Picture this: You’re a growing solo or partner law firm operating out of a shared workspace. You have a busy day ahead with multiple client phone calls and in-person meetings. After a morning court hearing, you walk back to your office, only to find that your office’s phone has been deactivated without notice.
You check your email and see your inbox flooded with notes from clients who are unable to reach you. You then turn to your latest monthly invoice and find a line item charge for opening a desk drawer along with other activity requiring scrutiny. This isn’t a bad dream; it’s reality.
Sanjo Omoniyi of Omoniyi Law Firm, P.C. and another Chicago attorney, who asked to remain anonymous, know the feeling all too well. These are a few of the experiences they endured before choosing to house their firms at Amata Law Office Suites — Chicago’s first legal community of more than 700 attorneys and seven Class-A downtown offices.
For Omoniyi, the last straw was the office’s inability to handle his law firm’s phone calls. Messages were not properly transferred to his cell phone.
“I’d pick up, and callers would ask, ‘Is this a law firm?’” he recalled.
Finding a Law Firm Shared Workspace
A 2018 report from Vonage found that businesses lose $75 billion each year due to poor customer service, such as missed phone calls. These missed calls translated to Omoniyi losing a majority of his business.
In the past year, the shared workspace market declined with more people working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A major shared workspace provider filed for bankruptcy. But the anonymous attorney, who has been with Amata since 2015, had problems with their firm’s previous, non-legal-focused shared space long before the pandemic hit.
When their firm found Amata and prepared to leave, the former landlord would not transfer their phone number to their new Amata office.
“It was annoying to have to change phone numbers in the midst of growing our business,” the attorney said. “When you sign a new contract, you’re not thinking about leaving.”
Much like missed phone calls, moving can also pose a risk to attorneys’ reputations, especially if they have upcoming case deadlines and are unable to receive important mail. When firms move, they need to notify numerous entities, including current and former clients; local courts; state and local bar associations; insurance companies; banks and other financial institutions; and the local post office. All of this extra works pulls lawyers away from what they do best: practice law. In fact, Omoniyi has been struggling for two months to transfer his mail to his Amata address.
Amata CEO Ron Bockstahler understood these pain points and the dangers associated with disrupting business for lawyers. Unlike other shared spaces, Amata is dedicated to meeting attorneys’ needs and helping firms flourish. Amata transfers phone numbers if an attorney moves to a new location and allows firms to downsize office space in the middle of leases — both rare offers in the shared workspace industry.
The Amata Difference: A Shared Workspace for Law Firms
The flexibility and reasonability of Amata’s business model has allowed the anonymous attorney to easily move to three or four different Amata offices during lease terms. They said Amata lets attorneys “instantly” upgrade space in a matter of 24 hours, which is important for private practices.
“All aspects of Amata’s services are top notch, and they’re willing to help,” they said. “Every service is provided at the drop of a hat, and we’re only charged a small fee.”
Don’t find yourself in a bad arrangement with a shared workspace that doesn’t understand your needs. Call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our seven Class-A spaces to learn how Amata can become your legal partner and help you successfully grow your law practice.