Lawyer turnover pushes firms to reassess retention strategies

Some firms are now offering flexibility to their staff to work remotely for 20% to 50% of their time.

Singapore's legal industry, similar to that in the US and UK, was hit by the great resignation wave. Many of these lawyers have either moved to other firms or taken in-house positions, resulting in a shortage of mid-level lawyers with four to seven years of Post-Qualified Experience (PQE). These lawyers are considered valuable as they are experienced enough to run client matters effectively but are not yet too expensive to compensate.

"Their departure created a vacuum in the succession plans for several law firms," said Dentons Rodyk's Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer Loh Kia Meng in an interview with Singapore Business Review.

To fill the gap left by the mass resignation wave, Loh said many firms began offering flexibility for lawyers and staff to work remotely for 20% to 50% of their time.

"Many lawyers now see hybrid work as a prerequisite when searching for jobs," Loh shared.

At Dentons Rodyk, hybrid work has become a permanent feature.

"Many are liking this arrangement. In order to preserve our firm culture of familial cohesion and camaraderie, the firm created many more bonding activities to encourage engagement socially outside the office," Loh said.