Law firm ‘hopeful’ staff are back in Middle East office in May
A major US law firm with a large London headcount is ‘hopeful’ staff will be returning to their desks in its Middle East office in less than a week, Morning Wire understands.
The firm is keen for lawyers to return to their seats in the Abu Dhabi office from 4 May, and has agreed to cover any relocation costs for those returning.
It is understood that its regional office is open, and some staff have already returned, but the firm said it is “continuing to closely monitor the situation”.
This comes in a press statement from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, which has a City office, saying it is reopening offices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including Abu Dhabi, for employees who were told to work from home following the outbreak of the Iran war.
Cleary said its Abu Dhabi office is “open to all staff that wish to go in” but it “will continue to be accommodating of and flexible” to its employees. The firm added that it will “continue to provide the highest standards of service to our clients at all times.”
WFH no more
Law firms have been expanding in the UAE, with the region ranking as a top destination for British lawyers to relocate, driven by vast government investment, including in Saudi Arabia, to move away from oil dependence and bolster the professional services sector.
Reports from 2025 and early 2026 from the Law Society and Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) estimated there to be between 500 and 700 English and Welsh qualified solicitors practising.
However, at the start of the Iran conflict, many lawyers based in the Gulf were advised to work from home, as firms offered remote working policies for staff in these regions in line with official guidance, as the UK Home Office advised British Nationals to “stay away from doors and windows”.
Baker Mackenzie, Clyde & Co, and Addleshaw Goddard are among those that urged staff in the Gulf to work from home.
When the Gulf region started to get attacked by Iran, many British lawyers and other professionals flew back to the UK on the limited flights, leaving the region to work remotely, while the Middle East was being hit by missiles.
This comes as many airlines have started offering hundreds of flights a day again, almost back to full capacity, despite questions being raised over this putting passengers at risk.
Wizz Air chief executive József Váradi has hit out at Middle Eastern airlines offering flights again despite major safety concerns, claiming they are giving in to “political pressure”, the FT reports.
Many other European airlines have chosen to take a hit over safety and jet fuel fears. Irish commercial airline Aer Lingus is among those that have cancelled hundreds of flights from the summer schedule stemming from the conflict.
This article has been updated to reflect that the firm has not ‘urged’ staff to return, but is ‘hopeful’.