Osborne Clarke international partners will not attend the firm's partner conference later this month, as the firm considers whether to pull the event entirely as a result of the worsening Covid-19 outbreak.

A person with knowledge of the situation told Law.com International's Legal Week that the firm is due to make a final decision on whether the conference goes ahead this week.

Partners who will no longer be in attendance would likely participate digitally via video conferencing, the spokesperson added.

It comes as the firm's Milan office remains closed due to the coronavirus outbreak in the north of the country. Staff are also working from home at the firm's Hong Kong and Singapore offices, according to a person at the firm.

The measure comes as several firms have postponed and cancelled conferences and events.

Linklaters cancelled its partner conference last week amid the growing outbreak. The conference, which was scheduled to be held in Berlin at the end of April, will instead take place virtually, according to the firm. Around 500 partners were expected to attend the conference.

Last week, the firm advised that all staff returning from coronavirus hotspots, including mainland China and Northern Italy, should work from home for 14 days.

In the U.S., Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe told partners it will not be holding a planned retreat in San Antonio due to coronavirus concerns. Meanwhile, Norton Rose Fulbright and Baker Botts are excluding Asia-based attorneys from their partner meetings.

A number of firms also pulled out of the global real estate conference, MIPIM, prior to the organisers delaying the event until later in the year.