• Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • The Rules

Firm Spy: Your fly on the wall

Jul

09

Our Ear at Herbert Geer Tells of Re-furb Cheer

Posted by The Spy | Posted in Firm Gossip, HWL Ebsworth, Herbert Geer | Posted on 09-07-2009

Unlike the partners at HWL Ebsworth who are relegated to the ‘financial conservatism’ of a dodgey office fit-out, it has emerged that an extravagant refurbishment of the Melbourne offices of Herbert Geer is allegedly afoot.

our ear at Herbert Geer

Whereas the comparably-sized mid-tier firm HWL Ebsworth is hangin’ tough with a ‘disinterest in overly flashy office fit-outs and endless internal functions and events’, Herbert Geer is allegedly living it up with a decor re-design.

It is interesting to note the recent divergence in fortunes of the two firms, possibly attributable to the alleged decor divergence. Herbert Geer has allegedly gone on a secret sacking spree and general cost cutting, while HWL Ebsworth has made-up a host of partners to rejoin the exclusive 100+ partner club.

Is a refurbishment appropriate in these trying times?

Become our ear! Send the Firm Spy your news and views!

VN:F [1.9.0_1079]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

(0) Comments
Read More
Jun

26

Hangin’ Tough; HWL Ebsworth Appoints New Kids on the Block

Posted by The Spy | Posted in Firm Gossip, HWL Ebsworth | Posted on 26-06-2009

The distressing revelation that New Kids On The Block have had to cancel the Australian leg of their comeback tour, owing to ‘GFC-induced’ poor ticket sales, comes amid a contrastingly uplifting GFC-news story that an Australian law firm is rapidly expanding and appointing new partners.

You Got It (The Right Stuff)

Yes, HWL Ebsworth does have the right stuff! As reported in today’s AFR, HWL Ebsworth has returned to the coveted 100+ partner club by appointing a massive 12 partners in the last 6 months. Managing Partner Juan

NKOTB - the bad boys of pop
Martinez boasted that in the current environment, HWL was able attract partners from larger firms who are:

disillusioned or dissatisfied.

Martinez then surprisingly went onto add that:

partnership growth was partly down to financial conservatism and a disinterest in overly flashy office fitouts and endless internal functions and events.

Hmmm … wouldn’t a ‘disillusioned or dissatisfied’ new partner expect a decent office, an occasional lunch and a glass of red on a Friday? Alas, no - the New Kids on the Block are:

Hangin’ Tough!

Send the Firm Spy your news and views!

VN:F [1.9.0_1079]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

(0) Comments
Read More
Mar

11

Home is Not Where the Heart is; HWL Ebsworth Announces Redundancies

Posted by The Spy | Posted in Firm Gossip, GFC Redundancies, HWL Ebsworth | Posted on 11-03-2009

Recently merged law firm Home Wilkinson Lowry Ebsworth is embroiled in what has been called ‘the most opportunistic use yet of the GFC to disgorge a law firm of employees’. In news released today, HWL Ebsworth announced that it had

Home is not where the heart is. Robots yes; hearts no
‘made 17 lawyers redundant since December’, though curiously in the same period, it has also ‘employed a total of 55 new staff’. Over the period, the HWL Ebsworth workforce has thus increased by 38 people; something which ‘shows continuing strength’, a spokesperson said.

However, a HWL Ebsworth Firm Spy has derided such comments by saying:

‘the partnership is using the present global economic woes as an opportunity to arbitrarily eliminate staff of their choosing, they are not sacking staff as a bona fide response to economic demands.’

HWL Ebsworth has confirmed that of the new 55 staff, 7 are new partners to the firm.  Do you believe the addition of 7 partners could have supported the workflows of the now-redundant lawyers? What are your thoughts? Email us with your comments and news!

VN:F [1.9.0_1079]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

(0) Comments
Read More
Contact Firm Spy
Firm Spy Rss
  • Weekly Newsletter

    Loading... Loading...
  • This Week's Poll

    Offshoring Jobs to India

    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...
  • Categories

    • 2009 Law Firm Profile
    • 2010 Law Firm Profile
    • Allen and Overy
    • Allens Arthur Robinson
    • Baker and McKenzie
    • Blake Dawson
    • Brydens Lawyers
    • Clayton Utz
    • Clifford Chance
    • Cooper Grace Ward
    • Corrs Chambers Westgarth
    • Cutlers Lawyers
    • Davies Collison Cave
    • Deacons
    • Deloitte
    • Dibbs Barker
    • DLA Phillips Fox
    • Ernst & Young
    • Firm Gossip
    • Freehills
    • Gadens Lawyers
    • GFC Redundancies
    • Gilbert & Tobin
    • Hall & Wilcox
    • Harmers Workplace Lawyers
    • Henry Davis York
    • Herbert Geer
    • Hicksons Lawyers
    • Holding Redlich
    • HWL Ebsworth
    • Jones Day
    • Keddies Lawyers
    • KPMG
    • Lander & Rogers
    • Law and disorder
    • Macquarie Bank
    • Maddocks
    • Mallesons Stephen Jaques
    • Marque Lawyers
    • Middletons
    • Mills Oakley
    • Minter Ellison
    • Norton Rose
    • Piper Alderman
    • PriceWaterhouseCoopers
    • Sparke Helmore
    • Spy HQ
    • statistics
    • Tresscox Lawyers
  • Archives

    • September 2010
    • August 2010
    • July 2010
    • June 2010
    • May 2010
    • April 2010
    • March 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • August 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • April 2009
    • March 2009
    • February 2009
    • January 2009
    • December 2008
    • November 2008
    • October 2008
    • July 2008
  • Spy HQ

    • About
    • Advertise
    • Contact
    • The Rules
      • Disclaimer
      • Privacy Statement
  • Post Topics

    AAR Allen and Overy Allens Arthur Robinson Baker and McKenzie Blake Dawson Clayton Utz Clifford Chance clutz Corrs Corrs Chambers Westgarth david fagan Deacons Deloitte DLA DLA Phillips Fox Ernst & Young EY Firm Spy Remuneration Report Freehills Gadens Lawyers GFC Giam Swiegers graduate recruitment graduates involuntary redundancy Keddies KPMG leave of absence mallesons Mallesons Stephen Jaques merger Michael Mitchell Michael Rose Minter Ellison partner profit pay freeze pay reduction PriceWaterhouseCoopers PWC redundancies Robert Milliner sackings secret-sackings Simon Alroe voluntary redundancy
  • Recent Comments

    • Quite sure on Not Foxing! Rumour DLA Piper Will Arrive on 1 January 2011 as Fox Tucker Emerges in SA
    • Kim Jung Il on Not Foxing! Rumour DLA Piper Will Arrive on 1 January 2011 as Fox Tucker Emerges in SA
    • nottoosure on Not Foxing! Rumour DLA Piper Will Arrive on 1 January 2011 as Fox Tucker Emerges in SA
    • Not Foxing! Rumour DLA Piper Will Arrive on 1 January 2012 as Fox Tucker Emerges in SA | Firm Spy on REDACTED - Firm Spy: Consummate “Communications Professionals” & a Pain in Your Firm’s Butt
    • Joop Klinkhamer on Law Farm; O’Reilly Stevens Bovey Lawyers & Little Piggy Bottoms
  • Best Posts

    • Firm Spy Salary Survey Revealed: Mid-Tier 2010 Graduate to 4th Year PQE Salaries 3 comment(s)
    • Not Foxing! Rumour DLA Piper Will Arrive on 1 January 2011 as Fox Tucker Emerges in S 3 comment(s)
    • Waxed & Ready to Burn; Masterchef Lawyers Adam Liaw & Peter Kritikide 3 comment(s)
    • Masterchef Claire Winton Burn's Secret Love Affair With Clayton Utz Colleague Exposed 7 comment(s)
    • Australian Legal Industry Stunted Growth Forecast of 3.8% Per Year For Next 5 Years 0 comment(s)
    • Ring-a-Ring-a-Michael-Rosey; AAR Chief Places Panic Phone(y) Call to BRW 1 comment(s)
    • Fuz Ruse; Clayton Utz Alleges Fiduciary Breaches By A&O Defector Grant Fuzi 1 comment(s)
    • REDACTED: Defections, Claire Winton Burn & Trust in Clayton Utz 'Relationship 4 comment(s)
    • Utzed and AbUtzed; 30% of Clayton Utz 2009 Melbourne Grads Kicked Out The Door 2 comment(s)
    • Deloitte Calls for "Reallocation of Resources" as Employee Numbers Dwindle 17 comment(s)
  • Blogroll

    • Lawyers Weakly
Firm Spy - Your source for law firm rumours and office gossip
Legal disclaimer | Privacy policy | Questions? Abuse?