Several firm leaders say they are concerned about the impact of remote work on firm culture and associate mentoring.
By Dan Roe, Daily Business Review / GlobeSt.com | November 9, 2020
One question continues to keep law firm leaders up at night: Would we lose our culture, and with it, our success, with a partially or fully remote workforce?
Leaders at large and midsize firms seem to think so, and that’s why they are encouraging firm lawyers to return to their offices as safely as possible. In interviews, most pushed back against the notion that post-pandemic law firms can operate remotely indefinitely.
Bill Perry, CEO of 190-attorney Gunster, said the firm is still figuring out how to share collective wisdom among the firm’s lawyers when everyone is virtual. ”It’s more difficult than talking to someone at the coffee pot, so getting people back together is going to be important when it’s safe to do so,” Perry said.
“A lot of people who really enjoyed the continuity of connectivity that existed when we were all working in one place don’t want to artificially move to a work-from-home environment that could negatively impact the culture that has made us successful,” said Al Dotson of 100-lawyer Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod. ”These are the things we’ll consider.”
Bowman Brown, co-chair of Shutts & Bowen’s financial services industry practice group at the Am Law 200 firm, echoed Dotson’s sentiment. ”It’s harder to collaborate over the phone than to walk down the hall and ask somebody a question. It’s harder to access people when they’re not in the office; it does have an impact on collaboration,” he said.
After the pandemic, Brown said he’d like to have as many people come back to the office as possible, but that he expects some people will work from home at least partially.
Etan Mark, a partner at the Miami litigation boutique Mark Migdal & Hayden, said that despite his firm’s focus on technology and ability to work remotely, he thinks in-person collaboration is irreplaceable.
“I don’t think technology is an adequate replacement to in-person collaboration,” he said. “I wish it were, but I don’t think it’s there.”
Associate preferences
Associates also share remote working concerns, particularly for mentoring, some firm leaders said.
“I was surprised that as I interviewed candidates, most of them asked to come in,” said Genovese Joblove & Battista partner John Arrastia in an October interview regarding his outlook for 2021. ”Many young lawyers who haven’t had that experience of working in a firm and collaborating want that.”
Partner John H. Genovese added that the firm is still evaluating its remote work plans, and will weigh the firm’s ability to collaborate as a major factor in the ultimate decision.
Brown, of Shutts & Bowen, said he worried about the ability to mentor associates remotely.
“If an objective of an associate is to find an environment where they can be mentored, I think they’re better served being in the office than expecting a call at home for an assignment or project,” Brown said […] Read more link below.
