Roger Barron, Paul Hastings

It's legal life, but not as we know it. During the coronavirus pandemic, daily routines have been upended, with top lawyers having to get creative to stay productive while working from home. Paul Hastings' newly-appointed global M&A vice chair Roger Barron shared his experiences of remote working with Law.com International, including the risks of not muting your microphone on a group call…

Do you prefer phone calls or video calls?

At first I was a bit reticent about using video but I now like it as a really good way to connect with people. It's also amusing to see how many of my partners choose book filled shelves as their background.

Do you get dressed properly every day?

Absolutely! My wife says she knows when it's the weekend as I wear a polo shirt as opposed to a shirt with a collar. Got to maintain standards for those video calls.

What's the first thing you'll do when the lockdown is lifted?

I think we all crave socialising and just mixing with friends, clients and colleagues. I love spending time with my family of course (!) but I'll be out seeing people just as soon as we can.

What's the biggest challenge about working from home?

No barriers to family members being able to ask for help with things — my partners will be amused to learn that I seem to have acquired the role of Head of IT.

What's the best part about working from home?

No commuting. The tube is one thing I'm not missing, both in terms of time wasted and the overall "experience".

How many times a day are you interrupted by pets/ spouses/ children?

I'd say it's more of a continuum! Actually, we are all finding a way to let each other know when we have an important (subjectively speaking) call or meeting which can't be interrupted.

What's the most embarrassing thing that's happened to you on a video call?

So far I've managed to avoid anything — I think that one or two people on calls I've been on might not have realised they weren't on mute though….

"I've almost forgotten the entire Pret range"

What do you miss most about the office?

It has to be people of course — right from the outset however we've made a conscious effort to make sure we communicate with each other just as freely and as frequently as if we were all in the same physical building.

Describe your home workspace in three words.

Itinerant, paperless, snack-filled.

What time do you tend to start your day, take lunch and finish up?

I've always been an early starter, and with three teenagers first thing in the morning tends to be pretty quiet round here. Lunch is variable on timing and varied in substance — I've almost forgotten the entire Pret range. With transatlantic deals the end of the day is often busy. I am enjoying having family dinners in the evening though.

How are you spending your weekends? Is there a Netflix recommendation you'd share?

The daily outing is often a walk and I think like everyone I'm appreciating the simple pleasure of that. We've recently started a family golf chipping competition into buckets and containers of varying sizes — the watering can is proving pretty elusive though.

How productive are you working from home compared with being in the office?

With all the technology and resources we have then I think that many of us are appreciating just how productive home working can be. I wouldn't want to do it full time, and face-to-face contact remains really important, but it's certainly possible to be no more or less productive than when in the office.

How do you like to stay in touch with your colleagues?

Regular team video meetings, calling to hear and see colleagues as opposed to sending emails (just as if we were in the office together), one or two WhatsApp groups, and a Friday evening drink over the video with my brilliant M&A and PE partners.

What would be your three top tips for others working from home?

Communication, communication, communication.