Business but not as usual: Lawyers share ‘work from home’ snaps on social media

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By Aishah Hussain on

Including one trainee with a paralegal pet tortoise

Trainee solicitor Jack Meegan and his pet tortoise Rocky

As lawyers brace themselves for yet another three weeks of working from home amid the continued coronavirus disruption, some have taken to social media to share snaps of their fanciful home office set-ups.

While most of us will temporarily take over the kitchen table, others have shared their creative takes in the spirit of keeping with business but not as usual.

Below we profile the best home office set-ups which may just beat their plush corporate offices.


Baker McKenzie shared a snap to its Insta page of what we’re presuming is one stylish lawyer’s abode complete with a house plant and an array of minimalist photos lining the walls.

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How does your work from home setup look? These unprecedented times have been challenging in numerous ways. Adjusting to the changes that come with social isolation, such as working from home, have been quickly implemented due to our agile working arrangements. Social media and online platforms have been key in keeping connected, from morning catchups to a virtual Friday after-work drink! Whether studying or remote working, we encourage you to make time for video calls and stay connected ???? As each day passes, we’re one step closer to normality. #WFH #workingfromhome #coronavirus #remoteworking #london #bakermckenzie #law #lawfirm #graduaterecruitment #stayathome #lawcareers #training

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In another snap, seen in Bakers’ Story, one lawyer has ventured out to their garden to work with a vaseful of daffodils sitting atop the decking.

Magic circler Freshfields shared a collage of some of its trainees’ home office set-ups.

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Some our our trainees have shared their working from home setup and we think they look great!??? . Our trainees, like all Freshfields' staff, work on a laptop which means that it has been easy from an IT perspective to work from home. Our IT service desk are available 24/7 to resolve any IT issues globally. . Sanjana Canumalla, trainee, shares her top tips for working from home: . ✏Tip 1 – try to ensure that you take breaks in the same way that you would in the office, as it’s easy to press on through the day when everything’s within reach! . ✏️Tip 2 – try to make sure you fully log off and shut down when you are done for the day, as staying logged on can sometimes make it tempting to finish up that last bit of a task when it’s really better to have a break! . ✏️Tip 3 – even though it’s nice to be able to wake up a little later since there’s no need to commute to the office, try to wake up at the same time every day – I like to fit some exercise before getting started on work to take advantage of any extra time!

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Travers Smith second seat finance trainee solicitor Jack Meegan works hard from home with his pet (or paralegal?) tortoise Rocky.

Pets were also a prominent feature at law firms Clyde & Co, Norton Rose Fulbright and Simmons & Simmons:

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“Countless video meetings” and “occasional moments of cabin fever” is the reality for one Simmons & Simmons lawyer. But she says the highlights are “the furry friends and children supporting us all in the background!”

TLT final seat trainee solicitor Tori Mills realised rush hour “isn’t quite what it used to be” in a funny video post shared to the firm’s Instagram page.

Shoosmiths second seat family trainee solicitor Maeve Casey who goes by @legallymanchester on Instagram took some inspo from Legally Blonde‘s Elle Woods wearing a pink tracksuit while working from her parent’s living room. We love the addition of a pink table cloth too!

Meanwhile, Shoosmiths real estate solicitor Monika Schiavone shared a snap of her ultra modern work space complete with pet pooch helper. Interestingly, she said the office has its own WhatsApp group and Instagram account where they’re sharing daily snaps of their office attire while working from home.

Joanne Finnegan, an associate in Linklaters‘ dispute resolution team, acted in one of the first fully virtual trials in the English Commercial Court, on a half-billion dollar dispute, all from her snazzy workspace at home.

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??Linklaters are currently acting in one of the first fully #virtualtrials in the English Commercial Court.? – We caught up with Joanne Finnegan, an Associate in the Dispute Resolution team to find out more! ??‍? “We have been representing a client in a large commercial dispute involving sums of over half a billion USD, scheduled for trial this March. Witnesses based in the UK, Belgium, the US and Kazakhstan (some of whom required interpreters) were due to travel to the Commercial Court in London to be cross-examined. However, as Covid-19 continued to spread, the judge ordered the trial to be held “virtually”. This required us to make video-conferencing arrangements so that all parties (including the judge, barristers, solicitors, witnesses and the client) could participate in the trial from their own homes, wherever in the world they were. The judge used new powers in the Coronavirus Act 2020 to order that the trial should be livestreamed publicly: our trial was the first to be livestreamed on YouTube!”??‍⚖️?

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With restaurants remaining shut during the lockdown one future Travers Smith trainee solicitor created her own menu for a four-course meal at home. That definitely beats a cold sandwich at your desk!

Share your home office set-up with us by tagging @legalcheek on social media and using the hashtag #WFH.

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