Lawyers in lockdown: stories from the frontline

Roy Daby, partner, Giles Wilson, Essex

'Giles Wilson for some time has ensured fee earners work off laptops and to a large extent paperless, so working from home hasn’t been that much of a struggle. We are not a large firm and do value the interpersonal relationships we have with our colleagues, and as much as Zoom has been brilliant, our staff have realised that we actually miss each other!

From a work perspective it has been very sad to see the personal impact it has had on a lot of businesses I deal with and I can only hope that we have a real bounce back for all involved.

From a personal perspective, I have no idea why I thought going into lockdown would be brilliant, I imagined that my house will be immaculate, my kids will be mini geniuses with home schooling, and that I would be super healthy eating avocado everyday. Five weeks later, my house is a mess, my six-year-old has forgotten how to spell her name, and chicken dippers and chips seem to be on the menu everyday!'

Sarah Mountain, senior associate, RPC, London

'Changing jobs is always a challenge and doing so during lockdown has been an experience that I will never forget. In April, I moved to RPC after eight and-a-half years at my previous firm. After spending a week in the sun on my balcony in East London, I wasn't really sure what to expect and on day one, I logged into my new laptop (from the same old living room office!) with trepidation. Gone would be the safety blankets of familiar IT systems and people known over many years.

I needn't have worried though: from day one, a series of slick webinars and remote induction programmes have sprung into life and regular Zoom and Skype calls with my new colleagues mean that I already feel part of the firm. In my view, the lockdown has put us in more regular contact with people and that has certainly been my experience as a new joiner. Whilst it will be great when I am finally able to walk into my new office, it really is amazing how quickly we have adapted to the new normal.'

Michael O’Kane, senior partner, Peters & Peters, London

‘My family and friends tell me that this is my time, as according to them I have been practising self-isolation for 40 years! Camaraderie at Peters & Peters is being sustained by film nights, quizzes, drop-in coffees, pastoral calls from HR to the team, regular case team video calls and the increasingly eye-popping plumage of Keith Oliver’s shirts. On the work front, effective IT systems have been our WD40 in facilitating the gear change, allowing remote working to go relatively smoothly.

With civil courts galloping along and criminal investigations motoring in the UK and abroad, the big question is will things ever be the same again? I think not. If we can find the right balance between the joys of real human interaction and the benefits of home working, they might even be better.’