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Good Business or Big Brother? In-Office Tracking is a Contentious Subject and Messaging Matters
Law.com | August 31, 2023 
What You Need to Know:
- Goodwin Procter is allowing employees to search a firm-wide database to see who is in the office at any given time.
- The firm contends it’s part of an effort to improve communication and improve the office experience.
- Some observers are alarmed that the technology is overly intrusive.
‘The Vibe Is Changing’: Flexible Law Firms Struggle to Get Attorneys on the Same Page
Law.com | August 24, 2023
While several West Coast firms have pledged to resist mandates, firms with more disparate preferences within their ranks may be the most challenged to foster some meaningful person-to-person time.What You Need to Know
- A flexible, three-day in-office schedule remains popular on the West Coast, but some firms are struggling to get their attorneys on the same page about in-person interactions.
- Core days is emerging as a common strategy for flexible firms that want to help their attorneys build bonds and get trained up.
- Some young associates are job jumping in an attempt to find a partial in-person work culture that works for them.
Schnader Waited Too Long to Merge, While Stroock’s Fate Lies in the Balance
Law.com | August 16, 2023
The soon-to-be defunct Philadelphia institution and the venerable New York shop have faced a similar set of obstacles in recent months. What you need to know:
- Both Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis, poised to close at the end of the month, and Stroock & Stroock & Lavan have so far failed to find merger partners.
- Schnader’s failed merger contributed to its upcoming dissolution, with observers pointing to several warning signs that the firm was not in a strong position to merge.
- Comparatively, Stroock is working to make itself into a better merging partner, voting to dissolve its pension obligations earlier in the month.
The Pitch for Fully Remote Lawyers Is Becoming More Difficult
Law.com | August 16, 2023
“I’ve worked with several attorneys recently making lateral moves to large global law firms, and none were given a formal 100% remote-work option,” said executive coach and former Big Law partner Laura Terrell.What you need to know:
- Many partners retain the ability to set their own schedules, but as a general rule, most of the largest law firms aren’t offering 100% fully remote options for attorneys, observers say.
- Some firms may try to ratchet up the pressure or fold remote lawyers into existing offices or new offices. Other firms with existing virtual setups have said they’re still working well.
- Still, according to LinkedIn, the percentage of paid U.S. job listings on the site that offer remote work has been declining since May 2022 ‘without showing signs yet of bottoming out.’
As Pressure Grows for In-Office Mandates, Washington Law Firms Likely to Face ‘Resistance’
Law.com | August 7, 2023
“It’s going to be very, very difficult for the Washington firms to get people in more than three days a week,” said Jeffrey Lowe at Major Lindsey.What you need to know:
- Many D.C. firms are operating on a hybrid schedule, with most bringing lawyers in three-days a week.
- Law firms’ leadership in D.C. may see resistance to four-day office mandates, like those in New York, according to recruiters.
- However, a number of New York firms operate offices in D.C., including several that have imposed in-office mandates.
Why So Many Second Hundred Law Firms Are Looking for Combinations
Law.com | August 2, 2023
U.S. lateral moves were down 41% in the second quarter, though most of the impact was at the associate level. If partner hiring is a leading indicator, firms may already be bouncing back from a quieter period at the start of the year, according to newly released data.What you need to know:
- Lateral moves in the U.S. were off 41% year-to-date, according to new data from Decipher.
- Associate moves in the second quarter were down 43% to 2,797 from 4,904 in the same period in 2022.
- Yet, partner moves had its second-best second quarter, just 4% below the 1,322 moves in the 2022 period.