More law firms are expected to make personnel cuts in 2023. But as they no doubt weigh the reputational risks of open versus stealth layoffs, legal consultants expect more firms to be forthcoming and transparent about their hard decisions.

The argument that open layoffs are less damaging internally, among a firm’s remaining lawyers, isn’t new, but a more dramatic change in recent years has come as the industry and its clients recognize that law firms, much like the businesses they serve, will go through periods of financial strain as demand ebbs and flows.