingly voicing their intention
to bring on experienced associates through lateral recruiting this
year. If that happens, it would be a vast improvement over 2012
when more associates left large firms than were hired by them. The
50 largest law firms in the state by headcount cut or lost 67
associates collectively last year according to the Daily
Journal's Top California Law Firms survey.
Firms that acknowledged the cuts said they became more
conservative after the financial downturn, not only lowering the
number of associates they hired, but increasing their level of
scrutiny when interviewing potential candidates. Firms are now
predicting a resurgence in hiring but saying the recruiting
process will likely maintain its more arduous form.
In Los Angeles, Fox Rothschild LLP has been a standout in recruitment, growing from two attorneys to 40 in the past two years. Jeffrey S. Kravitz, office managing partner, said he looked at the current generation of associates less critically than previous group because they were more likely to have a slow start to their resume due to the economic moment into which they graduated. He said the quality of the associates didn't seem to have gone down, even though fewer of the applicants started out at big firms straight out of law school.
"I think the market in California is slowly recuperating," Kravitz said.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.