New policy applies to staff and visitors đź’‰
US firm Debevoise & Plimpton will soon require all lawyers, staff and visitors to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 for entry to its London office.
From 11 October, they will have to provide proof that they have been jabbed. They will also continue to wear face masks in public spaces and to socially distance.
“We will require everyone who wishes to come into the office, including visitors, to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated,” read a memo sent internally yesterday afternoon by London co-managing partners Richard Ward and Lord Goldsmith QC. “We continue to strongly encourage all those who are able to be vaccinated to make the necessary arrangements.”
The memo, seen by Legal Cheek, adds that they will continue to evaluate the policy ahead of the firm’s compulsory office return date which is currently expected to be “no earlier than at some point in November”.
The move comes a month after fellow US firm Morrison & Foerster became the first law firm to mandate Covid vaccinations in London.
However, several law firms in the States, including Debevoise and MoFo, already have vax plans in place, requiring staff to be vaccinated before returning to work in-person. Davis Polk & Wardwell and Ropes & Gray went a step further and are deactivating the office ID cards of unvaccinated employees, reports claim.