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Law Firms This BigLaw firm is the first to allow its lawyers to work from home indefinitely

By Debra Cassens Weiss

December 20, 2021, 11:03 am CST

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Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan announced Monday that it will allow all its lawyers in the United States to work from home indefinitely.

Quinn Emanuel is the first Am Law 100 law firm to allow permanent work from home, according to Law.com, which broke the news of the policy change.

Firm chair and founder John Quinn announced the policy in a statement.

“Our lawyers should work from wherever they do their best work,” Quinn said. “We want to invite the best litigators to join our firm, wherever their desks are. Over the past 18 months, our lawyers have mastered the art of collaborating remotely and at the highest levels—without sacrificing camaraderie or the free sharing of ideas.”

Quinn said the firm isn’t abandoning its offices, however.

“We are reimagining how we use our office spaces to emphasize the benefits of in-person meetings, team building and trial preparation when we do get together,” Quinn said in the statement. “We recognize there are valuable aspects of the in-office experience that are hard to replicate remotely. We intend to create an even more vibrant in-office experience.”

New associates will be hired by existing Quinn Emanual offices and must be affiliated with a law firm office. But the associates don’t have to be in the same geographic location as one of the firm’s 13 offices.

They do, however, have to comply with applicable tax, bar admission and other legal requirements.

See also:

ABAJournal.com: “What are ethics issues for lawyers practicing remotely from a different state during the pandemic?”

ABAJournal.com: “Ethics attorneys hopeful COVID-19 will prompt changes in remote working rules”

ABAJournal.com: “How one law firm plans to embrace remote work—even after reopening its offices”

ABA Journal: “Are virtual offices here to stay?”

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