The Trend:

There’s been a lot of talk recently (including in this column) about how geographical boundaries are no longer as limiting as they once were for law firms looking to grow their reach, thanks to the success of remote work during the pandemic. Firms can now hire lateral partners outside of their existing geographic footprint without having to open a nearby office, and we’re increasingly hearing that clients don’t particularly care where (or even whether) their outside counsel leases space anymore.