Monday, February 14, 2011

Slow Death

I think everyone has accepted that Howrey as we knew it will die very soon.  And the more time passes, the more it looks like no phoenix will arise from the ashes.  In the meantime, the death process is just taking FOREVER.  Bills are adding up, debt and interest are accumulating, billable hours and collections are dwindling, and that A/R account is staler than a loaf of French bread baked by Julia Child.

Wouldn't it make economic sense for what remains of the partnership to vote to dissolve Howrey and for everyone to move on, like pronto?  Oh, wait.  The same people are still in charge.

In other news, Duane Mathiowetz of San Francisco moved to Pillsbury.

41 comments:

  1. They've been through two consecutive weekends without the antitrust group bolting. That can't be anything but good news for most Howrey employees.

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  2. Correction.

    It's good news when Bob Green doesn't bolt Howrey.

    The Man from Tallahassee will save Howrey. Or not.

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  3. It seems like slow Howrey news is really pissing off the unemployed losers who have nothing to do but write about this. Are you upset that a bunch of Howrey employees are still getting paid tomorrow?

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  4. 4:24pm, totally agree. This is the dumbest blog. Misinformation, innuendo, and a bunch of folks who couldn't cut it venting about how unfair the world is to them. The bottom line is, like at every other business, if you've done good work, you'll be fine. If not, then you should worry, but don't blame everyone else for your shortcomings.

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  5. If their checks don't bounce...

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  6. The corporate butt buddies sure are crawling out of the woodwork!

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  7. Got a lot of work to do 4:30 and 4:31pm?

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  8. 4:24 and 4:30 both take the time to post here, and criticize others for doing the same thing. Kill yourselves now please. It's equally obvious that you are nervous as hell and don't know what else to do besides moan and whine about others that have taken an interest in their current or former employer.

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  9. NOBODY has any information (or misinformation) to share here.

    Until then, it's just a giant circle jerk situation.

    Keep your frothy proteins to yourself, thanks.

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  10. You're right, 4:54. There is no merit to anything that has been shared on this blog. It's nothing but lies! Don't believe them, everything is fine... don't believe them, everything is fine... don't believe them, everything is fine...

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  14. Sunny is going to Hogan. Goodbye SF office.

    http://www.law.com/jsp/ca/PubArticleCA.jsp?id=1202481909401&Howrey_Rainmaker_Cherian_Going_to_Hogan&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1

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  15. There are a lot of us who have Howrey on the resume as either a current or former employer. I'm glad that there's a blog that is attempting to gather information, particularly when Howrey officials are being as informative as Cuban news media.

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  16. 6:09, I think you mean North Korean news media. All press releases extol our Dear Leader, Ruyak, while we can see everywhere the decay and incompetence.

    Let the sunshine out. And, no, there's no halo around Ruyak's head.

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  17. Hey Matt (4:30) -- would you be so kind as to enlighten us with what you find to be misinformation?

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  18. 2010 revenue = 55% of budget

    All is under control.

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  19. Mathiowetz was from the SF office, not EPA. Probably not a major point but just as a clarification.

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  20. @ 6:09:

    Agreed, and am saddened and ticked off by what is happening. Have sat through enough feel-good briefings followed by departures that Baghdad Bob has sort of blown his credibility. At this point, I wonder why anyone would trust him to manage a Tijuana donkey show, much less a major firm.

    (Apologies for the rant.)

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  21. I know this has been announced for a couple weeks, but it seems Howrey recently took SLC off the website.

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  22. 9:45, here, they also seem to have removed some of the attys. DC is currently showing just over 14 pages of attys (15/page) which is around 225. Irving is at 7.

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  23. How many attorneys were in the DC office on 1/1? What was the highest # ever in that office? It's seems like DC is the anchor, right? Wondering if there's any chance that the associates will get through this.

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  24. do a search for Howrey at http://www.nalpdirectory.com/dledir_search_quick.asp and you can see numbers (self-reported) as of Feb 1, 2010.

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  25. So from 292 Esqs in D.C. as self-reported on Feb. 1, 2010, it's now around 225 in D.C., which includes whatever attorneys may have already left/announced but Howrey still has their bios up. I calculate that as a loss of 23% (maybe more) of the D.C. office in 14 days.

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  26. 12:10--We are now in 2011.

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  27. Re 4:24 and first 4:30--

    "Pay no attention to those people behind the curtain; listen to ME, the Wizard of OZ!"

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  28. Facts. On 1.1.09, the firm boasted 750 lawyers and 50 economists and consultants. Since 1.1.09, there were lots of additons -- Day Casebeer, associate classes of Fall '09 and '10, plus several individual laterals (Moltenbray and others).

    1.1.11 firm "boasted" 500 laywrs and 25 economists and professionals. Net loss during those two years more than 300 professionals.

    This did not all happen overnight.

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  29. Is there any news on whether any associates have left Howrey to work for the partners who have left in the past couple of months?

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  30. Interesting article on ill-conceived firm growth co-authored by Ruyak's predecessor and mentor, Ralph Savarese, shortly after Ruyak took over. "Too many firms allow the goal of growth to override or dispense with the need for careful strategic and economic analysis." Ruyak should have heeded Ralph's advice. http://www.lawdragon.com/index.php/newdragon/vendor_profile/?vendor_id=9&do=profile

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  31. What is Ralph Savarsese doing posting here? He was the one who installed Bobby R.

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  32. I don't think so. My limited understanding is that Savarsese opposed Ruyak. It wouldn't surprise me if he wrote that article as a parting shot.

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  33. I see a lot of frothy protein but little or no information other than people leaving. In the end, that may be the ultimate vote in Ruyak.

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  36. @9:45 am, Salt Lake City office was closed today and the two Germany offices, Munich and Dusseldorf, will be closing at the end of the month. I am sure others will follow suit, particularly Northern California.

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  37. What is the story with New York?

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  38. I know the firm wants to maintain a presence there but given the lack of significant partners/staff in NY, they will either relocate to WS building or move on to another firm if there are client conflicts.

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  39. That's it, man; game over. Game over! What are we going to do now, man? What are we going to do?

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