Pillar Processing, an Amherst, N.Y.-based document processing firm tied to the law firm of Steven J. Baum, is closing down and laying off 586 staff members, according to a Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification notice filed with the New York State Department of Labor. The processing firm is associated with the default services business of Steven J. Baum P.C., which also announced a mass layoff and plans to close by February 2011. In the Baum layoff, the remaining 67 employees are slated to leave the firm, effective Feb. 20. The law firm cuts will impact employees at locations in Amherst and Westbury, N.Y., according to documents filed with the state of New York. The Pillar Processing cuts will impact employees in the same area. BuffaloNews.com identifies Pillar Processing as a back-office document processing firm with close ties to the closing Steven J. Baum foreclosure law firm. Baum suffered through an extreme bout of negative publicity after photos were revealed showing employees dressed up for an office function as evicted homeowners. Steven J. Baum announced its closing shortly after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac sent out a directive to mortgage servicers ordering the transfer of foreclosure and bankruptcy matters from the Baum firm to other attorneys. Write to Kerri Panchuk.