In the ongoing scenario of corporate and legal consolidation, large law firms, often referred to as Biglaw, are refining their operations to improve performance and efficiency. According to a mid-year survey on leverage projections by Citi Global’s Wealth at Work Law Firm Group, these firms are adopting assertive tactics to improve their teams’ performance during heavier workflows. These tactics materialize through stricter performance evaluations, pushing for peak productivity from their teams.
Gretta Rusanow, Head of Advisory Services at Citi’s Global Wealth at Work Law Firm Group, sheds light on this trend. In her words, “Where there might have been performance issues among lawyers at the firm, firms are more likely to deliver tougher messages in performance review than in a stronger environment.” She also shares an interesting aspect propelling this practice. Ms. Rusanow noted that due to the surge in demand in 2021, firms might have recruited lawyers who, in a different market scenario, might not have met their stringent hiring criteria. American Lawyer revealed these observations.
Given the current state of affairs, these firms avoid layoffs by placing increased emphasis on tougher performance evaluations. This strategy allows Biglaw to maintain high-performance standards without resorting to workforce reductions. Though this approach strains law firm associates, it aids these corporations in refining their ranks and readjusting to market conditions.
This concept is summed up well by the tagline – Good luck during your performance reviews, associates, because they’re going to be extra tough. Read more about this topic. Keep up with this scenario as only time will manifest how these elevated standards pan out for both the firms and their employees.