Law firms have long been known for their sprawling offices, in which even the most junior associates enjoy their own private workspace. And while that’s beginning to change as larger firms adopt standard-size offices and move support staff to clustered workstations, some legal professionals actually are abandoning traditional office space altogether in favor of shared offices that allow them to reduce their real estate expenses and work more collaboratively with their peers.
As a growing number of law firms embrace the shared office model, some office providers are designing centers exclusively for the legal community, offering numerous benefits and services that smaller law firms might not be able to afford if leasing a space of their own. These include:
- Paralegal support: Some shared office centers offer paralegal support staff that can assist with everything from basic administrative tasks to legal research. Although some services come at an additional fee, they save lawyers the expense of hiring a full-time secretary or legal assistant. These experienced professionals, who are typically employed by the shared office provider, can even line up a court reporter, file lawsuits and serve subpoenas – a level of service that is not available in a typical coworking environment.
- Professional deposition rooms: Amenities are one of the biggest selling points of any shared office center, and while lounges and on-site gyms have become commonplace, private deposition rooms don’t usually make the cut. That’s not the case in centers that cater to the legal community, where attorneys have access to private meeting rooms with video conferencing capabilities to conduct depositions either remotely or in-person. This gives lawyers a professional setting capable of accommodating multiple people without paying for space that might not be used on a daily basis.
- (Truly) private office space: Many coworking spaces have open floor plans that either group tenants together in one room, or use glass partitions to wall off separate offices and meeting areas. While this layout may appeal to startups and creative businesses that thrive on collaboration, it’s not conducive to the day-to-day needs of most attorneys, who require more privacy than a typical office user. Law-specific centers are designed to give attorneys access to lounges and other common areas where they can host guests and network with other legal professionals, but without requiring them to give up a private office where they can have sensitive conversations with their clients without feeling like they’re in a fish bowl.
- Next-door expertise: Most shared office users choose a collaborative environment so they can work alongside and network with people from different industries. For attorneys who lease space in centers tailored specifically to their industry, it’s an opportunity to tap into a built-in network of legal professionals who specialize in different areas of law. These relationships can prove beneficial not only for providing service to existing clients, but also for securing new business opportunities through referrals.
- Convenient location: For many attorneys, proximity to the courthouse is key, which is why the majority of centers designed for the legal community are located in established legal districts where the courthouse and other frequented buildings are just a short walk away. Attorneys who lease space from an office provider that operates multiple locations – either in the same city or, in some cases, across the country – have the added benefit of working from whichever center is most convenient on a particular day, eliminating the need to commute back and forth.
By leasing space in a shared office center designed with attorneys’ needs in mind, whether it be for a primary office or as a satellite location, law firms of all sizes can reap the social and financial benefits of the collaborative office environment without comprising their professional image.
To learn more about Amata’s two Law Center locations in downtown Chicago, give us a call today at (877) 262-8204.