Goodwin Procter announces 38 lawyer layoffs

US firm Goodwin Procter has announced it is laying off 38 associates, primarily from its Boston and New York offices.

The firm is also making 36 support staff redundant, a reduction of approximately 4 per cent from both legal and non-legal groups.

In a statement today first posted on US legal blog Abovethelaw.com, Goodwin Procter's managing partner Regina Pisa said that the firm's transactional practices in particular had seen a decline in demand for legal services that showed no signs of improving in the near term.

“As a result, after careful deliberation, we’ve made the difficult decision to reduce our attorney and professional staff work force,” Pisa added.

Although Boston and New York have been the hardest hit, Goodwin Procter said that virtually all its offices would be impacted to some degree.

It is not yet clear whether that also includes the firm’s London office, recently launched with a team from the collapsed Heller Ehrman (27 Oct 2008).