Thursday, May 06, 2010

The Lexolution Chicken Coop Gets Another Visit From The Fire Marshal



I heard that Lexolution tried to put up to 60 or 80 contractors in their tiny space in DC on F St. If, you've seen the space then you'd understand how crazy it is. I wouldn't think that it could hold more that 35-40 at the most - and that would be pushing it. Attorneys were crowded in the hallways. The official company line is that Lexolution didn't have the "bandwidth" to accommodate the additional traffic. However, it is suspect. The day before the reviewers were told leave for the day the Fire Marshall showed up!

54 comments:

Anonymous said...

Heard that project got rolled to Special Counsel. Wonder if they will do any better!

Anonymous said...

Lexolution is bad news. Every nickel they save on breathing space is money in their pockets.

Anonymous said...

I was working on that. Lexolution is the worst. They were trying to max out on the money.
Girls start hooking again.

Anonymous said...

Just so you have the full story:

1. What sunk this project was the internet access. Knowlogy (Lexolution's IT partner) just did not have enough bandwidth to accommodate 165 users. They probably could have made this work, since they wanted to restrict CA's hours to 40 per week, to have fewer, more comfortable work stations and have the CAs work in two shifts (7-3:30 and 3:30-midnight). We all know that there are the earlybirds and the nightowls among CAs. Moreover, Knowlogy probably could have opened up another room rather than using the vestibule (there was one that was apparently unused) -- but that still does not address the restricted bandwidth problem.

2. And I think the problem was that Dechert was penny-pinching and Lexolution was also cutting corners. The CAs were not happy with $30 per hour and limited to 40hours per week to begin with. Then having us work with laptops and sitting on uncomfortable folding chairs added to their dissatisfaction. (When you are sitting all day long, the comfort of your chair becomes a crucial factor).

3. Lexolution was obviously fired for its inability to perform and has suffered a financial blow. Awww. Shucks. But it also learned a lesson (maybe). This is a complex industry and to be successful you have to address all its factors. It ain't just staffing people.

4. Oh, and when the CAs called in the fire department that did not help. The concern the fire department looked at was an overflow space in the hallway. It was wide and allowed tables to be set up to accommodate another 20-24 CAs -- and this was the area the the fire department was concerned with. The CAs there were not especially crowded and sprinkler systems, etc, were not impaired. I think the real concern was whether the area could be efficiently evacuated in the event of a fire, etc., with the hallway space being essentially narrowed.

5. So Hudson and Special Counsel picked up the project. I stayed on via Hudson.

An agency has to consider when they are doing more than just providing people. And further, if you want to expand on it, that the road to project management is fraught with danger (and unintended consequences). Some agencies are quite good at it. I have never had an issue with Kelly Law Registry. But it's why so many EDD providers (CPA, eTERA, Epiq, etc.) are usurping the role of traditional staffing agencies. Yes, DC is awash in work and lots is now going to EDDs.

Anonymous said...

Krowshitz did it again.

Anonymous said...

If Lexolution ran a kennel they would be brought up on animal cruelty charges. Since these are only CA we are talking about, it doesn't matter.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a slow death to me!

Anonymous said...

Hey Tom your site may have been infected by Indian hackers...my browser produced this warning,

"The website at temporaryattorney.blogspot.com contains elements from the site www.bangalorebest.com, which appears to host malware – software that can hurt your computer or otherwise operate without your consent. Just visiting a site that contains malware can infect your computer."

FYI, not sure what it all means.

FrankZ said...

It's the photo from http://temporaryattorney.blogspot.com/2010/01/junior-associates-in-india-earn-8100.html

Doesn't look like it's doing anything harmful, but since the photo is coming from a site that has malware, Chrome is throwing up the warning.

Jim O said...

Hey 6:32 AM:
For those of us in the back of the class: what does EDD, CPA, eTERA, and Epiq stand for?
And why are you at your computer at 6:32 AM?

Stupid Sexy Flanders said...

Temp Market picking up as litigation picks up?


http://abovethelaw.com/2010/05/is-litigation-in-america-heading-toward-a-perfect-storm/


Short bullets:
-Toyota
-BP oil spill
-Goldman and other financial companies
-mega-mergers

"The amount of data we will be processing in the near future is unfathomable, and the amount of attorneys, lit support, and paralegals that will be needed to get through all that information should be something like we have never seen."

Any thoughts?

Anonymous said...

Don't be so certain.

a) Goldman is already in settlement negotiations.

b) Computers are better at weeding out irrelevant documents so there will be less to review compared to tobacco/Enron.

c) Most of the work will be conducted in Mumbai, Cleveland, and Albany.

d) A record number of people will be graduating from law school and the employment rate is still close to 10%.

Baxter Davenport III said...

Some of those old hens [with fried hair] at Lexpollution should be put in these chicken coops. That's where they belong - they can peck each other as opposed to temps. Maybe they will meet some nice cocks, I mean as in roosters, of course, in the coop and calm down.

Anyway, why should I care about you or them - I have a high-level shindig tonight.

Anonymous said...

8:05 - boo hoo hoo! Who pissed in your beer tonight?

The work is picking up. Forget about the new grads, they will have to fend for themselves like everyone else.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone ever worked with Sarah Kim and is she good?

Anonymous said...

what is the status of lisa's dental needs?

Anonymous said...

Lisa lost her teeth due to lack of dental health insurance. There is no more need for braces.

Anonymous said...

wow, that's sad.

no wonder the lisa needs braces guy doesn't post anymore.

Anonymous said...

PLAN DENTAL LISA NECESITA FRENOS

Anonymous said...

I know the dentist that pulled out Lisa's teeth. She wears dentures now.

Implants, Lisa needs implants.

Anonymous said...

7:17

Hiring as a whole is picking up. Temp work is a leading indicator. If job offers have been any indication, then NYC has picked up quite a bit. The rates are also starting to go up again.

The companies are also starting litigation that has been on ice for a while. They've also got the money to pay for large scale discoveries instead of stipping out of it.

So yes, I think contract work is coming back. But why the heck would you want to work as a contract attorney if you can get a real job? Permenant hiring should follow temp in relatively short order.

Stupid Sexy Flanders said...

I am 7:17

actually, i have been out of touch with both the perm labor market and the temp labor market for quite a while now. a little busy preparing for a trial coming up in summer. still kind of hoping things will settle.

I am partially curious because I know people still unemployed. But mostly because I have this sinking feeling I'll be let go if we lose this trial coming up. Life is rough sometimes. I guess knowing that the market (regardless of just temp or perm) is picking up just makes me feel better for possible future backups.

I'm keeping my hopes up for the job market to rebound in a v-shaped recovery.

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean 7:17.

Anyway, my 2 cents is that permenant hiring hasn't relly picked up, but there's plenty of temp work out there.

Generally, if you've got substanative experience, it's pretty damn easy to find a full time gig.

Ivy Temp said...

Yes, there is work out there. Work with weirdos - sometimes I'd rather stay home and starve.

Anonymous said...

You never know, you might meet someone like Better Coder on one of the gigs.

Perhaps you and he could have some children. Your intelligence and fashion sense combined with his work ethic would make a powerful combination indeed.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone ever worked with Sarah Kim?

FrankZ said...

I've worked with Sarah Kim. She's a recruiter. You try to get work from them. What do you want? If they have work, good. If they don't have work, bad. Sometimes they place you on projects, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they tell you the truth about a project, sometimes they don't. Generally, when working for Yorkson, I've gotten paid the agreed amount on time.

EDD = Electronic Data Discovery

The others are companies. They generally have their own platform, but also staff their own projects and provide a "one stop shop". Sometimes, they are called an LPO or BPO (Legal/Business Process Outsourcer. Generally, though, LPO/BPO refers to the Indian companies).

CPA = http://www.cpaglobal.com/
eTERA = http://www.eteraconsulting.com/
Epiq = http://www.epiqsystems.com

Generally, working for one of the LPO shops is a bit better than a firm, from my perspective. They tend to be a bit more corporate and don't like as much turnover, so if you are good, you have a strong chance of remaining on other projects. I've also been treated better when working at their offices - they tend not to be leftover office space and generally have decent computers.

Anonymous said...

To hell with LPOs. They should all be shut down immediately. Babu, stop shilling.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Babu, the LPO's are a bit better. They are the future.

FrankZ said...

I'm not Babu.

I have found, though, that the "one stop" providers here in NYC provide a better atmosphere than working for the firms.

You sad sacks can keep whining, but I'm rather happy with my current work situation at a "one stop". Been here for more than a year. Ended up working just over 65 hours last week on two projects and they seem to have plenty of stuff in the pipeline. We had nice lunches and dinners over the weekend and my co-workers are reasonably pleasant. I even have a cube near a window overlooking Bryant Park.

Anonymous said...

Funny thing - I make more $ as a paralegal than most contract attorney's/graduates of 3rd tier law schools..kinda sad, no? you ppl need to rethink the game, being a "distinguised barrister" aint cuttin it these days..enjoy the dank levels @ S&C!!

Anonymous said...

Funny thing,

I make a lot more bucks than a paralegal and work like 15 hours a week.

You need to rethink your game. Sitting in a Manhatten office 60 hours a week to make less than 100K is a sucker move if you ask me.

Anonymous said...

2;26PM, i dont have any debt, make 85k and have my own office, who's the sucker now?

PS - you spelled Manhattan wrong, a**hole.

are you a Hofstra grad? figures..

Anonymous said...

12:59 PM


OK I admit I am Babu promoting LPO's.....tee hee.

Anonymous said...

You're still the sucker.

You have your own office. Wow. I'm really impressed.

85K for working a 40 hour+ week. Give me a break.

Plus the work is DULL. Filling out forms and reviewing docs that the attorneys can't be bothered to look at sucks. That's not my idea of a meaningful career.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone get an e-mail from Hire Counsel about two document review projects- one for $35 and the other for $34? And then there was a third for $29 but this was in New Jersey, not Manhattan. Haven't heard back from Andrew Rider or anyone else.

Anonymous said...

Guess what, you won't be hearing back from them anytime soon. They have their little pets that they give their work to and it is virtually impossible for another permatemp to break into their clique.

Forget hirecounsel, seriously. Your efforts would be more productive elsewhere.

Stay away from the $29 gig, that's Barrashole, the infamous Cranford/Westfield, NJ sweatshop. They try to dress it up as something new, but it's the same old, stinky mule.

Anonymous said...

1:04PM, wow you sound so bitter, guess you're an unemployed doc reviewer & also a graduate from a 3rd tier law school, perhaps Hofstra?..might as well jump off the GW Bridge cuz your life is ova!!!

You're dull & worthless + how large is your FUPA?

Anonymous said...

2:26:

Anyone who works more than 40 hours a week for 85 K as an attorney is the real schmuck.

P.S. I have a tall cubicle and make 125K. Work about 20 hours a week. I used to share a trading desk with ten other dudes and made over 250K. Before that I was a biglaw grunt, had my own office overlooking the Hudson River and made 250K. Big fucking deal.

Anonymous said...

I was there - they had dudes sitting on the floor with no computers. "Bandwidth" is a polite way of putting it.

Anonymous said...

As for Hire Counsel....the above blogger's theory of "favorite pets" seems to repeat itself with that organization, as usual.

They send out invitational e-mails merely to use the rather sophisticated resumes of those highly accomplished contract attorneys, it seems.

But, in the end, they merely choose the same group of usual suspects who are "girlfriends and dudes" of the recruiters, the law firm (client) HR person with whom they deal on staffing, and each of their favorite associates (usually doing this type of gig work for the firm because they are not respected enough to get better work).

Face it, it is pretty competitive out there, dog eat dog, and it really is still about who you are .....

Survival game at best. But they use the resumes of those far more accomplised substantively in order to look good to the client and partner in order to get/retain the business and bid.

Nothing has changed.

Anonymous said...

7:31PM your lies grow w/ each posting...you're lucky if you're slumming away in C3 @ S&C you cumdump.

Anonymous said...

7:31PM, what's a "successful" lawyer doing on a temp attorney blog anyways??

Private Investigator said...

I am not working with Sarah Kim actually but meat to her once.

Anonymous said...

Hire Counsel is still in business? I thought they had folded. A while back they had a couple great recruiters -- Anita, Wade and another woman (I forget her name). All of the sudden the friendly recruiters who actually returned calls disappeared. Poof! Gone! Now all they have left is Andrew Rider who is too busy fixing his lipstick to return calls.

Oh, and most of the "jobs" they post or email about do not exist. Although I rarely read of them getting exposed on here, they truly are one of the more sleezy firms around.

Anonymous said...

It appears that HireCounsel must have a new very deep pocket as principals and that they are cracking the whip as to marketing. Possily some money out of someone's parent from Hong Kong....it appears that they are marketing, but they have no jobs. What the new principals don't understand is that the business model is dead, and they just were suckered into a corporate transacation.

Anonymous said...

Special Counsel sent the Lexolution refugees home yesterday, and a select few will be called back after Memorial Day. How does one get to be one of the Select Few? Times have been hard, admittedly, but some folks seem to keep working no matter what. Promptness and accuracy may or may not be stock in trade, given my very unscientific polling of similarly situated colleagues. Any insight, beloved brothers and sisters at the bar?
Baffled Barrister

Anonymous said...

You will not find a more poorly run organization than Knowlogy in Falls Church, Virginia. The "in charge" idiot brigade consisting of Mauri Gzazarri and Kamel Tunger are way over their heads (which isn't a real stretch) and the company has zero understanding of all but one of the services that they offer, and they do that one poorly as well. "Pathetic" is the best compliment I would bestow on this fraudulent, and poorly run organization (using that word loosely).

Anonymous said...

Special counsel sucks, but they are certifiable at Lexolution. And, Lexolution has now polluted the Bay Area, where they continue their bait & switch and other unseemly tactics. What a bunch of screwballs!

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