Eversheds Sutherlands has taken steps to protect its non-U.S. business as the legal industry reels in the face of the continued disruption by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The non-U.S. part of the global firm has announced it will delay the review of remuneration and bonus payments and has placed some individuals on furlough.

The firm has placed 39 of its people on furlough, including reception team members and members of its property and facilities team. It said in a statement that it has "accessed government-backed job retention schemes and have placed those individuals who are not able to perform their duties while working remotely on furlough for the next three weeks."

It added that during this time the firm will be topping up the 80% salary payment from the U.K. government with the remainder so that they receive their full salary.

Meanwhile the firm has launched a hardship fund to provide additional financial support to individuals who are particularly impacted by COVID-19, its statement added.

The international arm of the business has delayed remuneration and bonus reviews until the end of October, though candidates who have already passed assessments and interviews will be promoted from 1 May 2020 as planned, according to the statement.

The firm also said it expects to reduce or delay partner drawings, and its partners have "overwhelmingly expressed their desire to ensure that a prudent and proportionate approach is taken to their drawings."

It has also enhanced its Time Off for Dependents Policy to help those who are balancing work and family or caring responsibilities, offering five days of full pay and has also introduced an enhanced holiday scheme which gives an additional day of holiday for every four taken to care for others.

The firm said in a statement: "This is a humanitarian and economic event which is unprecedented in nature and, like every business, we have already taken a number of steps in response including reducing our discretionary spend and recruitment programme.

"Given that we cannot predict how long it will take for the full impact of Covid-19 to play through, we are now putting in place additional measures in order to protect the welfare and jobs of our people and the long-term strength of the firm."

It is one of the latest to enact such measures.

Earlier on Wednesday, Taylor Wessing announced that it is withholding partner profit distributions, furloughing staff members and pausing all live recruitment processes across its U.K. limited liability partnership as the industry grapples with disruption.

U.K. firm Pinsent Masons furloughed some non-fee-earning staff as well as deferring partner profit distributions on Tuesday, while Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer confirmed on Monday it has suspended profit distributions. A&O asked partners in March to contribute capital to the business and is gradually reducing its partner profit distributions.

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