Adopting COVID-19 Cuts, Law Firms Balance Image and Economics

Firms Are Applying Communications Lessons from the Great Recession As They Deliver Bad News During the Coronavirus Pandemic. Many firms have appeared in recent weeks to be signaling compassion, embracing (relative) transparency and sharing sacrifices across lawyers and staff. That can help make even painful cuts less harmful for a firm's internal morale and outside reputation.

5 minute read May 01, 2020 at 12:10 AM
By
Patrick Smith
Adopting COVID-19 Cuts, Law Firms Balance Image and Economics

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the biggest industrywide toll on law firms since the Great Recession, with many of the same unfortunate hallmarks: layoffs, furloughs, compensation cuts and deferred classes. (See, "Pay Cuts, Layoffs, and More: How Law Firms Are Managing the Pandemic," The American Lawyer (April 20, 2020).

This premium content is locked for Marketing the Law Firm subscribers only

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SINGLE SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND NEWS IN Marketing the Law Firm

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

Already have an account? Sign In Now

For enterprise-wide or corporate access, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or call 1-877-256-2473.

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2026 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Continue Reading

Agentic AI introduces risks that are novel and complex, but the most effective response is a familiar one. Zero Trust answers the problem of when an AI agent misfires on its own by constraining what an agent can do rather than betting on how it will behave.

July 31, 2026

The outsourcing of office and administrative services is expected to grow 50%-60% in the next five years. Contrary to what decision-makers think, and what the service providers hope you think, the biggest risk in outsourcing isn't choosing the wrong provider. It's outsourcing the wrong process, under the wrong model, with the wrong performance measures and contract terms.

July 31, 2026