Why Lawyers Are Leading The Return-To-Office Race What happens when three equity partners and a junior associate in a law firm walk into a conference room? They leave with a renewed appreciation for the office. At least, that was the experience of Phil Appenzeller, CEO of Dallas-based firm Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr. That moment, which was before his firm mandated a companywide return, crystallized why he feels in-person work is still critical for lawyers, even in the era of work-from-home. “One of our first-year lawyers was here, and one of my partners came down and said, ‘Hey, I've got a problem. Can we go into this conference room?’” Appenzeller said. “For [a first-year associate], being able to sit and watch how we work through things, I think in person was much better than it would be if he was trying to watch it over Zoom or on the phone.” 
As hybrid work has taken hold of the corporate world, the legal industry has returned to its offices in larger numbers than other white-collar sectors, like technology and finance. Law firm leaders who spoke to Bisnow said the nature of the profession — with long hours, intense, extended periods of…  Read the full story here. | 
