Want to get this daily news briefing by email? Here's the sign-up.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

REMOTE REBELLION – Turns out that it's not just associates who aren't so keen to get back to the office. Some law firm partners are threatening to walk unless they can continue to work from home, Bruce Love reports. Allowing attorneys to work remotely on a permanent basis is the hot new recruiting tactic for firms looking to bring in laterals. For some partners, the ability to work from home is a must-have for any new position, recruiters say. The trend has crossed over into the in-house world too, with more lawyers looking for jobs that only require the occasional office visit. But not every firm and legal department is embracing this new demand for remote positions, out of concern that a virtual work environment will stymie mentorship opportunities for younger lawyers and chip away at firm culture.

LOWBALLING E-DISCOVERY – With courts reopening and organizations grappling with all the data created by collaboration and chat tools, demand for e-discovery experts is at an all-time high, with many e-discovery professionals now commanding salaries far beyond what they earned pre-pandemic. But as Frank Ready reports, not everyone is willing to pay a premium for this talent. Some law firms and legal departments continue to lowball e-discovery salaries, either because they haven't realized how much of a candidate's market it is yet, or they can't revise pre-approved salary budgets. While some are looking to solve the latter problem by offering bonuses to new e-discovery hires, these high salaries may still be cost-prohibitive for those looking to rein in spending. In fact, some may be rethinking the need to even fully staff an internal e-discovery department, especially when they can outsource much of that function to alternative legal service providers.

VAX PUSHBACK – A Houston hospital has been hit with a lawsuit by 117 employees challenging its COVID-19 vaccine requirement, Angela Morris reports. The plaintiffs are suing The Methodist Hospital, claiming they have been terminated from their jobs or are at risk of losing their jobs for refusing the "experimental" vaccine. The case will likely be closely watched in the employment law arena, as companies grapple with how best to manage their workforces as the pandemic wanes in the U.S. According to the suit, Methodist is the first major health care system in the country to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for employees—a move it announced on April 1. The hospital says that 99% of its 26,000 workers have been vaccinated.

EDITOR'S PICKS

Seattle Litigator David Ko Sees 'Silver Lining' of the Pandemic: Surprise! Technology Works