Layoffs

Layoffs hit nearly 10% of lawyers and staff at this Silicon Valley law firm

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layoff notice with pen

Fenwick & West is laying off nearly 10% of its lawyers and staff members, according to a memo by law firm chair Richard Dickson. (Image from Shutterstock)

Fenwick & West is laying off nearly 10% of its lawyers and staff members, according to a memo by law firm chair Richard Dickson.

Bloomberg Law wrote about the layoffs in an exclusive story after viewing the memo.

Bloomberg Law described Fenwick as “a Silicon Valley stalwart” and said the firm hired aggressively to meet surging demand after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Unfortunately, as transactional activity slowed in 2022 and 2023, our talent levels became misaligned with our existing and projected client demand, particularly in our large transactional practice,” Dickson wrote in the memo. “I take responsibility for this and am truly sorry that those decisions have led to a significant impact on our people today.”

Those laid off will receive from 13 to 40 weeks of base pay and health benefits, depending on tenure.

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