PHILADELPHIA
FROM EAST TO WEST:
The Shifting Law Firm Workplace
As design trends come and go, law firms have historically stuck to a more traditional workplace aesthetic that is, in many cases, rooted in more than a century of legacy. However, with unprecedented challenges and shifts in workplace dynamics in the last several years, some trends are emerging. “Our business really got started with law firms,” says Mallory Wall, project executive at BCCI Construction in San Francisco. “For the last 35+ years, we’ve delivered several law firm projects every year. Each law firm has its own unique needs and wants, but in that time, we’ve also seen some consistency across the sector, especially with all the uncertainty in the workplace since the pandemic.” The big question? How to handle the return to the workplace since COVID. Many sectors have begun to adjust to a new, more flexible business model. The legal sector hasn’t quite settled on how to handle it. “Other businesses are gearing their offices more toward creating spaces for employees to come in for collaborations and meetings only while they do their day-to-day work from home,” says Luke Thomas, director of operations at Structure Tone Philadelphia. “Law firms haven’t typically been as open to that kind of change, but we are starting to see it in their projects.” One reason, says Wall, is the competition for talent. “Law firms are losing recruits as big tech firms hire them directly. Because we work with both tech firms and law firms, we’re able to offer some advice on what they can do to communicate a more modern vibe that’s most like that of a tech company.” 34 | Fall 2022 STOBG Insights
THE SHIFT Even before the pandemic, law firms were starting to incorporate more café spaces and casual collaboration areas. With added pressure to convey an attractive culture, law firms are taking those amenities to a higher level. As crazy as it sounds, says Wall, asking employees what they want can be the most effective means for attracting and keeping staff. “Many of our clients have been torn about whether to stick with tradition or branch out into more trendy workplace features. We suggest they survey their staff to ask what they think. They’re often shocked to find out it’s not usually about having ping pong tables or bean bag chairs, but more things like nicer restrooms or more lounge areas and break-out rooms. Those smaller upgrades can have a big impact on culture.”
THE LESSONS As the companies within the STO Building Group have continued to help law firm clients navigate this paradigm shift in the workplace, it became obvious they could learn from and help each other. And so, the organization’s law firm initiative was born.