DLA Piper has raised its in-office attendance requirement for U.S. corporate lawyers to four days a week, according to an internal email circulated Monday and obtained by The American Lawyer. The move marks a shift from last September’s policy, which set a three-day expectation but allowed practice leaders discretion in implementation.

In the message, U.S. corporate practice chair Andrew Gilbert cited the need to “support our culture of collaboration, enhance mentorship opportunities, and strengthen growth and development.” Gilbert also noted that compliance with the policy would be factored into overall evaluations of lawyers in the practice group.

DLA Piper global co-chair and Americas chair Frank Ryan said the decision reflects both associate interest in more in-office time and heightened work levels in the corporate group. “For the corporate group, it felt like a good time to do this,” Ryan explained, emphasizing that attendance expectations continue to be determined at the practice-group level.

The policy shift comes as more Am Law 50 firms move toward stricter in-office mandates. Earlier this month, Duane Morris implemented a four-day schedule. Recruiters have suggested that four days may represent a compromise between three-day hybrid models and full-time attendance. “Other firms are trying to get people back in the office more, but it’s really difficult to go from three to five days,” recruiter Brian Levinson previously told Law.com. “The consensus with these firms was to meet in the middle.”

Other large firms have already adopted similar policies. Skadden, Paul Weiss, and Latham & Watkins require four days in-office, while Sullivan & Cromwell has signaled an expectation of five days per week, updating its office manual earlier this year. DLA Piper’s latest move suggests that firms with heavy transactional practices may continue leading the push for more frequent office attendance, particularly as client demands and mentoring pressures intensify.