Things Are Heating Up At This Newly Merged Global Megafirm — Literally

The honeymoon phase of Hogan Lovells Cadwalader has hit an unexpected snag: apparently things got a little too hot at the brand-new megafirm.

According to RollOnFriday, the firm’s London lawyers and staff were told to pack up and head home after the air conditioning system at the legacy Hogan Lovells office, Atlantic House, gave up during a heatwave. The office temperature reportedly climbed to 86°F, with one source claiming that temperatures in the office reached 96°F. That’s less “global elite law firm” and more “trying to bill 2,400 hours from inside a convection oven.”

The timing couldn’t be much worse. Hundreds of legacy Cadwalader lawyers and business professionals were supposed to move into Hogan Lovells’ London headquarters this month, but that’s now been postponed. A firm spokesperson said:

“We are experiencing temporary issues with the air conditioning system at Atlantic House.”

“With the ongoing heatwave in the UK, the comfort of our people is a priority, and while the issue is being resolved, we have taken the decision to give our people the option to work remotely for a couple of weeks and to postpone the moves of our legacy Cadwalader colleagues that were planned for this week.” 

Luckily, lawyers and staff at the firm will be able to work from home for a “fortnight” (about two weeks).

Nothing says “welcome to the new firm” quite like melting alongside your coworkers while waiting for facilities management to save the day. Say hello to Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, where the work is HOT!

EXCLUSIVE Hog roast! Boiling Hogan Lovells Cadwalader staff sent home as aircon breaks [RollOnFriday]

Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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