Australian and international law firms are continuing to closely monitor the nuclear power station situation in Japan after relocating staff to other offices.

Blake Dawson, the only Australian law firm with a standalone office in Japan, has relocated its Tokyo-based lawyers and their families to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and elsewhere in Japan. “Everyone from Australia has returned,” said North Asia practice head Ian Williams. Japanese nationals who work at the firm’s office opted to go to family in other regions of the country as opposed to Australia or Singapore.

Staff are still working regardless of where they are, Williams maintained. “The technology these days means that their telephones and emails can be easily redirected and integrated into the systems here,” he said. Coincidentally, the firm will hold a corporate group conference in Sydney this weekend, which the lawyers would have attended regardless.

“It’s unclear what is happening with the reactor at the moment, but if it had worsened it would be more difficult to move people around,” said Williams. “By next Friday we will have a better idea of what is happening,”

Norton Rose has 24 staff in its Tokyo office, including some Australians. The firm made the decision shortly after the quake to allow staff to relocate to other Norton Rose offices, such as Australia and Hong Kong. A number of staff have taken up these offers and relocated temporarily, but the Tokyo office remains open as some staff have decided to stay put or work from home. A spokesperson for the firm said they were continuing to monitor the situation closely.

Allen & Overy has also given its staff the option to return to the UK, or temporarily relocate to other Australasian bases, with its Tokyo office remaining closed this week.

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