Katten Muchin, law firm to Bulls, fires 23 attorneys

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, the Chicago-based law firm, fired 23 attorneys and 46 support personnel as the slowing economy curbs demand for its services.

The 600-lawyer firm, which also has offices in New York, Washington, London and four other cities, also said it was cutting pay for "underutilized" associates and shortening by two weeks its summer associates program.

"Like many law firms, we have had to make some very difficult staffing decisions," Katten said in a statement issued by public-relations firm Jaffe Associates Inc. of Northbrook, Illinois. The firings included 12 associates and seven non-equity partners.

Some of the largest U.S. law firms fired junior attorneys and staff during the year's first three months in response to declining demand for legal services, including New York-based Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, San Francisco-based Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and Los Angeles-based Latham & Watkins LLP.

Katten is also cutting summer associates' pay by 20 percent and delaying the start date for first-year attorneys. The cuts came the same day another Chicago-based firm, Jenner & Block LLP, said it would fire 34 support personnel at offices in its home city and Washington.

Katten, which is outside counsel to Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox and the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls, fired 21 lawyers in October.