Working from a partner’s office is hardly something most younger lawyers would dare attempt, but it is part of the new, COVID norm apparently.
Increasingly there has been debate about just how sacrosanct the partner’s office should be.
As Law.com reported, a law firm partner’s identity and bravado can be shaped by many things, including a hefty pay packet and legal directory rankings. But a specific source of pride has always been the partner’s office.
As law firms realize they do not need their current real estate overheads and ‘footprint’ they are doing so with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London moving to offices that are reportedly about 20 per cent smaller than their previous office space.
Freshfields’ lawyers move into their new offices at 100 Bishopsgate office later this year when the firm is planning to operate an ‘office release system’ which means someone else can use your office if you are working remotely.
“If you’re not there, you give your office up”, London managing partner Claire Wills told the website Legal Week while another partner, who isn’t named, said lockdown had shown that “people do not need rooms full of paper and offices in the traditional sense.”
“I used to think I could not work without precedents around me but it’s more a comfort blanket. We’ve been at home without any of this stuff and most people are busy.”
Legal Week
Just how the practice works when the new offices come on stream is another question, but it is something that will take more than just a change in mindset over ‘real estate footprint’ and have perhaps more to do with partner ego and prestige. Therein lies a major obstacle.
Your Views on the Partner Office?
- 7 Key Steps Law Firms Can Take To Avoid Cyberattacks
Cyberattacks and ransomware attacks have ratcheted up since the pandemic and law firms have become an increasingly attractive target for cyber criminals …7 Key Steps Law Firms Can Take To Avoid Cyberattacks Read More »
- Women in Law Increase – But For This Woman in Law Things Are Not Moving Fast Enough
The role of women in law – or at least the need to ensure more women wind up in senior legal roles …Women in Law Increase – But For This Woman in Law Things Are Not Moving Fast Enough Read More »
- Top Law Firms Continue To Enjoy Boom Times – COVID Pandemic Or Not
Big deals, different deals and a ton of legal work is continuing to drive the growth of the largest US law firms …Top Law Firms Continue To Enjoy Boom Times – COVID Pandemic Or Not Read More »
- How Can You Use Local SEO For Law Firms To Get To No. 1 on Google
Local SEO for law firms continues to evolve – the latest steps to have your law firm reaching its targeted market is key to SEO success - Knights’ Results Show 39 Per Cent Revenue Growth With Continued MomentumContinued momentum, building on the critical mass achieved Knights, the UK’s fastest growing legal and professional services business, today announces its full …
Knights’ Results Show 39 Per Cent Revenue Growth With Continued Momentum Read More »
