Does Amazon’s workplace culture remind you of somewhere?
The recent revelations about working at Amazon have been well-reported; it seems that the culture is one that drives employees hard; but is the company’s culture based on that of law firms? An article in the New York Times suggests that law firms are “brutal when it comes to pace and time commitment.” It highlights the Cravath system, named after the New York law firm that first introduced the concept of hiring a large number of law graduates and whittling them down to a few who become partner. This system, author Noah Sheiber says, encourages those who are highly competitive to go the extra mile to achieve the top prizes while those who are not prepared to push themselves are culled. Having influenced the culture of corporates for many decades the tables are now turning with more law firms looking at the work-life balance priorities of many top performing businesses as a modern alternative.
New home for Ashurst in London
Anglo-Aussie law firm Ashurst is to move from its London home of 30 years into new and modern offices. The firm has been in Appold Street since the 1980’s but the move to Spitalfields in 2019 mirrors that of the firm’s Sydney base, which recently shifted to the money-box building on Martin Place from Grosvenor Place. Like the Aussie offices, the new London offices will include collaborative areas and the latest technology.
Lawyers arrested for funding militants
Three Supreme Court lawyers in Bangladesh have been arrested in connection with funding weapons for an Islamist group. Reuters reports that the lawyers were arrested in Dhaka on suspicion of providing US$13,000 to a group which has been connected to the killing of two bloggers in the Chittagong region.
