Winding Down: Office Closings, COBRA, etc.

It has been rather difficult to get hands on basic information at Thelen and this is something that Hellerites over at Heller Highwater know all too well.  I’ve done some sleuthing and here is what I can report (and if you have any further information please email me at thelenthepain@gmail.com or place the info in the comments).

• The last day of regular firmwide business at Thelen LLP will be Wednesday, November 26th.
• The San Jose office will close this Friday, November 21st.
• As has been stated via email, the Dissolution Committee has opted not to pay accrued vacation and claims that the banks have 100% control and must approve every check written.
• The status of medical, dental and vision benefits is uncertain at this time: “Our medical and vision plans are group insurance policies, and our dental coverage is a self funded plan. Therefore, COBRA medical, dental, and vision will be available provided that our bank authorizes the premium payments and claims funding necessary to maintain each of these plans in December. As previously communicated to employees, the bank’s latest indication to firm management is that it would authorize such payments.”

Welcome – What Are You Thelen?

I want to welcome visitors and hopefully future readers to Thelen The Pain - a site for the laid off or soon-to-be laid off employees of Thelen LLP.   This blog is patterned after the highly successful Heller Highwater site which was established in mid-September 2008 to assist the Heller Ehrman LLP staff during the capsizing of their workplace.

First off, who’s behind Thelen The Pain?  Well the same creator of Heller Highwater - Heller Drone.  But this website serves as a bit of a coming out for H.D. and he’s ready to reveal his true identity here, over at Heller Highwater and in the blogosphere in general.  My name is Thomas MacEntee and I was a Heller Ehrman employee for over eight years and I’ve been working for global law firms, including Skadden and Latham & Watkins, for over 20 years now.  Besides filling my hours with blogging for Heller staff and now Thelen, I am busy with my own legal technology consulting firm called BigLaw 2.0 as well as my passion in life – genealogy and family history.  You can learn more about me, if you really need to, over at Thomas 2.0.

Second, “who gave you the authority,” is something I kept hearing over at Heller Highwater and I’m sure I’ll hear again at Thelen The Pain.  Basically no one.  I guess I am self-appointed but I really don’t consider myself an “authority.”  When I started Heller Highwater I found a need for more information than what I was receiving from my employer as to the status of my workplace and my co-workers.  I saw the need and decided to take action.  What I am at heart is a pretty good writer who has been running a very popular genealogy blog – as well as six other lifestyle-related blogs – for close to two years now.

While working with Heller Highwater, I was contacted by many Thelen people (what do you call yourselves – Thelenites? Thelenians? Theleners? Thelengasques?) who said thank you and also wanted a space of their own.  While the issues that Hellerites and Thelenians are facing are almost the same, each firm has its own culture.  I don’t pretend to speak for Thelenians or their culture.  I’d love some assistance in that area and in fact would love to start out as co-administrator of Thelen The Pain and work with one or more Thelen staff members so they can run this site as they see fit.

Realise that as a non-Thelen staff member it is not only difficult for me to place my finger on the pulse of what is going on right now at Thelen, but it is difficult for me to actually verify the veracity of information sent to me from who I am to assume are legitimate Thelen staff members.  Basically, to the Thelen folks I say: I could use a hand or two – email me at thelenthepain@gmail.com or tmacentee@gmail.com and let’s see if we can create a supportive environment during a difficult prognosis.

Third, in the meantime, I have attempted to set up a site that will gather information and present it in a simple, helpful way so that Thelenians can make their own decisions as to wage claims, benefits, job searches etc.  In the beginning, you may see many items simply copied from Heller Highwater.  During the week I will be trying to add items that address the issues unique to Thelen staff.  I ask all recruiters to please contact me to get your agency information and job postings listed here.  I ask anyone with information on benefits and the dissolution of Thelen to contact me and be prepared to have your information verified before I post it.

Finally, as with Heller Highwater, I encourage comments on posts and all items.  Read the Terms of Service to get an idea of what I think is good medicine and what is bad medicine.  

UPDATE: Read more about Thelen The Pain over at today’s post on LegalPad.