Leading with an Open Palm

Why flexibility and trust are a must for legal teams.

By Sue Pellegrino

September 2025

As a small business owner, I can attract and retain employees by creating a supportive culture and offering a more personal, meaningful work environment than a big brand name can provide. When people feel valued and supported, they’re motivated to stay and help drive the business forward.

I don't believe in a “one-size-fits-all” approach to improving productivity in your organization, as the ideal working conditions for every person vary greatly. However, after running Everest Discovery for eight years, I’ve learned that allowing my team flexibility in where and how they work — and trusting them to handle their responsibilities and pursue their goals — has engendered loyalty and resulted in continuous growth for the company.

Rather than enforcing strict schedules, I encourage my team to use their judgment in meeting client needs, allowing for flexibility to adjust their day as circumstances require. This client-first approach, where my team can shape their day accordingly, ensures exceptional service and employee satisfaction.

Take a page from Everest’s playbook to foster a team that plays (well) together and stays together.

How to get started:

Set the Tone from Day One

Everest Discovery prioritizes a close-knit, respectful and supportive corporate culture that values work/life balance, even in the fast-paced and high-pressure legal industry. We convey our company values early on during the interview process, which translates to the benefits new team members receive starting their first day of employment. We offer generous paid time off (and encourage folks to take it!) as well as both paid maternity and paternity leave to give new parents time to bond with their babies.

Embrace Flexibility

Hybrid and remote work were in our company's vernacular long before COVID-19 hit. Upon acquiring Everest in 2017, I didn't want to limit our talent pool by only hiring locally and knew that much of our work could be done from anywhere. As we’ve grown over the years, our team members are now based all over the country. This flexibility in where and how our employees work is a cornerstone of our success: we trust them and understand that being in the office full-time does not equate to increased productivity or effectiveness. Everest’s ongoing integration of cutting-edge technology further supports productive remote work.

Bring Your Team Together

Just because our team doesn’t see one another in person every day doesn’t mean that we lack community. Many team members have worked together for years and continue to remain close through the various bonding efforts and activities that we host. With a strong emphasis on building camaraderie, we host annual employee appreciation events where we fly in employees who don’t live in the Philadelphia tri-state area (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware). Activities have included working group meetings and brainstorming sessions, as well as a trip to a baseball game and a dinner at a nice restaurant. Having these in-person touch points brings us all closer together as we plan for growth.

Provide Access to Leadership

Everest’s leadership team has an open-door policy — and we truly embrace it. We try to actively foster transparency, accessibility and open dialogue with our team, even when working remotely with no physical door to knock on. Employees are encouraged to text, call or email the team when they need help or simply want to talk. We want everyone to feel they have a safe space to express their concerns or share their ideas. Active listening ensures that expectations from both ends are clear and listening to employees’ goals and offering a clear development path keeps them engaged, which also helps us achieve our long-term goals as a company.

We try to actively foster transparency, accessibility and open dialogue with our team, even when working remotely with no physical door to knock on.

Still skeptical about implementing these tactics at your firm? The proof is in the pudding.

Our outcomes over the years:

High Retention/Low Turnover: Team members tend to stay with Everest for years, and the majority have been with us since the early years after we took it over.
Financial & Geographic Growth: Since acquiring the business, we’ve seen 42% revenue growth and expanded our footprint nationwide and even to South America.
Enhanced Skillset: Team members have pursued and passed various industry certifications to expand their skills, including the Relativity Certified Administrator (RCA) exam.
High Employee Satisfaction: After our employee appreciation event last year, team members personally reached out to express their gratitude for the time spent together and the value they gained from it.

We take pride in creating a work environment that benefits both leadership and our employees. Other leaders and managers can learn from and implement these examples to boost morale and productivity within their own legal organizations. Instead of managing your team with the rigidity and force of a closed fist, which can cause resistance and resentment, I recommend nurturing and empowering your team with an open palm approach. Everyone will reap the benefits.

About the Author

Sue Pellegrino

Everest Discovery

Sue Pellegrino is the Owner, President, and Chief Financial Officer of Everest Discovery, a national eDiscovery and litigation support company. Pellegrino ensures Everest provides high-quality, secure and cost-effective solutions to law firms and corporate clients nationwide, including eDiscovery and digital forensics, paper discovery, managed document review, litigation technology consulting and data breach response. Connect with her on LinkedIn or reach out to her directly at [email protected] or 215-325-1800 x100.

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