HAPPY IN HYBRID? - The number of law firms willing to hire fully remote associates on a case-by-case basis is inching upward. But if you thought Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan’s recent announcement of a blanket “work from anywhere” policy would suddenly spawn a wave of copycats, you must have been thinking of associate salary bumps… or annual associate bonuses…or special semi-annual associate bonuses. Anyway, as Law.com’s Dan Packel reports, evidence suggests most firms and associates are content with hybrid arrangements. Andrew Glynn, a recruiter and managing director with Major, Lindsey & Africa’s associate practice group, speculated that most firms haven’t taken a strong, public position on the issue in part because most associates seem to be comfortable with a setup that gives them the option of coming to the office without the obligation to hoof it there five days a week. “Most associates really want an office; they want an ability to go into an office,” said the former Seyfarth Shaw associate. “For example, I would say I’ve gone to the office once in the past two years, but I would never give up my office. It’s nice to know I can get away.”
ALL UP IN YOUR BUSINESS - Clients are always talking about how they want their legal advice served with a side of business advice. But how about a heaping helping of business advice infused with some legal flavor? Yesterday, Law.com’s Bruce Love reports, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton launched KTS Strategies as a wholly owned subsidiary focused on assisting clients with both advocacy and business strategy across both state and federal governments. The foundation for the new business is Kilpatrick Townsend’s government relations team, but it will also draw upon the expertise of its 650 attorneys and legal professionals around the world. “Business strategy has always been a part of the law firm side, but companies are now looking for political insight in how to structure their companies or how to make decisions,” said Ches McDowell, senior managing director of the subsidiary. “You’re starting to see even more business decisions being influenced by politics, and us—being the folks that understand the politics and where the politics are going—advise businesses on the best way to structure their decisions.” The news comes a day after a similarly ranked Am Law 100 firm launched its own new business service. Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough on Tuesday launched a compliance and regulatory consulting division aimed at giving financial services clients bespoke compliance solutions that will be overseen by the firm’s attorneys.
