Day by day, and even hour by hour, return-to-office plans continue to change for law firms across the country thanks to the Delta variant of COVID-19. Some firms avoided this issue entirely by choosing not to make employees return to the office in 2021, but for the firms that went a different route, it’s getting a little complicated. Many firms have decided to push back their original reopening dates, and others are now mandating vaccination for all lawyers and staff if they wish to step foot into the office.
For reference, the following firms are requiring all employees to be vaccinated before they return to the office: Akin Gump, Arent Fox, Ballard Spahr, Boies Schiller Flexner, Carlton Fields, Cleary Gottlieb, Clifford Chance, Cooley, Cozen O’Connor, Crowell & Moring, Davis & Gilbert, Davis Polk, Davis Wright Tremaine, Debevoise & Plimpton, Dickinson Wright, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, Fenwick & West, Fried Frank, Goodwin, Hanson Bridgett, Hogan Lovells, Hueston Hennigan, Lowenstein Sandler, McDermott Will & Emery, Mintz, Norton Rose Fulbright, Patterson Belknap, Paul Weiss, Reed Smith, Ropes & Gray, Sanford Heisler, Schiff Hardin, Seyfarth Shaw, Sheppard Mulllin, Simpson Thacher, Skadden, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, Weil Gotshal, Wilson Sonsini, and Winston & Strawn.
Last week, Ropes & Gray notified all employees that effective August 9, they would not be able to enter the office without proof of vaccination. At this point, the firm is still within Phase 1 of its reopening plan (i.e., permissive office use). Today, the firm notified lawyers and staff that it would be moving to Phase 2, a broader reopening for all personnel, on October 18, a bit later than originally imagined. On top of that, Ropes will require vaccination for all, “subject only to exceptions approved by HR for valid medical or religious reasons.”
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Here’s an excerpt from the firm’s memo (available on the next page):
As we mentioned last week, the vaccination rates of our people are high. Close to 99 percent of our lawyers and more than 92 percent of our business support team are already fully vaccinated. Many colleagues who were previously reluctant to be vaccinated got their first shot last week and we expect others may do so upon full FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine which is anticipated soon. We continue to strongly urge members of the Ropes community to be vaccinated.
The firm will continue to offer free food for all lawyers and staff who come into the office prior to a full return in mid-October.
Will your firm be changing its plans when it comes to vaccination for attorneys and staff thanks to the Delta variant? Please let us know.
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(Flip the page to read the memo from Ropes & Gray.)
What has your firm announced as far as a reopening plan is concerned? The more information is out there, the more likely it is that firms will be able to establish a market standard for a return to the office.
As soon as you find out about the reopening plan at your firm, please email us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Office Reopening”) or text us at (646) 820-8477. We always keep our sources on stories anonymous. There’s no need to send a memo (if one exists) using your firm email account; your personal email account is fine. If a memo has been circulated, please be sure to include it as proof; we like to post complete memos as a service to our readers. You can take a photo of the memo and attach as a picture if you are worried about metadata in a PDF or Word file. Thanks.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.