Skip to main content

Mayer Brown Employees Work 24/7 During Chicago Blizzard

By Jason Beahm on February 13, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Often mis-cited as the US postal creed, it could just as easily be used for the Chicago law firm of Mayer Brown.

When the blizzard rolled in, they didn't send lawyers home, they sent out for reinforcements and dug in.

"We're a 24-hour operation," Bob Harris, director of public relations, told the ABA Journal reported. "Closing down has an impact on the firm's offices around the world, because several of our administrative departments are centralized here, such as conflicts and certain aspects of accounting and [information technology]."

The firm even went so far as to get hotel rooms for employees working overnight during the Chicago blizzard. Harris went on to say that "technology systems should be available, with the help of U.S. offices not affected, to accommodate those who work from home."

Of course this is nothing new. Most major law firms are 24/7 operations these days and it's simply expected that attorneys are capable of working from home, regardless of the weather.

A blizzard is actually an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the capability of a big firm to operate without an office. International clients don't want to hear about the Chicago blizzard, they want to hear about their work being done and business operating as normal. Current technology makes operating around the clock easier than ever, though many pay a mental and physical toll.

Mayer Brown "is a leading global law firm with offices in key business centers across the Americas, Asia and Europe," according to the websites about me page.

Related Resources:

Copied to clipboard