SIMPSON THACHER — MEMO — U.S. OFFICES, RETURN TO OFFICE UPDATE
Dear Colleagues,
We are writing to provide an update on our reopening plans for our U.S. offices. Consistent with our last communication, we are now able to confirm a return date of October 18, 2021. While our U.S. offices will be fully open as of October 18th, we recognize that there remains anxiety and uncertainty related to the Delta variant. As such, we will be more flexible regarding the number of days lawyers would ideally be in the office for the remainder of the year. To that end, it is our hope that lawyers will join us back in the office to the extent they are comfortable, at least one or two days per week beginning on October 18th. While teams have proven they can successfully work from home, and there may be a small number of attorneys who for medical or other reasons are not comfortable coming into the office or need to remain fully remote, we continue to recognize the importance of reestablishing physical connectedness with our colleagues, particularly for new joiners as they learn how to navigate the Firm. We also recognize that informal social interactions are critical to fostering collegiality and camaraderie and in building trust in our teams and encourage those who are comfortable to find ways to reconnect with your colleagues both inside and outside the Firm, whether it means grabbing lunch or a drink outside the office or using your reconnect budget for a more elaborate outing with colleagues. Finally, we are cognizant of avoiding unnecessary stress and friction during this transition period, so it is our intention to encourage all U.S. lawyers to work remotely Thanksgiving week and the last two weeks of the year (December 20th-January 2nd). We will revisit our reopening plans again later this year to provide further guidance for 2022.
What Biglaw Can Learn From Personal Injury Firms
How a former insurance agent built a Houston injury practice around systems, empathy, and disciplined advocacy.
In the coming weeks, we will be providing you with more details on the health and safety protocols that will be in place as of October 18th, including protocols for those who work in shared office spaces (ensuring only one person is in at a time), and the in-office benefits that will remain through the end of the year (e.g., free breakfast and lunch and STB-sponsored gatherings).
The IT Team will be in touch shortly to schedule a time for you to come into the office in the next few weeks to ensure your laptop properly connects with the newly installed 27” monitors, webcam, wireless keyboard and wireless mouse. This process will help our colleagues in IT to service your needs in a more organized and efficient manner.
The Firm continues to be busy, and our business continues to grow. We want to take the opportunity to thank each of you for your continuing excellence, hard work and commitment to the Firm, our clients and each other.
Jen and Tom
Has Legal Industry Upheaval Changed Your Career Goals?
We'd love to hear your thoughts. Enter for a chance to win a $250 gift card.
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.