Virtually all the firm leaders the commercial real estate service provider spoke to said they feel being in the workplace is essential for both mentoring and feedback as well as morale and relationship-building. Seventy-five percent believe working remotely reduces opportunities for professional development.
To encourage employees to be onsite, some firms have introduced incentives. Sixty-four percent have sponsored events or perks and 46% supply food, according to research from software provider Maptician. Others have reassessed their physical space, modifying the layout and design to position it as an enticing destination.
In 2020, intellectual property law firm Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP began making renovations in its Chicago office, such as installing new conference room video screens.
“Those are things we did early in the pandemic, realizing these are the kinds of changes we need to attract people back,” says Chief Operating Officer Michael Motyka. “We [were] used to having some portion of people working virtually on a regular basis. We already recognized the importance of people being present to promote things like mentoring, in-person collaboration and culture.”
Three years ago, the firm added a ping pong table.
“It was still in that period of time where we were trying to find ways to make the office experience attractive — bringing our employees into the office while our summer [associates] are here [to] engage with them and [have] fun activities,” Motyka says. “That was very much the intention behind it; and that worked.”
Festive Facilities
Architecture and design firm Perkins&Will’s law firm clients have incorporated similar socially oriented items, including a game room, cold brew bar and dispenser that allows wine to be served on tap — “things that have more of a restaurant vibe,” says interior designer Amber Hughes.
One law firm, according to design principal Lina Murillo at Perkins&Will, wanted to institute a music room with records, a record player and a large TV, where it could have a happy hour or a meeting.
“We’re seeing more hospitality spaces for gathering and social events,” Murillo says. “A lot of people are working hybrid, so attorneys aren’t necessarily going to an office; but if they do, it’s for meetings or an event.”
When Duane Morris LLP decided to combine two Manhattan locations into a new 80,000-square-foot office in New York City, the international law firm included a warm walnut- and oak-toned lunchroom with table, counter and banquette seating.
“We’re seeing more hospitality spaces for gathering and social events ... a lot of people are working hybrid, so attorneys aren’t necessarily going to an office; but if they do, it’s for meetings or an event.”
It also built employee cafes that have a coffee shop atmosphere, says Duane Morris LLP’s Senior Manager of Real Estate and Construction Ferd Boisvert. Some have been outfitted with activities like shuffleboard and foosball.
“We have bean-to-pot coffee makers,” Boisvert says. “We upgraded all of our vending [options] so there’s fresh food in them, not just chips and soda. We did a lot of work on enhancing that employee experience.”
Areas to Assemble
Collaborative workspaces are also a growing focus for firms. The ones that participated in Maptician’s survey reported an average 6.6% increase in square footage that’s dedicated to meeting use.
Reconfigurable furniture can help firms create multipurpose rooms — such as foldable stone-topped tables that could be utilized as banquet seating for several people or combined to make a modular conference table, Hughes says.
“We want to be able to easily move them in and out but still have that high-end feel,” she says. “That’s what we're doing in a couple of the projects I'm working on now.”
Law firms have repurposed portions of their workplace into small informal settings, which Terrence Davis, a project interior designer at architectural and design provider Corgan, says can spark interaction and support a more dynamic workflow.
“This type of amenity cannot be replicated in a remote setting and gives the employee a purpose for coming into the office,” Davis says. “Lounge seating near tenured attorneys can make drop-in conversations less intimidating for new graduates seeking mentorship.”
In addition to dimmable lighting attorneys can adjust to their desired level, the New York office Duane Morris recently debuted sports a variety of gathering spots — including conference rooms with wheeled folding walls, a set-up that’s allowed the firm to host up to 80 people at client functions, partner meetings and other events.
