List of Firms Not Mandating RTO Forum

[nickofdime]

Let’s start.

[Anonymous User]

Quinn Emanuel

I suspect this might be the end of the thread

[Anonymous User]

Maybe it's worth distinguishing between firms with "hard" RTO requirements (i.e., you get a slap on the wrist when you don't comply) and "soft" RTO requirements (i.e., nobody really tracks anything, but the official policy is RTO). My firm is in the latter category - I haven't been in the office for 2 weeks and nobody said anything. This is probably not only firm, but also office dependent.

[Anonymous User]

Maybe it's worth distinguishing between firms with "hard" RTO requirements (i.e., you get a slap on the wrist when you don't comply) and "soft" RTO requirements (i.e., nobody really tracks anything, but the official policy is RTO). My firm is in the latter category - I haven't been in the office for 2 weeks and nobody said anything. This is probably not only firm, but also office dependent.

It would be helpful to name your firm. I think a lot of us who want soft or no RTO will reward firms who have such policies, so please name so we can apply.

[Anonymous User]

Maybe it's worth distinguishing between firms with "hard" RTO requirements (i.e., you get a slap on the wrist when you don't comply) and "soft" RTO requirements (i.e., nobody really tracks anything, but the official policy is RTO). My firm is in the latter category - I haven't been in the office for 2 weeks and nobody said anything. This is probably not only firm, but also office dependent.

It would be helpful to name your firm. I think a lot of us who want soft or no RTO will reward firms who have such policies, so please name so we can apply.

It seems to me that soft policies like this will not only be office specific but probably group and partner specific.

[Anonymous User]

Maybe it's worth distinguishing between firms with "hard" RTO requirements (i.e., you get a slap on the wrist when you don't comply) and "soft" RTO requirements (i.e., nobody really tracks anything, but the official policy is RTO). My firm is in the latter category - I haven't been in the office for 2 weeks and nobody said anything. This is probably not only firm, but also office dependent.

It would be helpful to name your firm. I think a lot of us who want soft or no RTO will reward firms who have such policies, so please name so we can apply.

It seems to me that soft policies like this will not only be office specific but probably group and partner specific.

This is true at my firm and my previous firm. Current firm is a satellite and only secretaries go to office on a rotating schedule. The other larger offices want to have face time.

Previous firm I was jealous of people in a different practice group because their partners loved WFH and encouraged it. My partners encouraged face time and I felt some pressure to make it in office about 3 times a week.

[Anonymous User]

Perkins isn’t mandating anything in at least some offices (mine included). May be partner/group specific. I believe Seattle is pushing for 3 days a week, but we don’t have an official firm-wide policy yet other than “hybrid.”

[Anonymous User]

Latham NY's RTO policy is "highly encouraging being in the office more often than not" which is has not been remotely enforced based on what I've seen. There is some variance though with some specialty groups which I've heard expect their team in Tue-Thu and there seems to be almost no enforcement of the policy whatsoever in litigation. I have heard of partners keeping tabs on which associates are showing up and which are not, resulting in work being funneled more consistently to those showing up but the partners have admitted that they otherwise have no enforcement mechanism.

A strong plus I would give to our office though, outside of the loose RTO, is that we have kept free breakfast and lunch, coffee and snacks all over the office, with even routine special lunches like sushi chefs being brought in. My impression is that there is a solid contingency of associates who are willing to show up for these perks.

[Anonymous User]

My white shoe nyc firm is so not chill about remote work. We have a 3-4 day requirement, and partners are serious about it. I heard two partners walking down the hall this week talking about how "people work from home with just a sniffle these days . . . we used to show up."

[Anonymous User]

King & Spalding encourages associates to return to the office. I've been there twice in two months. YMMV.

[Anonymous User]

Fenwick

[Anonymous User]

Not that this will surprise anyone but DPW is back 3 days a week and the managing partner just told all the new hires that we're moving towards more in-person days. They'll have a talk with you if you aren't swiping into the office at least regularly.

[Anonymous User]

work at white/case in Nyc -- we have an official 2 day anchor policy + a 1 day floater requirement. This began Oct. 17, they sent multiple emails about how they would monitor our compliance and bring it up in our reviews. So far, have been in 1x and will go again tomorrow. The 1 day I was in two weeks ago 4 partners on my floor showed up and about 15 associates out of the whole group. My group is not particularly heavy on RTO and resisted anchor days the last year because the partners themselves could not decide on which days to be in the office. Resulted in a typical 4-5 attendees at that management level, no senior associates/midlevels on any given day, and a few regular juniors.

Will report on an update after. So far, I have not been approached or spoken to about my attendance. Prior to this I went in about 16 times over the passed year, maximum. Immune compromised so not planning to comply with RTO until it's clear compliance is not negligent. Firm has sent around emails about how masking/vaccines are no longer required in the office so feel pretty strongly about this and would be GENUINELY surprised if enforcement was a thing against non-M&A folks (they're just slower now) and/or people with regular billables.

[Anonymous User]

The official policy for Gibson Dunn's US offices is "do what works for you." YMMV based on practice group, but at least in the DC office there's no expectation of coming in in person.

[GFox345]

My white shoe nyc firm is so not chill about remote work. We have a 3-4 day requirement, and partners are serious about it. I heard two partners walking down the hall this week talking about how "people work from home with just a sniffle these days . . . we used to show up."

Fucking boomers.

[Anonymous User]

work at white/case in Nyc -- we have an official 2 day anchor policy + a 1 day floater requirement. This began Oct. 17, they sent multiple emails about how they would monitor our compliance and bring it up in our reviews. So far, have been in 1x and will go again tomorrow. The 1 day I was in two weeks ago 4 partners on my floor showed up and about 15 associates out of the whole group. My group is not particularly heavy on RTO and resisted anchor days the last year because the partners themselves could not decide on which days to be in the office. Resulted in a typical 4-5 attendees at that management level, no senior associates/midlevels on any given day, and a few regular juniors.

Will report on an update after. So far, I have not been approached or spoken to about my attendance. Prior to this I went in about 16 times over the passed year, maximum. Immune compromised so not planning to comply with RTO until it's clear compliance is not negligent. Firm has sent around emails about how masking/vaccines are no longer required in the office so feel pretty strongly about this and would be GENUINELY surprised if enforcement was a thing against non-M&A folks (they're just slower now) and/or people with regular billables.

So how has it been going?

At my firm, I flat out refused to go in. Most of my colleagues have gone in again though, but I hung up some story that I did not feel comfortable considering the ongoing pandemic and that was that. We'll see if it leads to me being let go, but so be it, if that is the case. I feel my colleagues somewhat are jealous, but not my problem that they apparently didn't have the audacity to demand WFH.

[Anonymous User]

Shearman.

Technical policy is 3 days in 2 days remote (no one in my group cares if you are in or not).

Firmwide policy just got extended through at least the end of the year (our memo said hybrid model was working well for everyone). We also officially firmwide got all of August to work remotely.

[Anonymous User]

Shearman finance team is serious about minimum 3 days in the office.

[Anonymous User]

The official policy for Gibson Dunn's US offices is "do what works for you." YMMV based on practice group, but at least in the DC office there's no expectation of coming in in person.

Can confirm for both LA and OC offices as well.

[Anonymous User]

Perkins isn’t mandating anything in at least some offices (mine included). May be partner/group specific. I believe Seattle is pushing for 3 days a week, but we don’t have an official firm-wide policy yet other than “hybrid.”

San Diego Perkins isn't requiring anything either, though the litigation folks definitely seem to be in more often since some of the partners are in every day. Iirc we were just told to come in "as needed."

[Anonymous User]

work at white/case in Nyc -- we have an official 2 day anchor policy + a 1 day floater requirement. This began Oct. 17, they sent multiple emails about how they would monitor our compliance and bring it up in our reviews. So far, have been in 1x and will go again tomorrow. The 1 day I was in two weeks ago 4 partners on my floor showed up and about 15 associates out of the whole group. My group is not particularly heavy on RTO and resisted anchor days the last year because the partners themselves could not decide on which days to be in the office. Resulted in a typical 4-5 attendees at that management level, no senior associates/midlevels on any given day, and a few regular juniors.

Will report on an update after. So far, I have not been approached or spoken to about my attendance. Prior to this I went in about 16 times over the passed year, maximum. Immune compromised so not planning to comply with RTO until it's clear compliance is not negligent. Firm has sent around emails about how masking/vaccines are no longer required in the office so feel pretty strongly about this and would be GENUINELY surprised if enforcement was a thing against non-M&A folks (they're just slower now) and/or people with regular billables.

So how has it been going?

At my firm, I flat out refused to go in. Most of my colleagues have gone in again though, but I hung up some story that I did not feel comfortable considering the ongoing pandemic and that was that. We'll see if it leads to me being let go, but so be it, if that is the case. I feel my colleagues somewhat are jealous, but not my problem that they apparently didn't have the audacity to demand WFH.

Only recently made it in -- so far no enforcement & group partners are also ignoring the mandate.