LAW
Law Firms Adapt to Challenges Created by Post-Pandemic World
Compiled by Diane C . Walsh Editor , COMMERCE
Every business conducts an annual assessment . It ’ s an exercise in measuring strengths and successes , while also forecasting what issues are ahead and how to prepare for them . Law is no exception . COMMERCE Magazine asked the managing partners of New Jersey ’ s leading law firms to discuss the biggest changes or trends that they see and explain how they are adjusting their practices to them . Here is what we found :
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC Patricia Costello , Managing Partner
At CSG Law , we ’ ve never been content to rest on our laurels . As we ’ ve transitioned back into the office setting , the firm has sought to implement the lessons learned from the pandemic . Zoom , for instance , is not going anywhere , so we ’ ve updated our technology at our new headquarters in Roseland to provide a seamless and more user-friendly experience . We have also adopted a policy of three days in the office , at least one of which is with your respective team , and the ability to work remotely the other days , and we encourage our attorneys and staff to dress for your day – more formal for when you ’ re meeting clients or business casual for when you ’ re in the office doing document review .
While the ubiquity and accessibility of platforms such as Zoom have been transformational , there ’ s no substitute for being able to meet with clients , attorneys , staff and vendors in person . To further facilitate collegiality and collaboration in our new space , we ’ ve encouraged our team to make all internal meetings in-person . Fortunately , our new headquarters allows us unique flexibility in that regard – our first floor has numerous private and upscale client-facing meeting spaces and conference rooms while the other floors of the building are reserved for CSG Law staff but also filled with significantly more conference space . As a result , we ’ ve found an increase in client usage of our new headquarters , along with more opportunities to engage and mentor the team more extensively . We ’ re very much looking forward to what the future holds for CSG Law .
Cole Schotz Warren A . Usatine , Co-Managing Partner
By far , the most significant change in the practice over the last year has been navigating the continuation and normalization of hybrid work schedules . At a macro level , and generally speaking , firms have struggled with balancing the desire to offer flexible work schedules that are consistent with the market in conjunction with the equally important goals of maintaining the firm ’ s culture and fostering comradery among its attorneys and other professionals . At a more granular level , department and team leaders are challenged with how to ensure clients get the full benefit of the firm ’ s collective knowledge and experience when the regular interactions among department professionals – interactions where colleagues ’ opinions and ideas about pending matters can be solicited organically – are decreased due to remote work schedules . Our practice groups are thoughtfully leveraging department and oneon-one meetings by calendaring these events on days that are consistent with our hybrid work policies . Practice leaders , in collaboration with marketing and business development professionals , craft intentional agendas that tackle the questions and issues most pertinent to attorneys within the group and allow for an open Q & A discussion at the end of the meeting for attorneys to dive deeper into the matters they are tackling and the client questions they have received . Our attorneys are also being encouraged to share updates on pending matters and soliciting views from colleagues across modes of communication , including during in-person conversations as well as leveraging technologies like messaging platforms , video conferencing and email .
Connell Foley Timothy E . Corriston , Managing Partner
Like other businesses , we experienced a very tight labor market in 2022 . We turned what could have been a negative impact on business
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Law firms are adapting their technology to adapt to hybrid work schedules and client meetings .
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Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / Meeko Media
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