Biglaw

America's No. 2 Biglaw Firm Finally Gets On Board With Vaccination For All

Almost 100% of employees are vaccinated, but almost isn't good enough for this firm.

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COVID-19’s Delta variant has really changed what the legal landscape will look like this fall. Dozens of large law firms were hoping for a safe reopening of their offices, but now their proposed restart dates are being pushed back and vaccine mandates are on the table at firms across the country to stop the spread of the deadly virus.

Some firms have taken longer than others to make a move on the vaccination front. It was just last week that Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, decided to announce a mandatory vaccination policy for all U.S. employees. Now, it looks like another Biglaw heavyweight has officially opted in for vaccination for all employees.

Latham — the No. 2 firm in the country, having taken home $4,333,763,000 gross revenue in 2020 — recently notified all U.S. employees must be vaccinated. According to a memo sent by the firm’s executive committee on September 1 (available in full on the next page), Latham attorneys and staff must have at least received either a single-dose vaccine or the first of a two-dose vaccine by September 13. All U.S. personnel must be fully vaccinated by October 18, and must provide proof of each vaccination dose to the firm.

The executive committee also reported on Latham personnel’s dedication to the health and wellness of their colleagues and communities:

Vaccinations are critical to providing a safe workplace for all, and we are pleased to share that 95% of the firm’s US personnel (including virtually 100% of US partners) have verified to the firm that they are fully vaccinated. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the successful outcome.

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, Dentons, Debevoise & Plimpton, Dickinson Wright, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, Fenwick & West, Fried Frank, Goodwin, Greenberg Traurig, Hanson Bridgett, Hogan Lovells, Hueston Hennigan, Lowenstein Sandler, McDermott Will & Emery, Mintz, Norton Rose Fulbright, Patterson Belknap, Paul Hastings, 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.

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 Latham & Watkins.)

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 ZaretskyStaci 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.

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