LP: Do you anticipate or have plans for a full return to your office?
Hammett: Our company thrives on collaboration and team-based approaches to problem solving. We will first and foremost follow applicable requirements for reintegration, but we anticipate a hybrid approach to continue into the future.
Grella: Our office already opened back up for lawyers and all staff on July 1, 2020. While we are open for our own lawyers and staff, on a voluntary basis, having clients in the office is difficult. Prior to opening back up, every firm member was fully operational remotely from home. We have a list of questions about COVID-19 that must be answered by each member of the firm, on a daily basis, before they can enter. We already have a hybrid system, and for me personally, I had already become a road warrior as it regards the practice of law, so our new system has given the manner in which I practice (from anywhere and at any time, instead of an accepted in-office range of hours) a greater acceptance.
Cantor: Our firm has been almost completely remote since March, and we have (surprisingly) found out that working remotely has not resulted in any problems with respect to work product, efficiency or anything else. We know that there are a number of attorneys and staff who wish to remain remote after the pandemic. We intend to find a hybrid model that includes working remotely, full-time working in an office and the ability to do some of both. In this way, we can keep our employees happy and over time save money on office space as we will be able to decrease our office footprint in our five U.S. offices.
Mauch: We still do not have plans for a return to the office. For the time being, a majority of our employees will continue to work from home. However, we anticipate that many employees will return to the office. In certain groups, such as R&D, we anticipate almost all employees returning, with very few working from home. In other areas, we may see more of a hybrid model. Our CEO strongly believes in the face-to-face relationship in the office.