With legal occupiers investing heavily in high-quality offices, effective space utilisation is key to successful real estate strategies. In the last year there has been a trend to formalise hybrid working policies firm-wide.

According to Savills research based on publicly available information, 70% of the top 50 in the Global 200 mandate three or more days per week office attendance, with a number of firms (mainly US and international) having increased the number of required days from three to four in the last year. According to analysis of announcements and published articles, law firms are more likely to frame an expectation of full-week office attendance, rather than mandate 5-day working weeks firm-wide.

Some firms have tied office attendance to bonuses or performance reviews, but this approach is not widely adopted. Most legal practices report that legal professionals value being in the office, with many exceeding minimum requirements whilst also appreciating the flexibility offered by hybrid policies. Anecdotal research suggests some lawyers perceive a link between attendance and career progression.

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