The COVID pandemic presented an experiment in remote working with a focus on output as opposed to 9-5 working. As lockdown restrictions ease FDR Law is adopting an agile working approach to meet the needs of both of its staff and its clients. The firm has therefore decided to close its Frodsham and Stockton Heath offices from 22 April 2021.
Both offices have been closed to clients due to COVID since the beginning of March 2020 and colleagues have successfully been working remotely since the first lockdown. The firm will maintain its presence in Warrington’s cultural quarter with the opportunity for staff to work from one of the firm’s Warrington offices or to split their working week between home working and office working.
Mark Lockett, CEO, said “When making this decision we focused on how FDR will need to operate in the future as we adapt to an ever-changing world to retain and attract the best legal talent whilst maintaining a high level of service and ensure we continue to meet the ever-changing needs of clients.
We have seen that other businesses (including law firms), government departments, local authorities, courts etc. are already making changes to their business model to allow them to become more flexible and efficient.
We recognise that whilst a number of clients will still want face to face meetings we envisage that the remote working practices forced on businesses due to COVID will continue with the majority of meetings, court hearings etc. taking place virtually in the future.
Clients can still meet with us in person as COVID-19 restrictions are eased/lifted and it is safe to do so, and we will retain meeting rooms in all of our Warrington offices. However, adopting agile working provides us with a great opportunity to offer clients a more flexible service so we can arrange to meet with clients virtually, in the office or at their premises.’’
Margaret Evans, Head of Corporate, said “We continue to listen to our clients, and they tell us that they require more flexibility from the professionals they work with.
The changes we have had to introduce across the practice over the last 14 months have shown that as a business and as individuals we can adapt to change and have successfully embraced agile working and especially remote working from home whilst continuing to provide first class legal services to our clients.
Everyone across the firm has bought into FDR Law’s new way of working. Also, the ability to offer flexible working means that we can maintain and attract the best legal professionals who are looking to improve their work-life balance”.
As Warrington’s largest law firm, FDR Law will continue to have a strong presence in Warrington town centre as it will still operate from existing offices at 1-3 Palmyra Square, 5 Palmyra Square and 17-21 Palmyra Square.
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