Chadbourne & Parke has announced plans to reimburse associates the amount that the firm cut from paychecks back in April. That amount was undisclosed. Chadbourne told employees that when things picked up, the firm would pay part or all of the wage reduction. Now that the market is picking up, the firm believes it is time to make good on its word.

Source:  www.nylj.com

The number of associate promotions to partner has declined significantly in 2009. In the month of November, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has promoted half as many associates as last year, from eight to four. Latham & Watkins has decreased its numbers by 25 percent to 23. Ropes & Gray has graduated eight associates to partner, a third of the number from last year. The ecomonic downturn is partially to blame, but it would appear that in recent years promotions were becoming increasingly more difficult to come by.

Source:  www.nylj.com

Claire Denison, a partner at White & Case is quite taken with Addleshaw Goddard literally and figuratively. Denison is joining Addleshaw Goddard as a partner in February. She has more than 20 years of experience in trade and commodity. Some of this experience was gained from DLA Piper, where Denison was a partner before joining White & Case.

Source:  www.thelawyer.com

Nabarro has done a 180 and is now interested in expanding internationally. The firm has announced that it is interested in the markets of China, India, and the United Arab Emirates. Nanarro currently has two offices in the UK and one office in Brussels.

Source:  www.thelawyer.com

Haynes and Boone has cut the salary of its incoming first year associates. Their start date was already pushed back to November 30^th. The salary has been reduced to $145K, but it is a possibility that that will only be the case for a month. The firm states that 2010 salaries have yet to be set.

Source:  www.abovethelaw.com

Outsourcing legal and administrative work is becoming more popular amongst law firms. Linklaters, SJ Berwin, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and CMS Cameron McKenna are just a few of the many law firms considering it.  Several firms are currently outsource legal process outsourcing, including Allen & Overy, Eversheds, Lovells, Pinsent Masons, Wragge & Co and Simmons & Simmons.

Source:  www.nylj.com

Clyde & Co has begun merger talks with construction firm Shadbolt.  Shadbolt has one international office in Paris.  If this goes through, the combined firm will jump to number 14 in the The Lawyer’s UK 200.

Source:  www.thelawyer.com

Sidley Austin has formally launched its London Dispute Resolution practice. Dorothy Cory-Wright will lead the group which will focus on international arbitration, internal investigations, and commercial disputes. About half of Sidley’s laweyrs (approximately 850 lawyers) work with dispute resolution cases.

Source:  www.stockhouse.com