I think audit staff, that is auditors with about two to eight years experience will be very much in demand by the firms that pick up Andersens clients. The partners and principals could be another story. If I was running one of the other big firms I would want to hire those audit seniors and managers but I would give the partner assignments to my existing partners and then promote a whole slew of my existing managers to reward them for their hard work and to keep their expertise on their current clients. These guys are doing the real tough work anyway and that would free up the current partners to take on the flood of new engagements.
The potential for dynamic growth and internal promotions in these other firms is so great that I'm getting excited just thinking about it, and I don't even work in the Big Five anymore.
Mergers between firms is very difficult...