Not all large U.S. law firms have abandoned remote lawyering since the pandemic. On Tuesday, Phoenix-founded Fennemore Craig announced a new formal program to hire lawyers in locations without offices. This initiative positions the 19-office, 327-lawyer firm to recruit and retain talent by offering flexibility, according to its leaders.
“We think other firms are making a huge mistake by requiring everyone, regardless of their circumstances, to come into the office,” said Fennemore CEO and president James Goodnow. “Frankly, we want to take advantage of that.”
While many law firms have retained some work-from-home flexibility since the pandemic, most have moved away from allowing fully remote work, arguing it can erode attorney mentoring and client service. A recent survey by the Thomson Reuters Institute reported that 56% of respondents said their firm requires lawyers to come in at least three days per week. The data included 350 responses from 105 U.S. law firms.
Fennemore is not alone in offering a fully remote option. Midwest-founded national firm Husch Blackwell launched a virtual “office” in July 2020, allowing participants to “work from the location that makes the most sense for the individual,” according to the firm’s website. The program has grown from around 50 lawyers and staff to more than 700 people, including nearly 230 lawyers, according to a Husch Blackwell spokesperson.
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, a 1,000-lawyer litigation firm, adopted a policy in December 2021 allowing its U.S. lawyers to “work from anywhere,” with access to an “office base,” indefinitely. Andrew Rossman, co-managing partner of the firm’s New York office, stated that the Quinn Emanuel program has been successful and currently has “well in excess” of 50 lawyers.
Fennemore’s new program, dubbed Fennemore Forward, already includes 53 remote employees, with 18 lawyers and 35 legal professionals, including those who worked at the firm but have moved to cities without physical offices, Goodnow said. He emphasized that there will be no difference in compensation based solely on lawyers’ remote or in-person status.
Chris Wilson, the program’s director, stated that they will primarily recruit senior attorneys at the partner level who have books of business “sufficient to sort of support themselves.” He anticipates that between 50 and 100 lawyers will work remotely as part of the program within a few years. Wilson noted that the initiative stands out by providing a strong support system for those who need or want to work remotely. Goodnow added that Fennemore’s infrastructure and in-person network differentiate its program from fully virtual, or so-called “distributed” firms, as remote lawyers have access to Fennemore’s physical offices and events.
Early pandemic-era remote work benefited virtual firms, where all or nearly all lawyers primarily practice remotely. Wilson, a corporate and finance attorney, joined Fennemore a year ago to spearhead its remote program after roles at two virtual or hybrid firms, Taylor English Duma and FisherBroyles.
