“Culture” is a word perhaps overused in the context of a “copany culture” in this day and age. It has been an even more difficult concept to address given the frequency of remote work and the inherent problems with effectively engaging workers who are not physically “in the office” every day.
Overall, I believe our law firm has done a good job keeping our remote and on-site workers engaged by holding group training lunches via Zoom, welcoming new employees with on-site training and meals, and with regular sessions in which we introduce a particular case problem to the group and open it up for discussion either by email or on Zoom. We encourage collaboration and input from others.
An important part of our firm’s culture is that our roles are clearly defined, including our COO, our managing partner, the litigation group chair (me) and the advice and counsel group chair. We delegate administrative projects through our COO and attorney assignments to our respective teams through our two group chairs.
Another important aspect of the firm is that we have resisted the urge to silo senior attorneys with a regularly assigned associate or paralegal/admin team. This ensures that everyone has exposure to multiple senior attorneys and associate attorneys. It gives people a broader experience from different perspectives and offers mentoring opportunities for associate attorneys. We believe this reduces the potential for burnout that can come from working with one person who may be a little bit more difficult than another or has a contrasting work style. This system also varies the types of cases that people work on. Broad exposure builds a more well-rounded associate attorney.
Unlike many law firms, LightGabler LLP has modest billing requirements and an hourly bonus program for extra work. We also provide 20% origination credit to all attorneys, no matter how new they are: if you bring in a piece of work, whether you work on it or not, you receive 20% of the revenue. Plus, we provide Fridays off in the summer for our administrative staff. Lastly, and probably most importantly, we don’t “do drama.” That’s been a hallmark of our managing partner’s philosophy. If all of this has contributed to a positive “culture,” then I believe we have succeeded.
Chandra Beaton is a partner with LightGabler LLP. Learn more at lightgablerlaw.com