Video calling is on the up. But can remote-working engender closer lawyer-client relationships?

For lawyers, getting to know key clients on a personal level can be a challenge, particularly in a rigid corporate environment that has long emphasised professionalism.

But the coronavirus pandemic has turned the lawyer-client dynamic on its head. As top international firms continue to encourage lawyers to work from home, some now say that the informality of the home working set-up has driven more personal interactions – and trust – between the two groups.

"Everyone is working from home and by definition more informally," says Michal Berkner, an M&A partner in Cooley's London office. "Now it's okay if you're on Zoom with a client in more casual clothing. It would be weird if someone put on a suit at home. This might hasten along the trend for people to be more casual in the office."

Berkner also suggests that working from home might have mental health benefits, "people will feel that they are more able to be themselves".

"There's that sense of being in the trenches together, and it brings people closer."

She adds: "The other day a client asked to see my new puppy on a client call, so I showed it to her and the conversation took a more personal tone. This will allow people to break down the gap between having a 'work face' and a 'home face'."

Other lawyers speak of the unique challenges of the current climate, and how they are driving closer relationships.

"There is a lot of panic in the media and out there in general, so I think that feeds into your interactions with clients," says a senior associate based in the London office of a U.S. firm. "Everyone is trying to make tough calls and make sure that the client's interests are being protected. There's that sense of being in the trenches together, and it brings people closer."

But it isn't just clients who might benefit from a more relaxed culture among lawyers.

Managers, including senior partners, are now required to check in with their teams more to ensure they have the resources to work from home. This may lead to deeper and more pervasive remote-working freedoms for lawyers when the coronavirus outbreak subsides, as firms recognise the effectiveness of their IT systems.

"Relationships can be developed digitally in the informal confines of the home. It's like you're welcoming the client into your home."

"You could look at this very positively, in that everyone will now be thinking about remote-working, everyone will change their expectations of it and know that they can work from home," says independent disputes expert Laura Durrant.

"On the other hand, people might hate this so much that it might polarise people. Firms should be thinking about how you might manage that risk of polarising so that everyone knows that they are in this together. They should also be thinking about what lessons they can take from this so that they still support flexible working once this is over, but can return somewhat to normality."

But for all of the challenges it presents, remote working seems — at least for now — to be something that lawyers have taken to well.

An M&A partner at a U.S believes that working remotely will be the new norm, and that it can only mean positive things where clients are concerned.

"This is a globalised world. Travel costs are bad for the environment and in this digital age are less important than say 15 years ago," he says.

He also suggests that face-to-face contact has always come with the condition of formality, which generally draws a barrier between lawyer and client.

"It's a myth to say face-to face-is always better. A suit used to mean 'get the job done'. But now it means stiff, rigid, formal and, frankly boring. This is 2020. Relationships can be developed digitally in the informal confines of the home.

They add: "It's like you're welcoming the client into your home."

Melanie Leach is the founder and director of FLAME PROOF, a coaching organisation that draws on acting techniques and skills to teach people how to effectively express themselves in a business environment. She started her life working as an actress in the RSC, BBC and National Theatre, and has now worked with McDonalds' legal team and one of the world's largest technology companies. She advises lawyers to pay extra attention to how they present as more and more work from home, with video chat functions increasingly used. She shares her top tips below.

• Be Professional: Etiquette, time management, stage management, pre-empt what the participants want from the session.
• Be Ready: Can you be seen and heard and does the participant want to be visible?
• Be Prepared: On Time, Script, Framing of Messages so that you can focus on delivering the right experience
• Be Present: The eyes have it – if we are distracted, if we are not on brief, it will show!
• Be Authentic: Be yourself, the technology won't improve your performance, it has to come from you!
• Be Aware: Listen as the camera and audio amplifies what you are thinking
• Be Interactive: Adapt to participants' responses to the experience shifting and stay in character and on brief!
• Be Respectful:  Acknowledge and flex your style according to the client's expectations and culture
• Be Proactive: How do the participants want to connect in future and what assets do they need from you?