The long lunch is far from dead in the City — if anything, it's being reinvented. With hybrid working and cost-cutting reshaping office cultures, law firms are now actively funding junior staff to entertain clients in person, betting that face-to-face contact is still the best way to build trust. Eversheds Sutherland, one of the City’s more vocal advocates of the approach, allocates £350 to each lawyer for client-related meals, conferences, and networking events. The aim is to push junior associates out of the office and into situations where they can develop relationships and learn practical skills.
Chris Halliday, senior office partner for London, told City AM the policy is a deliberate push to counterbalance AI’s growing role in the business. 'We see the benefits of AI,' he said, but 'we also need the next generation to be able to build relationships — and that’s not going to happen over screens.' Associates are being encouraged to use these budgets for lunches, client meetings, breakfasts, and conference attendance. By giving each lawyer the freedom to engage with clients on their terms, the firm hopes to foster a new wave of confident, skilled professionals who can maintain strong business networks. Halliday emphasized that these interactions must take place at all levels within the firm — not just between senior partners and clients, but also between junior staff and those clients. The idea is to cultivate a culture where junior lawyers are empowered to take initiative and build their own client relationships, rather than relying solely on senior colleagues.
This emphasis on real-world skills contrasts with concerns from senior partners about younger workers. At Winston Taylor, several partners told City AM that many juniors are 'hesitant to pick up the phone to call clients' — a generational shift attributed to their comfort with digital communication. However, partners noted younger lawyers are 'very keen' to go out, especially with the awareness that AI could reshape their roles in the future. As generational differences become more apparent, law firms are looking for ways to bridge the gap. The solution is to provide structured opportunities for junior associates to interact with clients in a low-pressure setting. This helps them develop essential professional skills and understand the value of face-to-face engagement.
That push toward human-first interaction is not unique to Winston Taylor. Mayer Brown has run its 'NextGen' initiative for eight years, where junior associates lead client events and bring in speakers. Dominic Griffiths, managing partner for London, told City AM the programme has 'received universally positive feedback.' 'I will always consider any associate request to entertain core clients,' he said. The 'NextGen' initiative gives associates the chance to organize and lead events, allowing them to build confidence and independence. By placing the responsibility of event planning on junior staff, Mayer Brown prepares the next generation of lawyers to take on greater leadership roles and client responsibilities.
The drive to keep face-to-face interaction alive is backed by broader concerns from leaders about Gen Z's reliance on digital tools. Deloitte’s 2026 Gen Z and Millennial survey noted worries that early dependence on tech could weaken core human skills like communication and empathy. As law firms and other professional services companies adopt digital solutions, there is a growing recognition that technology must be balanced with a focus on human skills. The concern is not that digital tools are inherently problematic, but that overreliance on them can lead to a loss of interpersonal capabilities. For now, that means firms are doubling down on client dinners, breakfasts, and events as a countermeasure — not just for business development, but for professional development. At Quinn Emanuel, Baker McKenzie, and others, similar policies exist. These firms are part of a trend ensuring that, even as AI and automation take on routine work, the human elements of client engagement remain strong. The challenge for employers is to find ways to nurture these skills in a generation that has grown up in a digital-first world.