In Financial Times, Elizabeth Reza and Amanda Austin Discuss Agile Work Arrangements During Pandemic

In the Financial Times, asset management partner Elizabeth Reza and life sciences transactions partner Amanda Austin (both of Boston) discussed Ropes & Gray’s flexible working arrangements, and how the firm has connected its lawyers during the pandemic to boost productivity and better serve clients. 

Elizabeth explains that “agile” means being able to work wherever you need to be. This means having the right tools in place and a culture that helps lawyers service clients no matter where they are — while also giving them space to work around personal commitments. She said that Ropes & Gray has operated a flexible working policy — letting lawyers work remotely, or reduce their hours or modify schedules — for more than a decade, and its practice areas already worked across multiple offices globally. This made the transition to working under pandemic lockdown easier.

Amanda notes that the firm became more agile during the pandemic by bringing junior and more experienced lawyers together online and giving junior colleagues added visibility in client meetings held over Zoom video conferencing.