We have done a lot of reporting on firms that have deferred their incoming class, and then extended the deferral period. At some firms, it has been an indefinite deferral extension.

So give Arent Fox a little bit of credit. Instead of continuing to string the class of 2009 along, the firm has cried “no más” and just revoked offers to several of its incoming associates.

Arent Fox has confirmed to Above the Law that it has decided to revoke offers to some 2009 graduates who have not yet started at the firm. The firm is giving them $20,000 for the inconvenience of believing they had already successfully secured post-graduate employment.

Maybe Arent Fox read Morning Docket today. We linked to a story in the Atlantic that asked why firms were doing deferrals instead of revoking offers outright.

There has been much gnashing of teeth and rending of garments by would-be Arent Fox first years on Facebook this morning. But we think this comment on a status update captures the general feeling:

I just sent them an envelope with powder in it. Don’t worry, I wore a ski mask when I walked to the mailbox so they can’t trace me.

Please, Arent Fox friends, do not blow your $20K on terrorist activities. Instead stock up on Ramen and a buy a good sleeping bag. It’s going to be a long winter.

UPDATE: We assume the Facebook commenter was joking. Clearly. The wearing a ski mask to the mailbox line is clear parody.

FURTHER UPDATE: Arent Fox Chairman Marc Fleischaker shared some numbers with the BLT:

In all, Fleischaker said, about 12 incoming associates were affected. Washington, which has the firm’s largest office, had “about eight,” New York had “between two and three,” and Los Angeles had one, Fleischaker said. The news was first reported on Above the Law.

Read Arent Fox’s full statement after the jump.

We continue our slog push through the nation’s 100 top law firms, as ranked by our friends over at Vault. Here are the next ten firms, to be discussed in the comments to this post:

71. Reed Smith
72. Bryan Cave
73. Perkins Coie
74. Hunton & Williams
75. Patton Boggs
76. Arent Fox
77. Schulte Roth & Zabel
78. Howrey
79. Chadbourne & Parke
80. Crowell & Moring

Assorted observations about these firms, after the jump.

Ed. note: The legal world is much bigger than New York, or Washington, or even the United States. Welcome to Letter from London, a weekly dispatch from the other side of the pond. Our U.K. correspondent, Isaac Smith, will expose ATL readers to the latest goings-on in the London legal world. You can reach Isaac by email, at isaacsmithlondon@googlemail.com.

You thought Arent Fox telling deferred incoming first years that they are “free to pursue other options” was bad? Well, you Arent going to Foxing believe what UK firm Shoosmiths did last week.

In a letter leaked on Tuesday, Shoosmiths gives its 2010 intake three options: defer for a year, defer for two years or withdraw. And whatever choice you make, adds the letter, you get £0 compensation. Nice.

Outrage duly erupted on Legalweek.com’s message boards:

“Disgraceful” wrote one poster, “Shame on you Shoosmiths!” another. And my personal favourite: “I think lawyers at all levels are now treated as industrial prostitutes.”

Still, so far no major firm has told recruits they have to pursue other options. I wonder how long until that changes.

After the jump, US firms making partners in the UK.

There’s been a little confusion concerning precisely what Arent Fox is doing with its incoming associates. We told you earlier that the firm had pushed back start dates (some to November, others to February), but new information has come to light.

According to a spokesperson for Arent Fox. five 3Ls will be starting with the firm in November 2009, while the rest (21 incoming first years) won’t be able to start until February, 2010.

Our sources also report that the deferral stipend being offered to those February, 2010 first years is $5,000 — but that money is on top of the bar expenses. According to our sources, that money will not be paid out until November. Arent Fox declines to comment on the specific amount of its deferral stipend, as per firm policy.

After the jump, we explain why some commenters think that Arent Fox is “rescinding” offers to incoming first years.

If you’re a 3L or a clerk with a Biglaw job offer, congratulations. If you were hoping for a traditional start date in the fall, you may be a little disappointed though. Many a firm has pushed its start date for incoming associates into 2010.

Yesterday, Milbank Tweed informed associates that it’s pushing back start dates from October 2009 to January 2010. From a tipster:

This was done [Monday] afternoon by phone from partners (probably from the practice groups where incoming associates are slated to go) and an email went out later. Old Start Date: Oct. 19, 2009. New Start Date: January 25, 2010. $10,000 stipend + the $10,000 you can get as a salary advance + moving expenses + bar expenses.

Incoming associates at Arent Fox and Fulbright & Jaworski are also reporting that their start dates have been pushed back to January 2010. A spokesman from Arent Fox tells us that a lucky few still have the option to start this year though:

A number of third-year law students who were offered a position with Arent Fox will start on November 1, 2009 as previously planned. The remaining 3L students offered a position with Arent Fox have had their start dates deferred until Feb. 1, 2010…. Arent Fox is providing a stipend plus bar exam fees for those whose start date has been deferred.

We’ve got a round-up of start dates at over 20 Biglaw firms after the jump, most of them set to welcome new associates in 2010. We invite you to supplement start date information in the comments, or by e-mailing us with “Start Date Watch” in the subject.

While a lot of the California firms have been laying off people in Washington, D.C., it’s been a little while since a D.C. based firm laid people off. But sadly, today Arent Fox had to let people go.

Managing partner William Charyk released this statement via a firm wide email:

During the early months of 2009, the adverse affects of the global economic downturn have continued to ripple through virtually every industry and business, including the legal profession. The sobering economic forecasts have forced many law firms — now including Arent Fox — to undertake a comprehensive and careful re-evaluation of market conditions and business structures, including actual and projected demand for services by clients in the coming year. After careful analysis and consideration following this review, we have made the difficult decision to downsize our associate, legal support and administrative ranks, resulting in the reduction of 13 associates and 15 staff members. These reductions will impact each of the Firm’s three offices.

In January, Arent Fox instituted a “solid ice” pay freeze, and eliminated bonuses for those who billed less the 1950 hours. But these are the first layoffs we’ve heard about from the firm.

Good luck to everybody in the D.C. market. I hear the government is still hiring.

Read the full Arent Fox statement after the jump.

As we noted in yesterday’s Morning Docket, even the New York Times has taken note of the salary freeze trend at law firms. The Times reached out to Above The Law’s own David Lat for the story:

Although many associates are angry about the freezes, others are relieved, said David Lat, founding editor of AboveTheLaw.com, a blog about law firms and the profession.

“There is this sense that firms didn’t act prudently during the boom and now they are getting religion, and that it’s better late than never,” Mr. Lat said. “Many associates we have spoken to think the freeze probably saved jobs.”

At the beginning of the month, we did a round-up of firms that have frozen 2009 salary rates at 2008 levels. That list was 16 firms long. Since then, quite a few other firms have announced freezes. Due to frequent requests, we’re updating the round-up list since the number of firms with freezes (that we know of) has more than doubled, to 33 32. Check out the as-comprehensive-as-we-can-make-it list, after the jump.

Recently announced salary freezes include “solid ice freezes” at Blank Rome and Townsend and Townsend and Crew; and “Slurpee freezes” at Bingham McCutchen, Fish & Richardson, and Texan firm Andrews Kurth.

Memorandums, as well as a new list of all firms with “solid ice” and “Slurpee” freezes, after the jump.

A solid ice salary freeze is on at Arent Fox:

As a result of this comprehensive review, the Executive Committee (the “EC”) decided that based on global economic conditions, the Firm will freeze associate base compensation at the current 2008 rates for 2009.

But that’s not all:

Additional adjustments to the associate compensation system, also discussed below, include a somewhat more stringent 150-hour cap on non-billable creditable hours that can be increased only in limited circumstances, the reintroduction of a limited deferred compensation (“hold-back”) system, and modifications in the manner that hours are calculated for the purposes of qualification for productivity bonuses.

And if you’re concerned about bonuses:

The Firm will continue to make lump-sum bonus payments for above standard hours. Eligible associates who, during the evaluation year (or such later 12-month period as may be selected by the Firm), record more than 2050 billable hours, 2150 billable hours, 2250 billable hours, or more than 2350 billable hours will be eligible to receive productivity bonuses as follows.

So if you do bill 1950, you’re not getting any bonus at all. In fact at 2050 juniors are only getting $5K (considerably less than what juniors are getting at Cravath). Even 2250 hours doesn’t guarantee you a full Half-Skadden bonus.

No matter how annoyed you are at your firm’s pay structure, there always seems to be at least one other firm willing to pay a little bit less.

And that’s not even the interesting part. More on that after the jump.

Our Vault 100 series is winding down. We hope that the insiders have enjoyed the opportunity to brag (or to vent) about their firms. And that the curious have appreciated insights into life at various firms in the top 100.

Here is the next bunch up for discussion (with their prestige scores in parentheses):

81. Crowell & Moring LLP (4.763)
82. Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP (4.754)
83. Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP (4.735)
84. Arent Fox PLLC (4.726)
85. McGuireWoods LLP (4.697)
86. Venable LLP (4.676)
87. Dorsey & Whitney LLP (4.575)
88. Dickstein Shapiro LLP (4.554)
89. Baker & Hostetler (4.531)
90. Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P (4.503)

Are the following statements true or false?

Okay, you know the drill.

Earlier: Vault 100 Open Threads - 2009

We have a few associate pay raise developments to report this morning. Some of these items were announced some time ago, but they haven’t written about in these pages until now. Here they are:

1. Arent Fox: The firm now pays a starting salary of $160,000 in New York, D.C., and California, according to the firm website, which a tipster pointed out to us. (But that $20,000 clerkship bonus is pretty chintzy.)

2. Seyfarth Shaw: The firm, which dragged its feet on the last pay raise, has no current plans to raise again. From a Chicago associate:

“Our executive committee recently had a meeting and it was decided that salaries would not be raised to 160K for offices outside of New York. Chicago will continue to be behind market. I’m not so sure about the Boston, D.C. and L.A. offices, but if Chicago is not bumping, those offices are most likely staying behind as well. Maybe you should do one of those Baker & McKenzie and Greenberg Traurig bar charts on Monday morning for Seyfarth Chicago. As much as this firm is trying to be a major Chi-town player, it isn’t paying like one. We are pretty bummed.”

3. LeBoeuf Lamb: The firm has raised to the $160K scale in its Houston office. Memo after the jump.

As we move into the weekend, we have a few more associate pay raise announcements to share with you.

After the jump, there’s confirmed compensation news about Arent Fox, K&L Gates, Heller Ehrman, and Keker & Van Nest.

We’ve also heard the rumors about Jones Day (Dallas) raising to $150K, from multiple sources. But we haven’t seen a memo, and neither of our sources is at the firm itself. So even though it’s most likely true, we’re going to hold off on calling it until we hear directly from someone at Jones Day in Dallas (or at least see a memo).

Supreme Court Scions:

* Janet Rehnquist, daughter of the late Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, is leaving Venable to start her own health care law practice. She will be based out of the Washington offices of Arent Fox.

Rehnquist previously served as Inspector General of the Health and Human Services Department, before she resigned amid controversy. It was rumored that Chief Justice Rehnquist was upset over how his daughter’s departure from HHS was handled.

Janet Rehnquist isn’t the only SCOTUS spawn with a successful legal career. Her brother, James Rehnquist, is a litigation partner at Goodwin Procter and a former federal prosecutor. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s daughter, Jane Ginsburg, is a law professor at Columbia. And one of Justice Antonin Scalia’s sons, Eugene Scalia, is a partner at high-powered Gibson Dunn, a former Solicitor of the Department of Labor — and an ERISA hottie.

Damage Control:

* Jon Hoak, former general counsel to NCR, joins HP as its chief ethics and compliance officer.

Lateral Moves:

* Hedge fund lawyer Bruce Kahne, to Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham, from Seward & Kissel.

* Corporate and securities lawyer Daniel Raglan, to Greenberg Traurig, from Sullivan & Cromwell (where he was an associate).

* Public finance lawyers Pauline Schneider and Darrin Glymph, to Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (DC), from Hunton & Williams. (Schneider, a former D.C. bar president, comes in as a partner; Glymph joins as counsel.)

NY Partners Switching Firms [NYLawyer.com]
Supreme Daughter Hangs Out Her Own Shingle and More DC Lawyers On the Move [NYLawyer.com]
H-P Hires Former NCR General Counsel As Chief Ethics Officer [WSJ Law Blog]

The latest news on the most notable moves within the profession:

Government to Private Sector:

* Seth Silber, to Wilson Sonsini (as counsel), from the FTC. (Quips our tipster: “What a lovely week to join that particular firm!”)

New Office Openings:

* Crowell & Moring — aka “Cruel & Boring”*** — is opening a New York office. They’ve grabbed litigator William McSherry, from Arent Fox, and patent lawyer Janet McLeod, from Dorsey & Whitney, to kick things off.

* The exceedingly profitable, Houston-based Susman Godfrey is opening a New York office, headed by name partner Stephen Susman.

Lateral Private Sector Moves:

* Bankruptcy guru Paul Basta, to Kirkland & Ellis, from Weil Gotshal & Manges.***

* Patent litigators Joseph O’Malley and Bruce Wexler, to Paul Hastings (NY), from Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto.

*** “Cruel and Boring” is just a silly nickname for Crowell & Moring that we’ve heard around town. We have no idea as to whether it has any factual basis. We just think using nicknames for law firms is fun.

Other law firm nicknames we’ve heard: Weil Gotshal & Manges = “We’ll Getcha & Mangle Ya” (self-explanatory); Cravath Swaine & Moore = “The Death Star” (self-explanatory); Davis Polk & Wardwell = “The Teahouse on Lexington Avenue” (for their penchant for hiring geishas attractive Asian-American females — don’t get mad at us, we didn’t make it up).

(Feel free to add more law firm nicknames in the comments to this post.)

On The Move [Antitrust Review]
Basta Says Hasta to Weil Gotshal [WSJ Law Blog]
DC Firm Opens NY Office [NYLawyer.com]
Houston Firm Opens Manhattan Office [NYLawyer.com]
Firm Adds NY Patent Litigators [NYLawyer.com]