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Month: March 2020

How to Keep Your Firm Running During a Crisis (And How Amata is Doing the Same)

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Tablet on Couch: VPN Access

“Flatten the Curve.” This is not a Flat-Earther motto, but a worldwide goal to minimize the coronavirus by hindering the spread of the infection. Social distancing is key, but as of March 26th, there is still no federal mandate to shelter-in-place, and as Chicago found out just this week, warming weather causes many to disregard these executive orders (which in turn caused Mayor Lori Lightfoot to close down the parks).

All these factors pile up against our race to flatten the curve, and work against our goal to contain the spread. Meaning we could be experiencing these Shelter-In-Place orders for longer than anyone would truly like.

This makes it all the more important for law firms to innovate, adapt, and keep business running even from their homes, and we have a few tips to help.

Pick up the phone and give people a call

Friendliness. A new person to talk to. A reassuring voice. There are many reasons why this is our top tip. We are doing it ourselves: Amata staff members have been calling clients daily checking in on how they are doing, assuring them their firms are in good hands at Amata and asking if they need any help or training on our office services.

As a lawyer, calling existing clients and letting them know you’re still doing everything possible to work on their case (even though the courts are closed) can be a great way to keep the client relationship connection strong, and give not only reassurance, but great customer service during a trying time. The not so obvious tip is to also call your staff, peers, mentors, and people in your network regularly as well; more often than you normally would. The idea is to make up for lost time around the watercooler (so to speak). Better yet, schedule video conferences and invite a handful of people! There is no reason for social time, networking, and business to grind to a halt, and video conferences can reestablish a normalcy in performing all those tasks while we observe the current Shelter-in-Place order.

Commit to new technology

Now may not seem to be the right time to spend more money. But if your firm is having a hard time working (or even at a standstill) due to a lack of flexible infrastructure, then you may need to reassess that instinct. What happens if you experience Shelter-in-Place for a month? Or for two months? Or more –  as this opinion piece from the New York Times suggests is necessary for the orders to be effective?

Your firm has to keep running during this time because you still have business to get done, and that may mean taking new steps and adopting new tech. Find good options, and become prepared for the future. You may be surprised what great new things can be achieved when one is forced to innovate.

We’re a shining example of this tip at work: while Amata has been providing flexible law office services for nearly two decades, over the past two weeks we launched additional services to help our clients. Our 3CX Web & Video Conferencing is now included, free-of-charge, for all clients currently using our 3CX phone services and for everyone who signs up for a phone only, virtual law office, or private office during this time. This service was added due to the COVID-19 crisis and all our services are better now because of it.

Stay secure while working from home

This final tip comes in two-steps — the first is courtesy of the Amata Law Office Suites preferred technology services provider, Bridgepoint Technologies:

If you and your staff are new to working remotely from home, make sure your setup has a router along with a recommended firewall and that the computer being used has recent updates and virus protection. If you are connecting directly to your business network, only do so through a secure channel such as a VPN or secure remote software. Before doing so, make sure that your wireless network at home has a complicated password with a name that will not personally identify your home. I.e.: Don’t name it: “Smiths House”.

Read more about the importance of Network Security.

Part two of this step is to check that all employees and staff members have the equipment they need to successfully work from home. At Amata Law Office Suites we just recently started ordering headsets to make conferencing and calling easier now that many of us are using our computers instead of phones to communicate — having a sturdy Bluetooth headset has been invaluable for our staff during video conferences.

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COVID-19: Chicago Updates & Amata Operations Information

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COVID-19: Chicago Updates & Amata Operations Information

As the situation on the coronavirus pandemic grows in both Illinois and throughout the world, we will maintain this page with our status and updates.

As of Friday, March 20th: Amata Law Office Suites is still open and operating. However, we are encouraging clients work remotely.

Recent Update: Thursday, April 9th

225 W Washington Street (Chicago): Positive testing for COVID-19 in building

Amata Law Office Suites has been notified by the building management of 225 W Washington that an on-site employee has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19).

For previous updates please see below.

Wednesday, April 1st

Amata Law Office Suites free services extended through extended “Shelter-In-Place” end date

Governor Pritzker has extended the “Shelter-in-Place” order an additional 30 days, through April 30th (Executive Order No. 18). Our free services (mail scanning and document preparation) have also been extended to match this new end date.

For a list of all Illinois executive orders, click here.

Friday, March 20th

Amata Law Office Suites open during the Shelter-in-Place

The operations of Amata Law Office Suites fall under Section 1(12) item m. in the executive order as put forth by the state; stating that “businesses that sell, manufacture, or supply products needed to work from home” fall under the “Essential Businesses and Operations” category. Therefore, we are remaining open during this order.

For the complete executive order click here. 

Thursday, March 19th

161 N Clark Street (Chicago): Positive testing for COVID-19 in building

Amata Law Office Suites has been notified by the building management of 161 N Clark that an on-site employee has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). CBRE will be following the guidance of the CDC while responding to the incident. The tenant in question is addressing the issue in their space.

180 N LaSalle Street now operating from 8 AM-5 PM.

Effective today, the Amata Law Office Suites location at 180 N LaSalle will be closing an hour earlier than usual. We will be operating from 8 AM-5 PM during this pandemic. Once the current situation is improved, we will return to the extended hours previously observed at this location (8 AM-6 PM).

Tuesday, March 17th

77 W Wacker Drive (Chicago): Positive testing for COVID-19 in building

Amata Law Office Suites has been notified by the building management of 77 W Wacker that an on-site employee has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). Ownership and Transwestern are in close communication with the tenant and the Chicago Department of Public Health in responding to this matter.

Sunday, March 15th

Governor J.B. Pritzker has closed all bars and restaurants in Illinois, starting Tuesday, March 17th.

In order to combat COVID-19, Governor J.B. Pritzker has closed all Illinois bars and restaurants for on-site consumption. This will go into effect Monday evening, March 16th, starting at 9 p.m. and extending through March 30.

During this time, customers may order food for delivery or takeout.

Amata is open but encouraging work from home and social distancing.

If you are a client who has not yet established remote working procedures and options for your firm, please contact your center manager, or call us at 312-757-7840. We will assist you in setting up your firm for telework through our virtual office services.

Why we need to practice social distancing.

Friday, March 13th

Cook County Courts closed starting Tuesday, March 17th.

Starting Tuesday, March 17th, 2020, the Circuit Court of Cook County will not be in session at the courthouses. This will extend through April 15th, 2020, with normal operations commencing on April 16th, 2020. Please note, this date may be modified by subsequent order of the Chief Judge.

The Circuit Court of Cook County will make exceptions for emergencies in civil cases or certain categories of criminal cases. There will be two assigned emergency judges (per day) in the Domestic Relations Division presiding in the Daley Center courtrooms 1903 and 1905. These judges will be only addressing emergencies.

Read the official notice.

Amata Law Office Suites is still open.

Amata Law Office Suites plans to remain open to provide services to attorneys during this time, and our locations are still open pending any changes to the COVID-19 situation in downtown Chicago. We will work diligently to keep our client’s firms running as smoothly as possible, and maintain our virtual services for all Amata clients who have chosen to telework due to the outbreak. We’ve also extended our free of charge legal admin and paralegal services to match the court’s date of April the 15th.

If you are an Amata Law Office Suites client who is interested in working remotely and have not yet received mobile phone training for you and your staff, or if you need more information regarding our free of charge admin & paralegal services now put in place through April 15th, please reach out to us at 312-757-7840.

If you are not a client but would like information on how Amata Law Office Suites can assist your firm, please call us at 312-815-1884.

March 12th Update

Amata Law Office Suites is open for the foreseeable future and preparing clients to work remotely.

Our teams have been working around-the-clock with Amata clients training them to use their mobile business phone technology so they can continue to serve their clients during this challenging time. We’ve also removed select administrative & paralegal service fees so they can operate as usual, without incurring additional costs due to this outbreak.

It’s important to us that our clients are able to work from anywhere and can implement the policies they believe are best for their firm’s health and safety. To assist your firm we are offering the following services at no charge:

  • Court filings and court runs in downtown Chicago (filing fees will still be incurred)
  • Document preparation
  • Mail scanning to you and your employees

If you have not yet received training for you and/or your staff, please reach out to us at 312-757-7840.

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Advice on Moving (or Relocating) Your Law Firm

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Advice on Moving (or Relocating) Your Law Firm

Moving from working out of your your house into a private office space? Expanding into a new location in a new state? We have tips and advice for all types of moves. It’s an exciting time, and if you’ve given your choices proper consideration, it doesn’t have to be stressful.

Your First Office: “I work remotely and want to move into private office space. How do I pick the best space?”

You’re taking a big step, both for your practice and for your bank account. Make sure you properly vet any space you are looking at to ensure it satisfies your growing firm’s growing needs and doesn’t become unaffordable overhead.

We recommend asking the following questions of your potential landlord or space provider:

  • What’s the shortest lease term I’m able to sign?
  • What happens if I need to scale up during my lease term? Or scale down?
  • What amenities are included in my base rent and what ones are add-ons that I need to pay each month (like water, heat, office equipment, etc.)?
  • What are the benefits to being at your space? And can you think of any negatives?

We especially want you to ask that last question – there are negatives to ANY arrangement, and having a landlord or space provider who is honest and upfront with you means you’re getting into business with someone you can trust.

Your New Office: “The attorney I sublease from isn’t renewing their lease. What do I do next?”

Many attorneys sublease space from other attorneys – who are effectively trying to be both landlords and law firm owners. It’s no surprise then, that so many find themselves suddenly kicked out of their space when the attorneys they sublease from decide to give up the dual roles and not renew their leases.

If this is your situation, you’re probably stressed out, and potentially a little angry. You want to make sure your next situation is stable, and you probably discovered a few options:

  1. You can sublease again
  2. You even take on the dual role yourself and lease a large floor
  3. You can take an office with a shared office space provider

Before you make a choice ask yourself: “What do I really need to practice law successfully.”

If this move isn’t really that cumbersome, and isn’t interfering with your day-to-day business, then go with option one. Just keep in mind that you may need to move again sooner than you expect, and that your options may be more limited so price and location shopping will be difficult.

If you loved your traditional space and like the idea of having a small floor of other attorneys in a community you hand crafted, then go with option two. Make sure you speak with other attorneys who have done so first, though. Otherwise you may find yourself stressed and overworked (and not with legal work).

If this move is causing stress, and you want both stability and the ability to shop around for the best price and best location, then a shared office space is your best bet. Additionally, you’ll get the same benefits as option two – a community of attorneys – if you choose a boutique shared office space provider who specializes in supporting law firms. Check if your area provides one!

Your New Beginning: “I’m opening my firm in a new state. Any advice?”

Congratulations on your success! Aside from the legal business of becoming an attorney in a new state, you’ve got a new market you’re trying to enter. Many of our own attorney clients find success by first setting themselves up to work remotely. Most often they purchase a Virtual Law Office program which gives them a local address on one of our floors, a local phone number for their firm, as well as access to all of our locations and our conference rooms for meetings. This saves them the overhead of renting private office space until they are more established in their new city, while giving them all the amenities they need to run their practice in the new location.

The added benefit of opening a Virtual Law Office is that when they do make the move into physical, private space, they are able to maintain their address by simply upgrading from their Virtual Law Office into private office space. Need more information on how this works? Visit our Virtual Law Office page!

Additional Resources for moving your law firm:

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Established Attorneys Who Don’t Choose Traditional Space for Their Firms

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Established Attorneys Who Don’t Choose Traditional Space for Their Firms

Shared legal office space isn’t just for new solo attorneys. We have law firms of all sizes here at Amata. Why? Because flexible space is good for every firm, at every stage.

Having an office space that gives your firm options for expansion as well as shrinkage means:

  • Less resources (both money and time) spent on moving
  • Consistency for you and your clientele
  • Staying cost-effective, no matter what happens

Many attorneys who sign up for traditional law office space find themselves losing profit to pay for space they aren’t using. For instance, if an attorney or employee leaves their firm, they suddenly have an unoccupied office they are paying for. Or if they are looking for offices downtown for three partners and a secretary, their only options may be large build-outs with six offices (two more than they need). Other law office solutions exist, however.

Here a few examples of established attorneys who choose alternative law firm office options, and how that choice helps their firms.

The Defectors

A new CEO, a merger; they change the corporate structure of firms. A couple of attorneys frequently get together in these times and decide to break away to start their own practices.

How shared legal office space providers help

Defecting attorneys need discretion, and they need to set up shop quickly. By going with a shared office space for attorneys or a legal coworking space, they can keep things discrete, because they won’t need to post ads to hire staff or run around the city looking for space or furniture. A shared office provider presents itself as a “pop-up” law firm option: the defecting attorneys can create their PC or LLC, rent the few offices they need (which come fully furnished), get a new phone number for their firm through the shared office space (who set everything up with the phone company), and they’ll have a receptionist who is answering their calls the moment their number is active.

All the attorneys have to do is give notice and show up in their new space! Should they decide to hire more staff and add more offices – or customize their office with their own furniture – they can do so later on without issue.

The Established Attorney in a New State

Making a leap and branching out into a new state can be scary; if going the traditional route, it becomes all the more frightening.

How shared legal office space providers help

Like a defector, the ease of setup gives this attorney less to worry about. A smart attorney branching into a new state will also want to keep over-head costs as low as possible while building up their client base. Starting their firm out with a Virtual Law Office – which includes access to a shared law office space floor’s common space to work from, conference rooms to meet clients at, a business address on the floor for receiving mail, a phone number with their new city’s area code, and access to the shared law office space staff – allows them to have a professional presence in the new city, without the high overhead cost of traditional office space.

Virtual legal office programs allow the attorney to telecommute until their firm is established enough in the new city to hire a permanent associate at that location, and upgrade to a dedicated private office space on the floor!

The Satellite Firm

For successful large firms, overhead may not be as large of a concern. Putting associates in an environment where they can meet other professionals and establish themselves in the community, however, may be.

How shared legal office space providers help

A shared office space for attorneys is a giant floor filled with a medley of attorneys from firms as small as one to as large as fifty! With all these attorneys in one space, making connections is as easy as making a cup of coffee. If associates are new to a city, having this built-in network can help them find a group of peers to integrate with, network within, and assist in building the firm’s referral network in the new city. A more holistic benefit is their well-being. Associates and partners who are able to work from a shared law office space will have a higher ability to find like-minded individuals who aren’t colleagues; new people to have lunch with or go to happy hours with after a long day.

Feeling part of a community is an undeniable wellness benefit, and hard to ignore in an industry plagued with stress and mental illness.

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