The
push
to
bring
associates
back
into
the
office
four
days
a
week
is
accelerating
at
lightning
speed,
leaving
firms
scrambling
to
keep
pace.
These
attendance
mandates
have
typically
applied
firmwide,
but
one
firm
has
taken
the
next
step
in
the
return-to-office
race
by
increasing
its
attendance
requirements
specifically
for
junior
associates.
Dechert
—
a
firm
that
brought
in
$1,510,775,000
gross
revenue
in
2024,
putting
it
at
No.
36
on
the
Am
Law
100
—
recently
announced
that
beginning
on
February
2,
all
rising
second-year
attorneys
as
well
as
fall
associates,
incoming
trainees
must
work
from
the
office
four
days
each
week.
All
business
services
professionals
must
also
follow
the
firm’s
new
four-day
attendance
mandate.
Dechert
partners
are
also
expected
to
work
from
the
office
four
days
each
week,
if
only
to
train
the
junior
associates
who
are
having
this
facetime
requirement
foisted
upon
them.
Elder
attorneys
—
e.g.,
rising
third-year
associates
and
higher,
as
well
as
all
counsel
—
are
expected
to
work
from
the
office
three
days
each
week.
The
policy
will
be
enforced
on
a
worldwide
basis.
The
Legal
Intelligencer
has
additional
details:
The
firm
says
that
it
hopes
all
affected
employees
will
see
the
value
in
working
out
of
an
office
to
help
add
energy
to
teams,
foster
greater
collaboration
and
improve
morale
and
success.“We
continue
to
believe
that
what
makes
Dechert
a
successful
firm
and
a
great
place
to
work
is
our
people,
and
there
is
no
substitute
for
working
together
in
person,”
Dechert
Co-Chairs
David
Forti
and
Mark
Thierfelder
said
in
a
joint
statement.
“Speaking
face-to-face
with
another
person
provides
more
context
and
nuance
than
through
a
screen.
When
together
in
person,
we
collaborate
better,
our
junior
team
members
benefit
more
from
coaching,
and
we
can
more
effectively
respond
to
client
needs.”
Quite
a
few
Biglaw
firms
are
now
requiring
four
days
in
the
office
firmwide,
including
the
likes
of
A&O
Shearman;
Cooley;
Covington; Davis
Polk;
DLA
Piper
(corporate
associates);
Goodwin;
Hogan
Lovells; Latham; Paul
Weiss; Ropes
&
Gray; Sidley;
Simpson
Thacher; Skadden; Vinson
&
Elkins; Weil
Gotshal; WilmerHale;
and White
&
Case. Sullivan
&
Cromwell has
taken
its
attendance
policy
one
step
further,
requiring
attorneys
to
work
from
the
office
five
days
each
week.
As
soon
as
you
find
out
about
office
attendance
plans
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.
Dechert
Moves
to
4-Day
In-Office
Policy
for
Business
Service
Professionals,
Jr.
Associates
[Legal
Intelligencer]
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
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