Linklaters has rolled out a major firmwide stress-test of its agile-working capabilities, in the face of growing coronavirus disruption.

In offices across the firm's global network, including London, all practice groups have been divided into two teams as part of a global exercise to test the firm's remote-working technology, a spokesperson confirmed. One team will work from home while the other team remains at the office, and will swap round after a day.

The exercises, which are already underway, are taking place on an "office by office basis", rather than simultaneously. However, offices already affected by the outbreak, including Milan, Hong Kong and Singapore, already have work-at-home arrangements in place.

The tests encompass all employees across the firm, including non-legal staff such as secretaries and personal assistants. One person close to the matter told Law.com International the process is being run "like a military operation".

The aim of the exercise is to test whether the firm's technological systems are able to cope with the additional external demand on its servers from people logging in from home, according to two people with knowledge of the tests.

Both persons added that the exercises would help employees prepare to work from home on a large scale and on a longer-term basis, should the firm need to close offices as a result of the virus.

The move comes within a week of the firm cancelling its annual partner conference in Berlin, with the meet-up to instead take place 'virtually'. Additionally, the firm has cancelled all events involving over 30 people for the month of March, and has instigated a non-essential travel ban.

A number of firms have closed offices temporarily in light of coronavirus cases. Last month, Baker McKenzie's London office shut for one day after an employee reported feeling ill after having returned from Italy.