International law firms in the UAE are moving to bring lawyers back to the office with some setting near-term return timelines.
The move is understood to have raised concerns among some lawyers who relocated during the conflict.
International law firms in the UAE are moving to bring lawyers back to the office, raising concerns among some who relocated from the region during the current conflict.
Several firms with bases in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are understood to be pushing for a return to in-person working.
Jones Day has asked staff in Dubai to return to the office from this week, while Cleary is aiming to resume its standard in-person schedule at its Abu Dhabi office from 4 May, according to people familiar with the matter. The firm is understood to be covering relocation costs for affected staff.
When the conflict first escalated at the end of February, firms with offices across Dubai and Abu Dhabi moved quickly to shift lawyers to remote working and activate security protocols. Many lawyers relocated overseas and have since been working remotely for the past eight weeks, based in locations across Europe and Asia.
As firms now move back towards in-person working, some lawyers have raised concerns about the timing and practical challenges of relocating back on as little as a week's notice, particularly those with families, according to a person close to the situation.
The moves come as the US and UK governments continue to warn against travel to the UAE - advising citizens to “reconsider” travel and avoid all but essential trips respectively - and with the ceasefire still viewed as fragile amid on-and-off peace talks between the US and Iran.
Firms respond
In a statement shared with Non-Billable, Cleary said its Abu Dhabi office “is open to all staff that wish to go in. We have been, and will continue to be, accommodating of and flexible to our people while ensuring that we continue to provide the highest standards of service to our clients at all times.”
Charles Russell Speechlys said it is planning a phased and voluntary return across its Middle East offices in the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, beginning this week. It said: “The return to the offices will be optional and phased at this stage, and this plan may change at short notice if the situation deteriorates.”
Jones Day and several other firms contacted by Non-Billable did not respond to requests for comment.
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