Here are the top finance stories of the day for August 26

Happy hump day.

It’s been the underlying question for the past few months: Will people ever fully return to the office? 

On Tuesday, one of the biggest players on Wall Street showed its hand. JPMorgan announced employees in its corporate and investment bank will have the ability to work remotely on a part-time basis in a move that is believed to be “more or less permanent,” as first reported by CNBC.

It’s a big win for anyone hoping to maintain a flexible commuting schedule going forward, as other financial firms might look to JPM as a model to follow. And while there will certainly be those who push for a complete return to the office, it’s seeming more likely those companies will be the exception, not the rule. 

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Brendan McDermid/Reuters

We’ve talked at length about how the real-estate market is in a state of flux right now. And with big firms like JPMorgan announcing plans for flexible work schedules for the foreseeable future, it doesn’t seem like things will stabilize anytime soon.

As a result, it’s worth keeping tabs on the key people to know in the space. Alex Nicoll did just that, profiling seven of the top real-estate bankers at Goldman Sachs who are advising clients on monster deals. 

Click here for the full story.

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ESB Professional/Shutterstock

Yoonji Han asked lawyers and recruiters about practice areas set to take off in the next few years. It’s worth taking a look at the list, as the finance industry gets plenty of shine. Click here for the full story.

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REUTERS/Chris Helgren

Joe Williams sat down with Paul Knopp, the US CEO of KPMG, to understand the digital projects that chief executives are prioritizing in their budgets. You can read all the details here.

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 Odd lots:

Palantir just officially laid out its plans to go public in a direct listing (BI)

Navy SEAL Trader at Jefferies Helped Expose Hedge Fund Scandal (Bloomberg)

General Atlantic, Sequoia Capital Are Key Drivers in Oracle Bid for TikTok (WSJ)

Exxon Booted from Dow Industrials in Major Embrace of Tech (Bloomberg)

Big Law career guide: how firms are navigating the new normal and which practice areas are faring the best (BI)

Apple mulls New York City expansion as tech becomes a lone bright spot for a battered commercial real-estate market (BI)