- Law firms in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are urging employees to return to physical offices next week
- US firms like Jones Day and Cleary Gottlieb are leading the push amid easing Gulf tensions
- Some lawyers remain hesitant to return due to ongoing safety concerns after recent Iran conflict
Law firms in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are stepping up efforts to bring employees back to physical offices, signalling a gradual rollback of the work-from-home arrangements triggered by the recent Iran conflict.
According to a report by the Financial Times, several US-headquartered firms, including Jones Day and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, have asked staff in the region to resume in-person work as early as next week. The move comes weeks after heightened tensions in the Gulf forced many professionals to temporarily relocate abroad.
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However, the push has met resistance from some lawyers who left the UAE during the conflict and are now hesitant to return.
Concerns over safety persist, particularly given the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran that followed a period of hostilities, including Iranian strikes targeting Gulf states.
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One lawyer at a US firm told the Financial Times that apprehensions around security remain elevated, even after US President Donald Trump extended a two-week truce indefinitely just before its expiry.
The latest directive marks a shift from earlier guidance, when firms had encouraged remote work amid the escalation. The change in stance follows the US embassy's decision to lift its shelter-in-place advisory, citing a pause in aerial threats to the UAE.
To ease the transition, some firms are offering financial support. Cleary Gottlieb, for instance, is covering relocation costs for employees returning to its Abu Dhabi office from May 4, according to people familiar with the matter.
“Our office is open to all staff that wish to go in,” the firm said, adding it would remain accommodating and flexible while maintaining client service standards.
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In many firms, attendance is not yet mandatory, but expectations are clearly shifting. A senior partner at a leading US firm noted that while presence at the Dubai International Financial Centre office is not compulsory, partners are being encouraged to be on the ground to stay close to clients.
He cited a recent instance where a family office insisted on in-person advisory, declining remote participation.
Another senior partner described the UAE's experience of direct Iranian attacks as very unique, but said with schools reopening, "it's the right time for adults to return to offices as well.”
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