Dentons Closes Two UK Offices in Shift to Remote Working
The world’s largest law firm by headcount plans to shut its offices in Aberdeen and Watford, with staff directed to work from home full-time.
International firm Dentons is shuttering two of its regional UK offices as part of a broader shift towards remote working arrangements and to reduce its real estate holdings.
Partners and employees based in the firm’s Aberdeen and Watford offices, who have already adopted remote working arrangements, will continue to operate from home. However, Dentons confirmed that these employees will also have the option to access its Edinburgh and Milton Keynes offices when required.
In its statement on the closures, the firm said that it does not plan to shutter any more of its UK offices, though it will review the situation in 2025 when the lease on its London office expires. The London office was reopened in mid-June at a reduced capacity, with no movement of employees between floors and a “track and trace” system established to monitor the health of staff.
The firm’s other offices will open in a similar manner over the coming weeks.
Lisa Sewell, Dentons’ managing director for the UK, Ireland and Middle East remarked on the success of the firm’s remote working measures so far. “We have seen far less use of paper, more self-service and confidence using new technology and no drop in productivity or service levels despite teams not being co-located 100% of the time,” she said.
“It’s an exciting shift for us, our people and for how we will be able to serve our clients in different ways in the future”.
