It sounds like things aren’t too good at another corporate firm in Brisbane – this time Gadens Lawyers. We received the following intel from an anonymous Gadens spy a couple of weeks ago:
What is happening to HR department at Gadens Brisbane? Senior person on contract has contract shortened.
This tantalising snippet left us hungry for me. Thankfully the following rumour landed in our inbox earlier this week:
THe HR division at Gadens Brisbane is in trouble. Work is being held back from the division to drive out the existing HR manager. Although she resigned 5 weeks ago they will not allow her to finish but do not give her any work to do. Senior management is powerless to act and the situation is being controlled by a person who is only in the office two days a week himself. A bullying claim against the Chairman is being finalised at the moment. Again Senior Mgt do not want to act and turn a blind eye to the Chairmans actions. This is not the first time this person has run foul of staff due to his bombastic attitude.
Gadens’ Brissy office has 26 partners and over 200 total staff and regards itself as a “top-ten legal service provider” in Australia.
Meanwhile, you’ll recall a few weeks ago we reported on the apparently tumultuous period unfolding at Rigby Cooke which saw Chairman Trevor Lloyd “throw in the towel” a few weeks ago. Well, it seems that the blood-letting hasn’t finished yet. We received the following tip from an anonymoys Rigby Cooke spy earlier in the week:
Rigby Cooke terminated 3 secretaries on Friday. [name redacted], [name redacted], [name redacted] and partners were coached and rehearsed by FIGJAM on how to remove the 3 secretaries. Staff were isolated from the three by being’held captive’ in the boardroom as the three ladies received their redundancy letters and ordered to pack up their belongings, leave immediately and were escorted out of the building (true FIGJAM style). Greed is going to be the downfall of this firm which once stood strong. Support staff are now wondering whether the time has come to give up hoping this firm will sort itself out and bail before the next victim is thrown out of the building. If there are any law firms looking for good support staff now is the time to headhunt.
We wish the secretaries the best of luck in finding new jobs.
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Gadens’ claims to be a top ten firm might have some credence if it wasn’t just a federation of very separate state-based firms operating under the same banner; but for sharing a name, no different, really, to the separate firms (who retain their individual names) comprising the “Kennedy Strang Legal Group”.
isn;t the real story here that Gadens is referring to itself as a top-ten legal service provider? That’s a contravention of state-based fair trading legislation, right there. Gadens does not come within cooee of Mallesons, Freehills, Clayton Utz, AAR, Blake Dawson, Minter Ellison, Corrs, Allen & Overy, Norton Rose, DLA Piper, Gilbert + Tobin and probably Clifford Chance. That’s 12 law firms!
@ Dubious.
According to the AFR 2010 law firm survey Gadens is the 10th biggest Australian law firm by revenue. This is what they are referring to when they talk about being a “top 10 firm”. As Anon points out however, this is somewhat misleading as the firm is not nationally integrated but rather 5 state firms under the Gadens banner. Though I note that Minters – ranked 1st in terms of revenue by AFR, is in a similar situation.
Also don’t be so quick to judge Gadens. The don’t play in the same space as the other firms that you listed but they are not trying to – AND they are doing well, they were recently named top ranked firm by ASX top 100 by BRW, beating out all of the firms that you mentioned.
Gadens’ Sydney office has had a horrendous reputation for bullying of the worst kind over the past two years, even by law firm standards. I am aware of several first hand accounts of very good paralegals being forced to resign as a result of extreme bullying. Rather than try to stop the bullying, the victims have been sacked or further victimised. An absolute crap hole of a place to work.
As for being a top ten firm, you have got to be kidding. There is next to no emphasis on lawyer development. In fact, I would say Gadens is firmly in favour of fewer lawyers and more paralegals, just so the top few equity holder can maximise profits over the short term.
Gadens is a moribund firm. They can do conveyancing, but that is about it.
Here’s a few of the things that will happen (assuming they havent already)….senior people (SP) will not respond to the bullied person’s (BP) requests for time/information/questions.
SP will place the BP on a performance improvement program with trumped up very general comments of alleged poor performance. They wont put any details or examples in writing, but BP will be pulled into performance meetings at no notice which will turn into serious pummelling meetings. No support people will be offered.
SP will literally freeze out BP – no talking, walking by their desk, small talk, nothing…whereas evetyone else will get the nice small talk…
SP will allege that they are frightened of BP & are concerned about their own welfare hence why not taking alot of “action” against BP…
SP will take the smallest incident of stress by BP & attempt to have BP declared unfit for work & request medical clearances to allow them back to work.
SP will make their role redundant simply by re-allocating the work to others.
WHAT BP NEEDS TO DO:
Keep a written record of every misconduct/inappropriate behaviour or dialogue that BP hears on the premises….times, dates, people involved. be meticulous about updating this every few hours – its amazing how easily you forget incidences b/c there are so many happening….write everything down on the same day it happens.
If they have a “chat” with you at ANY stage which doesnt ring to be in your best interests, (or seems to be they are covering their butt in some way) take copious notes, type them up & send them to SP as a record….
Offer to tape all meetings with SP & bring a tape recorder in with you (make sure this is noted in your minutes)….they will literally SHIT themselves when you request to have the meeting taped…
Keep all your written records on your person at all times & take them home every night – DO NOT lock it in your drawer – when they make you redundant if its in your drawer, u wont get it back….print all emails in your favour & showing them to be nasty at the end of each day & take them home….
Every time they dont reply, (whether to written requests or verbal requests for info/help), BP needs to document their attempt & the lack of response in writing in an email to immediate boss & copy a few important people (HR etc)….In each email, refer to the previous attempts which asked for help on that same incident – eg: Re: This email is my 4th attempt to request your assistance with matter XYZ, previous attempts were 10.05 am 15 Feb (email), 11am 17 Feb (approached your office & requested your time) & 4.08 pm 18 Feb (email).
Print each such written record/email & keep it at home – never at your desk…
Take a copy of all policies & procedures, including disciplinary policies – read them – lack of support from SP including denial of chargeable work WILL be in those policies as something they shouldnt be doing….
Lastly – make every effort to walk by & connect with SP – be lovely & nice…the more they see you are doing this, the more shitty they get & the more you know you are actually winning (even if it doesnt feel like it)
& most importantly – keep your cool ALL the time.
@ Clerk
ASX100 doesnt gauge the way a firm treats people, does it? Its only market cap & financial statistics, yes? I loathe any firm where the senior people are not sanctioned for treating people badly & the senior people achieve the financial results & leave a trail of dead (staff) bodies in their wake….shame, shame, shame.
my post vanished when i sent the one about ASX100….but I had received a msg that it was awaiting moderation – pls confirm that it was received…I’d hate to have to re-type it…
Thanks!
BULLYING OLYMPICS
Gold medal tie – Gadens, Brissy & Deloitte Tax, Sydney
Go for gold!
@ “ASX 100…”
I never suggested the BRW ASX 100 award had anything to do with how Gadens treats its staff, I was only responding to Dubious’ comment about Gadens not being a top 10 firm. Not sure how you took that from my post. In fact I wasn’t making a comment on this issue at all.
Also your assumption regarding the BRW ASX 100 award is incorrect. It has nothing to do with financial performance or market cap, it is based on feedback from the top 100 ASX listed companies.
I’m interested as to whether you have any evidence, anecdotal or otherwise as to the real staff situation at Gadens, or if it is just speculation born out of the chip on shoulder.
Have you been hurt before? Was the big bad partner mean to you?? Maybe it’s because, as above, you didn’t do your background research and turned out innacurate, speculative work.
the issue is a culture of bullying – sprouting your (very) well respected ASX100, sorry, BRW ASX 100 is just a smoke screen….& making your reply personal adds to my thinking that prof services people like lawyers are richard heads.
It runs rife through the bigger firms. I worked for Mallesons and was bullied and endured fabricated performance management meetings.
HR were useless and sided with Management. Even a claim of work related stress was ignored. Very toxic workplace.
@ A BP
I second your comments – I was at Minters and exactly the same thing happened.
Bullied by narcissistic partners (who lack the innate intelligence necessary to realise how absurd their behaviour has become) and ambushed with fabricated material in performance management meetings.
HR sided with the firm and the whole thing turned very nasty very quickly.
All my concerns were ignored and I was told that I couldn’t make a complaint.
I sincerely wish on everyone who has been in one of these unjust performance management meetings, the strength and ability to pull out a recorder at the start of the meeting, slap it on the table, look them in the eye & say: you’re more than welcome to download it on your PC immediately after the meeting. It’s a priceless moment.
@Bullied in Sydney
Ever wonder why you we’re bullied…?
I worked at Gadens for a few years and have since left. They may say they are a top ten legal provider but that is at the expense of salaries for their staff. They have a huge turnover of people due to the way they treat their staff. No Christmas presents, no performance reviews etc. etc. And they have duct tape on the carpet when it comes apart!
@Joan – that must not be the Brisbane office – I hear they are known generally as the highest payers in town.
@Joan – most definately not Brisbane. When I was there you’d get a bottle of vino and that was it (as opposed to Sydney’s $400 pair of shoes)
If you think this is the only bullying claim of recent time, you’d be sadly mistaken (most get paid off before they proceed formally). The people who tout/approve the anti-bullying policy are (ironically) the biggest offenders.
This is the Melbourne office I’m talking about. I don’t know about the other states.