Since we reported leaked information from a Hall & Wilcox spy about its Date With Destiny, the firm has responded with a

we only launched a satellite, i promise!

In a great report today from the New Lawyer, it is noted that Hall & Wilcox:

is bucking national and international trends with no pay freezes to be implemented this year and some possible pay increases… Despite the more difficult conditions presented by the global downturn, the firm has so far only made one redundancy, with no further redundancies planned at this time … the firm is now considering hires.

Sounds a lot like the old ‘give-one-lawyer-a-pay-rise-and-then-there-is-technically-no-pay-freeze’ trick!

More troubling, however, is the claim that Hall & Wilcox has ‘so far only made one redundancy [and]… the firm is now considering hires’. The Firm Spy is informed that the redundancy in question occurred within the last 7 days, casting considerable doubt over whether the redundancy was justified or whether Hall & Wilcox is truly hiring.

Hall & Wilcox isn’t proposing to hire someone to fill a ‘redundant’ role, is it? Even the Firm Spy knows that would amount to unfair dismissal!

We invite a clarification, either in the comments or otherwise.

Send the Firm Spy your news and views!

The 20th of June is emerging as a key date for all staff at Melbourne-based mid-tier law firm Hall & Wilcox.

Counting down the minutes til the date with Destiny

As one staffer writes:

We’re all having our performance reviews right now. Mine is next week. I’ve heard that the reviews will be more stringent, though I doubt it will lead to any more lay-offs than is usual… We were sent an email that the firm will be making an announcement on the 20th [of June] about pay… Let’s hope we don’t follow the pack.

If this report is correct, it would seem Hall & Wilcox has come a long way since it boasted:

[We are] able to deliver due to our expertise and experience. Our firm’s growth over the past decade indicates our clients appreciate the service and advice Hall & Wilcox. It is this commitment, in having excellent legal experience and expertise, high quality client service and offering real value for money, which allows Hall & Wilcox to continue to grow.

With pay freezes left right and centre at BigLaw firms, it’s certainly easier for mid-tiers to follow the pack.  Is your firm freezing pay?  Send the Firm Spy your news and views!