Law firms have long been criticised for failing to respond to the demands of older partners keen to continue working after retirement. But with Allen & Overy and Freshfields recently launching flexi-work initiatives, are opportunities for senior lawyers starting to open up? Pui-Guan Man reports
If law firms’ current focus seems to be on reshaping the junior end of their fee earner base to include a more socially and ethnically diverse group of lawyers, let’s not forget that the senior end of the profession also has problems. For some time law firms have been slammed for being ill-prepared to meet demand from older partners keen to continue working but perhaps with fewer hours and less responsibility than their younger, progression-hungry colleagues. But with a couple of new initiatives announced in recent months, is the tide gradually turning in favour of older lawyers keen to remain at their firms in some capacity?
