Many expect 2021 to be the year when the legal industry starts to recover from pandemic disruption and lawyers and staff return to the office. But I expect it to be the year when law firms cease to have any defining characteristics.

It won’t be a case of simply returning to the office. The industry is on the verge of finding a new normal, where people mix time in the office and time working from home, and whatever is decided is likely to set the standard for years to come.