First law firm to publicly mandate vaccine policy in UK office
Morrison & Foerster is making Covid vaccines mandatory for the London office.
From 13 September, MoFo is requiring lawyers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 ahead of their return to the office. Those not fully vaccinated will continue to work remotely.
They will also be required to wear a mask in common areas and to socially distance.
“The health and safety of our people remains the firm’s top priority,” a firm spokesperson said. “We are continuing to take advice from the firm’s consultant epidemiologist as we get closer to our London reopening date, which is set for Monday, 13 September.”
MoFo is adopting a phased office return, with lawyers, including trainees, expected to work from the London office on one day per week from 13 September. This will be in addition to any other day(s) they choose to spend in the office.
From 18 October, the firm expects to increase office attendance to two days per week, subject to an ongoing review of its working plans.
Non-lawyer attendance in the London office will be determined according to business needs, the spokesperson said, with the firm providing “flexibility to work remotely as we are able to”.
MoFo is the first law firm to publicly mandate a vaccine policy for its London office. Several law firms in the US, however, have already put vax plans in place, requiring lawyers and staff to be vaccinated before returning to work in-person. Clifford Chance, Debevoise & Plimpton, Norton Rose Fulbright and Reed Smith are some of the big name firms reported to have adopted this strategy, with Davis Polk & Wardwell and Ropes & Gray going a step further and deactivating the office ID cards of unvaccinated employees, reports claim.
