The U.S. Department of Labor released the numbers of May.  Last month, a total of 1300 legal jobs were lost in the United States.  This number happens to be the lowest of the year, so far.  Although this is comforting and perhaps a sign that the market is getting better, it may merely be a result of having already let go of so many; 14,400 have already been let go from the start of the year.  25,500 (or when not seasonally adjusted – 30,200) have been laid off in the past year.  Only time will tell.

Source:  www.nylj.com

Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has kept on all of its newly qualified lawyers at its London office.  There were only three.  Weil Gotshal & Manges has offered employment to 85% of its London trainees (11 out of 13).  Latham & Watkins has hired 78% of its trainee group.

Source:  www.thelawyer.com

1,200 attorney firm Pinsent Masons and 750 attorney firm Salans have announced a new strategic alliance.  The agreement will give each firm a greater global reach and ability to better serve its clients.

Source:  www.law.com

The liquidators of General American Life Insurance have filed a malpractice suit against Dewey & Leboeuf for damages of $3 billion.  The plantiffs claim that Dewey did not act in their best interest ten years ago as the firm advised the sale of the company to MetLife, whom Dewey also represented.  The firm has rejected all allegations at this point.

Source: www.law.com

Clifford Chance is allotting some time to hear from partners previously let go.  The firm has launched an appeals committee take on this matter.  Litigation partner, Simon Davis, leads the committee.  It is believed that the group is made of 5 partners.

Source:  www.thelawyer.com

Nicholas Porritt and William White have joined firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in Washington.  Both attorneys join as partners in the litigation group.  Porritt previously worked with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati for six years.  White has spent the last ten years with Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.

Source:  www.legaltimes.typepad.com

Law firm, Kinstellar, formerly Linklaters’ Eastern European practice, has hired a former Linklaters attorney. Bogdan Bibicu practiced out of Linklaters’ London office as a banking associate in 2005-2006.  Bibicu joins Kinstellar as head of banking and finance in the Bucharest office.  Kinstellar, which formed in November 2008, also has offices in Bratislava, Budapest and Prague.

Source:  www.thelawyer.com

Cleveland’s Jones Day was rated as the second best law firm in the United States.  Magazine, Board Member Inc., surveyed over six thousand general counsels and directors of publicly traded firms.  There were only three firms not headquartered in one of the major legal cities, such as New York, Washington, Chicago, or Los Angeles.

Source:  www.wcpn.org