It’s pretty hot out this summer, and Biglaw firms think they’ve got the perfect solution for beating the heat: by announcing mandatory office attendance policies. Which firm is the latest to invite attorneys to enjoy their supercool office air conditioning four days a week?
It’s Covington & Burling. The firm — which brought in $1,747,129,000 gross revenue in 2024, putting it at No. 31 on the Am Law 100 — recently decided to change up its attendance policy to mandate four days spent in the office each week, including those working in its London office. Law.com has some additional details, including a late summer work perk:
The firm’s lawyers are now expected to be in the office Monday through Thursday, but can work remotely on Friday, according to several sources with knowledge of the matter. …
To ease the shift, the firm has told its staff that they can have up to two weeks working remotely in August, but this is subject to applicable policies concerning remote working, including that it cannot impact availability.
Covington now joins the likes of Davis Polk; Latham; Paul Weiss; Ropes & Gray; Simpson Thacher; Skadden; Vinson & Elkins; Weil Gotshal; WilmerHale; White & Case; Sidley; Hogan Lovells; and A&O Shearman in its four-day, in-person attendance policy. Sullivan & Cromwell has taken its attendance policy one step further, requiring attorneys to work from the office five days each week.
Best of luck to everyone at Covington as they adjust to their new lives, which will be mostly spent at the office.
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Covington Switches to 4-Day In-Office Week, Offers August WFH [Law.com]
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 Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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