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Five Things to Look for in Shared Office Space (Revised)

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By Ron Bockstahler

Recent events in the shared office space realm compel me to update this article with a couple of very important points that were not mentioned originally. Today I met with an attorney who was originally introduced to me more than three years ago when he was considering changing his office space. At the time, my company didn’t win his business because he wasn’t unhappy with his space and the perceived hassle of changing addresses for active cases just didn’t seem like it was worth it at that time. Two days ago, the shared office this attorney runs his law firm out of, a large international shared office company, provided a 13-day notice that they are closing the center and all tenants will have to relocate to one of their other locations or find new office space on their own. Now anyone that has ever looked for new office space knows that 13 days is hardly enough time to secure new office space and coordinate a move, especially if your firm has a large active caseload.

Last night I was reminded of another operator that closed their offices and gave their tenants less than two weeks notice to vacate. Many tenants believe that there is little chance of this happening if they join a large national or international co-working company or hared office provider. But almost all the large providers set up each of their locations as individual LLC’s, making it very easy for them to close the non-performing centers with little to no recourse to their parent company. When they do close a center, they provide a very short notice to force their clients to move to another one of their centers that are remaining open.

It’s impossible to eliminate the risk of a center closing, but here are a few questions to ask that will help minimize the risk of going through this very difficult experience. First, inquire about the remaining lease term at the center you are considering. If the co-working operator owns the building, ask them about future plans, what their building-hold strategy is and if the co-working operation has a lease with the building, even if both have the same owners. The next question is to find out what the current occupancy of the center is. We use 85% as a measure of full occupancy and anything under 70% is a red flag that the center could be on the block to close soon. The obvious exception to this is if the center opened less than a year ago and is in the early stages of leasing. To that point, a new center is generally a safe bet that it will remain open for the next 1-2 years, regardless of occupancy. Finally, make sure you understand if the operator is a local, regional, or national operator.

There’s no question that from time to time, offices will close for various reasons, many reasons that are out of the control of the operator. The issue is when operators do not provide adequate notice for tenants to research options and make an educated decision on a new office space. If an operator only has one center, that should be a red flag and you need to scrutinize the deal they are offering very closely. Regional operators usually have several centers, are privately owned, and generally go to extreme lengths to protect their reputation. Even if they do close a center, chances are they will handle it in a professional manner, providing as much notice to clients as possible to protect their reputation in the industry and in their areas they operate.

The last point I will make is regarding taking an office with another law firm. For example, I have worked with several lawyers that have taken an office with a law firm that has a direct lease. The comments I hear most often when a lawyer is electing this option, is the cost is cheaper than a professional co-working operator and they do not need to sign a lease. It is true that the cost is generally cheaper because the lessor law firm is looking to offset a small portion of their fixed expenses for a short period of time. However, the benefit of not signing a lease, often, becomes a liability when the law firm provides a very short notice, generally less than two weeks, that the lawyer must move out because the law firm has hired new staff and will need the office. This almost always leaves the renting attorney in a difficult position at the most inopportune time.

You still want to focus on paralegal support, professional atmosphere and amenities, private office options, the legal network opportunities, and location. But even before you consider these things, make sure you are working with a reputable operator and that the location you are considering checks all the boxes highlighted above. Doing due diligence prior to selecting your next office will save you time and money in the long run.

Looking to get the most out of your office space? We can help you find the right fit – start a conversation with us here.

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Law Firm Valuation Process and Considerations

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By Katherine A. Puffer, CPA/ABV, CPCU, MBA

Even if you’re not in the market to sell your law firm, there are several reasons to value your firm such as a possible firm merger, securing loan financing, the addition of new partners, and other business and personal matters such as your succession/exit strategy. It is not only important to know the value of your firm, but also the process analysts take to come to an estimated value. Several valuation approaches are used, and depending on your firm’s circumstances, valuation analysts may use a combination of the income, asset, and market approaches to estimate the value of the firm. 

The Valuation Process: 

To begin, the asset approach presumes that the value of the firm is best determined by the sum of the value of all the firm’s tangible assets subtracted by the liabilities, leaving the net value of its tangible assets (“net tangible assets”). Many firms maintain financial records using cash-based accounting, thus for valuation purposes, their cash-based financials are adjusted to accrual-based financials. For example, accounts receivable, work-in-progress and accounts payable are added to the cash basis balance sheet to arrive at an accrual basis balance sheet. The next step in an asset-based valuation is to adjust the accounting asset values to their market value. For example, fixed assets such as computer equipment are adjusted to their estimated market value (likely close to zero). Asset-based valuations generally do not contain “goodwill” which is the value of a firm over and above the value of its net tangible assets. As a result, the asset approach is generally used to estimate value of real estate entities, holding companies and unprofitable firms. For profitable firms, it provides a minimum value for analysts to consider. 

The income approach values a firm based on cash that can be distributed to partners (“free cash flow”, “cash flow”). Free cash flow is not net income and for growing companies it is generally less than net income. Free cash flow takes into consideration the amount of income that must be held in the firm to fund accounts receivable, work-in-progress, purchases of equipment and other capital needs. For S corporations and LLC’s, distributions to owners to pay taxes are also deducted from net income to arrive at free cash flow. There are a number of methodologies that the valuation analyst can use under the income approach. The methodology chosen depends on whether future free cash flow is expected to grow steadily, vary from year to year or can be estimated based on prior year’s results. After future free cash flow is estimated or forecasted, it is discounted back to the valuation date based on the valuation analyst’s assessment of the risk of achieving future cash flows. For example, a lack of a firm succession plan adds to the risk of achieving future cash flows, increases the discount rate and results in decreased estimated value. Conversely, the existence of a repeating income stream generally reduces risk and the discount rate, resulting in increased estimated value. The final step in the income approach is to subtract firm debt. The income approach arguably provides the most theoretically accurate estimated value for a firm as it is based on the actual firm characteristics and results. 2 

However, the accuracy of this approach is dependent on estimates of future free cash flow and the discount rate. 

Finally, the market approach involves researching the sales of other law firms and utilizing information on the sale of firms with operating and financial characteristics similar to the subject firm to arrive at an estimated value. At a minimum, seven to ten comparable sales are needed to utilize this approach. Information provided on the sale of law practices and the nature of the practices involved is sometimes too incomplete to provide a basis for calculating a value indication. 

Other Considerations: 

Many law practices have buy-sell agreements in place to avoid fighting over value in the event that a buy-out must occur. Many of these agreements contain formulas that have nothing to do with the economic reality of the situation. This frequently causes fights among the owners. In certain jurisdictions, these types of agreements will not be considered indicative of value for a marital dissolution case. 

In a law practice, there tends to be much more dependence on the professional than in other types of businesses. During the valuation process, the attributes of the professional(s) must be considered. Unusual skills, long work hours, a large referral base, and other similar factors will certainly affect the valuation, whether it ends up as a part of reasonable compensation or built into the discount or capitalization rate. 

Probably one of the most difficult assets to value on the balance sheet of a law practice is work in progress. Unless the firm keeps really good records, this can be pretty tricky. This is particularly true for a contingent fee law firm.1 

When a professional practice is being valued for transaction or litigation purposes, it may be important to identify professional and practice goodwill separately and to discuss the likelihood that a portion of the professional goodwill can be transferred in a transaction. 

Consistently high earnings do not necessarily indicate a high practice value for a number of reasons. If earnings are highly volatile, as they can be for a law firm with large contingent-fee cases, value tends to be lower based on the risk of achieving future estimated cash flows. A professional with an outstanding reputation may attract many referrals, but the resulting high earnings in the practice reflect professional goodwill, not practice goodwill. A professional may work much longer than normal hours, but the resulting high earnings may not increase the value of the practice.2 

While, rules of thumb (formulaic: expressed in multiples of revenue or earnings) may provide insight on the value of a professional practice, it is usually only appropriate to use them for reasonableness tests of other valuation approaches. 

 

For more information contact:

Katherine A. Puffer, CPA/ABV, CPCU, MBA
312-235-2866 (O)
847-477-1954 (M) [email protected]

 

1 Understanding Business Valuation, Fourth Edition, Gary R. Trugman, Copyright 2012
2 Financial Valuation, Second Edition, James R. Hitcher, Copyright 2006

 

Sources:

https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/strategic-planning/890134/what39s-your-firm-worth- understanding-law-firm-valuations https://www.olmsteadassoc.com/resource-center/law-firm-succession-exit-strategies-valuing-the- firm/

http://www.firmvaluation.net/asset-based-valuation-methods.html https://articles.bplans.com/rules-of-thumb-business-valuation-explained/ https://www.uschamber.com/co/good-company/ask-the-board/how-to-prepare-your-business-for- sale

Understanding Business Valuation, Fourth Edition, Gary R. Trugman, Copyright 2012 Financial Valuation, Second Edition, James R. Hitcher, Copyright 2006

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Six Things That Keep a Paralegal Up at Night

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A great paralegal strives to deliver work on time and accurately.

They’re also vital to law firms because they handle everyday tasks on several cases at a time to keep the caseload moving in the right direction.

What do they worry about the most? They have the skills and talents they need to succeed every day, even in a busy legal environment.

We’ll take a look at six things that keep a paralegal up at night, and how they help bring success to a law firm.

1)  Time Management

Paralegals are always busy with the daily tasks that keep law firms and solo practices running smoothly. There is plenty to do throughout the day, such as answering phones, talking to current clients, responding to emails, preparing documents, and getting ready for depositions.

With increased caseload comes increased workload, which is a good thing for your law firm.

When the daily tasks of running your practice become too much and you don’t have enough time to accomplish these tasks, perhaps it’s time to look into a paralegal to help alleviate your workload.

2)  Caseload Management

Paralegals are at the front lines of caseload management. They know what cases should have priority and which ones have looming deadlines. They also know when and how to pass along messages to attorneys regarding important developments in the case, especially if the other counsel reaches out to make a pretrial settlement and it’s time to negotiate.

Would you rather just focus on the aspect of case law to focus on your clients? Or would you rather understand what cases need your attention first and foremost?

Paralegals can help you manage cases from start to finish. They use automated tools to keep track of things (Amicus is a good one), otherwise they would spend too much time doing extra busy work.

Automated tools and platforms also store information, documents, and filings, especially with cloud-based systems. Paralegals know these systems very well as part of their daily tasks, and they can alert you when to review documents ahead of filing them with the court.

3)  Trial Prep

Preparing for a trial is a lot of work. You have to bring evidence, retrieve files, print out documents, and be ready for anything.

Paralegals can help you prep for a trial so you’re ready to follow court procedures, interview the other side’s witnesses, and learn how to talk to a potential jury.

Any paralegals you have on staff can take care of the paperwork and files. You should get ready to deliver the best possible results for your client.

4)  Deadlines

Different court systems have varying procedures and filing deadlines. Your scheduling app keeps track of client meetings and court dates, but not necessarily when filings are due to the court.

Having a paralegal on hand gives you an extra helper to work on filings and documents ahead of deadlines so you don’t miss anything. Missing a deadline can cost you a case or give your opponent leverage against you and your client, particularly when there are motions due or if there’s a pretrial conference coming up.

5)  Client Intake

How do you know what clients you should take?

There are varying levels of potential clients, from ones you know you should never take to ones that are great for your firm.

Paralegals have the know-how to understand what a good client would be for you. You can easily train a paralegal to handle client intake for you with a series of questions to ask potential clients.

Client intake interviews and questions are vital to making sure you can reasonably succeed in your case. You can’t win them all, but knowing vital information ahead of time can help you determine if you want to proceed.

Send along a list of questions (and the answers that a paralegal should know), such as:

  • What is your reason for contacting an attorney today?
  • Can you tell me more about your situation?
  • Have you ever worked with an attorney before?
  • Have you already consulted with an attorney about this matter already?
  • What outcome would you like to see from this case?
  • Do you have any documents you can show me?
  • Have you been served with court papers?
  • What expectations do you have with our firm?
  • How would you prefer we communicate with you?
  • Why did you choose to contact us?
  • What are your biggest concerns with your situation?
  • Have you considered attorney fees and your budget?

A paralegal can also answer many questions the potential client may have, such as what the next steps are, how much money should they pay, and what are any potential outcomes like.

Paralegals also understand the line between getting enough information and when talking to a potential client becomes a waste of time. Your paralegal has the panache to navigate client intake.

6)  Maintaining Accurate Information & Documentation

Accuracy and details are everything in legal work. One wrong name, place, or date, and you could end up losing a case.

Paralegals are masters at knowing details and understanding what details are important. They document everything properly, save them in the right files, and help you maintain proper filing schedules.

When you have so many pending cases on hand, the details can slip away from you. Managing all of the information can fall to paralegals who are trained to handle such tasks.

Hire a Fully Vetted Paralegal to Assist You

Amata is an attorney services firm based in Chicago. We offer a wide range of support services, including paralegals who assist you with the daily tasks of your law practice.

Your paralegal can be virtual or on-site, whichever you prefer. We have a variety of on-demand options to fit your needs, whether you require a paralegal just to maintain caseload or need one to handle all administrative tasks. You don’t even have to hire a paralegal full-time.

Even better, the paralegal you hire is on our payroll and not yours, saving you money on benefits such as insurance.

Contact us for more information. Experienced help is just a phone call away thanks to our network of paralegals.

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Simon Wiesenthal Center – The Spirit of Courage Benefit

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Amata Law Office Suites has been a long time supporter of the SWC as they combat a growing antisemitism movement around the globe. We continue our support as the SWC celebrates 45 years as a leading international Jewish human rights institution.

Simon Wiesenthal Center – The Spirit of Courage Benefit

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish global human rights organization, will be hosting its Spirit of Courage Benefit in Chicago on June 26, 2022, where we will be honoring dynamic ambassadors for peace and the Mobile Museum of Tolerance (MMOT).

Register to attend here: www.wiesenthal.com/SpiritofCourage2022

This year’s Spirit of Courage awardees are Karen and Sandy Teplitzky, recognizing their overwhelming support of the Mobile Museum of Tolerance.

The MMOT inspires people of all ages and backgrounds, empowering them to raise their voices and combat anti-Semitism, bullying, racism, hate and intolerance and to promote human dignity.

In addition, His Excellency Dr. Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Her Excellency Miss Betsy Bennet Mathieson, the Chairman and Deputy Chair of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence in Bahrain, will accept Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Global Peace and Tolerance Award. In 2017, the Kingdom of Bahrain signed the Bahrain Declaration on Religious Tolerance alongside Rabbis Hier and Cooper from the Simon Wiesenthal Center. This Declaration led to the creation of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, and was a precursor to the Abraham Accords. The Global Centre recently entered into Memorandums of Understanding with Israel and the University of Haifa to promote coexistence between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East.

We will also bestow the SWC Humanitarian Award on Dr. Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer; a Community Service Award to ABC7 Chicago; and the Medal of Valor to Juliana Taimoorazy, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and President of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council.

Attendees of the Benefit will be able to experience the SWC’s Mobile Museum of Tolerance which is the first-of-its-kind in the United States.

Register to attend here: www.wiesenthal.com/SpiritofCourage2022

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What Top AM100 Law Firms Get For Law Support

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Do you dream of being at an AM 100 law firm?

The benefits are fantastic. Higher salaries. Huge offices. Challenging cases that have a lot of sophisticated details. Diverse client bases.

And perhaps, most importantly, a lot of support services to help you focus on casework rather than daily tasks.

After all, you are a hotshot lawyer who can win multimillion-dollar cases.

What if you could have the vaunted support system of an AM100 firm even though you are a relatively new lawyer just starting your practice?

What support services do AM 100 law firms get?

The largest AM 100 law firms have robust in-house infrastructure to make your job as an attorney easier. They give you the technology and research tools you need (Abacus Law and access to Lexis-Nexis full-text case law) to make sure you bring your best to every case.

You are also around other high-level attorneys who offer mentoring and tutelage as you work through your career.

Other support services make your physical life more comfortable as a top attorney.

Think these things are out of your reach as a new attorney?

Think again.

Copy & Mailing Services

You can get a virtual assistant who can handle the mail for you at an office that has a physical address. Your VA can also make copies of vital documents for you, such as birth certificates or identification, when needed for your case or client intake.

Deliveries

A lot of legal paperwork is handled electronically now. But there are some things that still require physical handling, such as evidence, old photos that don’t have digital equivalents, and if clients pay their legal fees with paper checks.

Office staff can help with deliveries when you need to make them as part of the regular course of your practice.

Research

Legal research can be exhausting when you’re trying to find the right case law precedent ahead of a trial.

Lexis-Nexis is the best legal research tool out there, with comprehensive case law (full text) of every federal case and plenty of state cases going back many decades, or in some cases more than a century. Getting access to Lexis-Nexis might be easier than you think. Rather than pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the full database, becoming a member of a university’s alumni association may give you library privileges for their Lexis-Nexis subscription.

Digging through online resources and requesting photocopies or documents from law libraries takes time.

Hiring a virtual assistant or in-office can help take care of this for you, from finding the right case law to getting access to Lexis-Nexis through a university.

Paralegals

Hiring a paralegal can give you the help you need to manage a caseload, help with new client intake, and field questions from clients when they call. A paralegal is a way to add professionalism to the office environment while helping you maintain case deadlines, filings, depositions, and answering clients’ questions when they contact you.

Paralegals are masters of organization, details, deadlines, court paperwork, and organizing your files in a way that makes sense. They can also communicate with other attorneys working on the case and give clients answers about case deadlines.

Hiring a paralegal can make a huge difference to your workload when you need it most.

Administrative Help

Office assistants, virtual assistants, and an administrative professional also help take mundane office tasks off of your hands so you can focus on the practice of law.

Administrative professionals retrieve the mail, answer emails, answer phones, manage projects, work on marketing materials, post to social media, proofread written communications and filings, and handle communications with

They can also make digital copies of documents and photos for recordkeeping.

What if you could have these same attorney support services without needing to get on with an AM 100 firm?

Enter Amata’s Lawyer Support Services

Amata is a lawyer support services firm based in Chicago. We can put you in touch with legal professionals and virtual assistants who can act as your staff, whether they are on-site or virtual.

Do you want a paralegal who has basic knowledge of cases and how to handle client intake? Amata can vet the right paralegal for you.

Do you need an administrative assistant to take some workload off of you so you can focus on cases instead? Amata has a staffing solution that can make this happen at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time staffer.

Amata offers on-demand attorney support services that rival what you can get by being an attorney at an AM 100 firm.

On-Demand Paralegals

Our senior paralegals have 20 or more years of experience, some with expertise in certain practice areas, when you need expert help. Others have three years or fewer in experience and are hired as paralegal assistants. We bill our paralegals based on their years of experience and areas of law where their expertise lies.

Along with paralegals, we also offer automated case management tools that can prepare a table of authorities outlining local rules and filing deadlines

Our paralegals are trained to handle:

  • Editing appellate briefs and other briefs per your notes
  • Handle the back-and-forth aspects of discovery, which can last for months
  • Draft simple complaints and motions
  • Assess and prioritize cases
  • Close on real estate transactions

What are you waiting for? If you need extra help with your caseload, assistance is only a phone call away. Pick only the type of work you need, and the team at Amata will only bill you for what you require.

Get started today, and we’ll talk about how we can help take your practice to the next level.

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Amata Socials Now Available For Amata Client Sponsorship

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Thank you to everybody who came out to Amata’s return to in-person networking with Amata Socials! Our next get together is June 9th and will be held at 180 N LaSalle.

We are also excited to extend an opportunity – now you’ll be able to sponsor an Amata Social!

Sponsor an Amata Social

Each month we are providing up to two firms the opportunity to sponsor the social. Amata will continue to pay for food and beverages at these socials and the sponsors will be responsible for getting the word out and making sure they are well attended. In return for sponsoring, Amata will promote the sponsors firm in weekly posts, publications and announcements leading up to the social.

Up to 2 Law Firms will have the opportunity to sponsor each Amata social.

  • The sponsoring law firms will be responsible for attendance at the event. This will include sending out invitations and making sure each event is well attended (25+ participants at each event is the goal).
  • Amata will also promote each event through email distributions to all Amata clients, that will include the logo/name of the sponsoring law firm and signs at every Amata location.
  • Members of the sponsoring firm will greet guests upon their arrival and direct them as appropriate.
  • The sponsoring firm(s) will provide an overview of their firm and the type of work they are able to handle at the beginning of each social.

Amata’s Obligation

  • Amata will provide beverages (both alcohol and non-alcohol) and lite snacks at each social.
  • The sponsoring firms will be featured in Amata’s weekly watercooler email and featured on the flyers distributed at each Amata location.
    Amata will provide a list of all registered participants to the sponsoring firms to allow for follow up.
    Guidelines

Additional Considerations

  • Sponsorship will be on a first come, first serve basis by contacting [email protected]
  • Firms with the same practice areas will not be allowed to sponsor the same event.
  • Attendance by the sponsoring firms is mandatory.

Are you interested in sponsoring an Amata Social?

Reach out to [email protected] today! Each social has two spots and they will be filled on a first come first serve basis.

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Small Business Resilience Depends on Keeping a Focused Perspective

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Small businesses are resilient, and resilience is especially important in challenging times such as these. This type of strength and agility relies, in part, on good business instincts. But it also depends on a clear understanding of the measures that may impact results.

Know The Context

Small Business Resilience Depends on Keeping a Focused Perspective

It’s important to consider data in the context of what your business does and where it is located. For example, the unemployment rate for a business located in an area that is experiencing a lot of growth means something different from what it does for an area that is experiencing a reduction in its population. Places with growth will have more people spending more money on a variety of goods and services. Areas that are stagnant are likely losing businesses as people are spending less and less.

The same is true for other data. Supply chain disruptions will be harder to deal with for small businesses than they will be for large companies because bigger businesses have the resources to pay for faster deliveries. Some business and service providers can get a snapshot of what is happening by looking at information specific to their industries.

Keep in mind that statistics have a subtext that may not be easily apparent. For example, are multisite businesses reporting their data for each location, or is it all on an aggregate basis? Questions like these are why it is important to put this information into a context that is meaningful to your business.

One way to do this is to think about the information in the framework of a SWOT analysis — strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats — for your service or industry. Then look at the analysis again through the filter of what is happening in your specific market. Doing so will allow you to have a clearer picture of your needs and where resources should be allocated.

Consider Inflation

Along with the other financial concerns that small businesses are facing, inflation has become a major factor. Predictions differ when it comes to how long the current inflationary cycle will last. Consequently, business owners need to assess how they will be affected by the higher cost of money in both the short term and the long run.

Taking these three steps can help:

  1. Budgeting: Cut costs — but in a thoughtful way. This should be your strategy when making any major purchases, from software to a new hire or anything in between. Understand what you really need as well as the costs of any bells and whistles. Maybe it is best to start with the basics now and then add on to your list of purchases as needed when your budget allows for it. For example, does it make more sense for your business to hire a freelancer who can maintain your company’s social media platforms, or is a full-time employee what you need instead? Writing out a job description and then comparing the costs of hiring each type of person should help you figure out the answer.
  2. Margins: Take a long, hard look at your margins. How much is every sale costing you? Is there a way to use new manufacturing methods or sales channels so that you can increase your margins?
  3. Financing: If you need help with financing, turn to government sources first. Low-cost funding may be available, for example, if your business is located in an economic development zone.

Putting the information that you gather into a meaningful context and following through on that consensus will help ensure that you are keeping a perspective that makes sense for your small business.

We’re here to help

At Amata, we value your work as much as you do. Discover how we can be a part of the future of your resilience.

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Simplify Your Day With Admin Assistants

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Lawyer life is hectic, and devoting time to administrative tasks diverts your attention away from working on your cases. Amata provides administrative assistant services in Chicago that will alleviate your burden. We pair you with a knowledgeable administrative assistant to handle day-to-day administrative tasks while allowing your firm to focus on more important ones. 

How Amata Can Make a Difference In Your Practice

Administrative Assistants

Amata’s administrative assistant services are available on an ongoing or temporary basis, depending on your law firm’s needs. We are committed to providing outstanding service at a reasonable price throughout the entire time you work with our team. Our trained professionals work closely with your firm and senior staff members to achieve the best possible result.

When you need us, we deliver the following administrative assistant services: 

  • Billing & data entry 
  • Binding 
  • Copying 
  • Document delivery 
  • Document translation (uncertified)
  • Document witness 
  • Electronic filing services 
  • Interpreter – on-site (call for additional languages) 
  • Interpreter – remote (on demand) 
  • Notary services 
  • Postage services 
  • Scanning 
  • Shredding 
  • Skip Tracing 
  • Translation/Interpreter Services 

Our main objective is to free up your time so that you can focus on growing your law firm, expanding your network, and serving clients. Your administrative assistant in Chicago is highly trained to produce exceptional work that meets today’s busy law firm needs.

Start a Conversation With Us Today

At Amata, we value your work as much as you do. With our administrative assistant services in Chicago, we take the guesswork out of filling support gaps. Let’s talk today by calling us at 1.888.358.8692 or sending us a message here. 

Why Hire an Administrative Assistant?

By providing superior administrative support, Amata’s services empower law firms. Our administrative assistants in Chicago possess a unique set of skills and experience that solo and small law firms demand. This feature ensures that you don’t waste time chasing around projects or disappointing clients.

The Power of Our Administrative Support Services in Chicago

Outsourcing your administrative services needs to Amata will help you manage your budget, reduce overhead expenses, and more. We empower your firm to meet demands without having to worry about internal staffing.

Additional advantages of working with Amata include:

  • Benefit #1. Reduced stress when handling last-minute deadlines 
  • Benefit #2. Maximizing your law firm’s bottom line 
  • Benefit #3. Creates extra time to dedicate towards your caseload 
  • Benefit #4. Access to a skilled and experienced workforce 
  • Benefit #5. Ability to tailor project specifications to your specific needs 

Amata is well-suited for a variety of individual administrative assistant projects, allowing you to maintain complete control over your workflow. We offer easy modes of communication, including messenger, text, email, phone, and video chat, so that you can seamlessly let us know how we can serve you better.

About Our Administrative Assistants

How We Compensate Administrative Assistants

We compensate Amata administrative assistants according to their experience, training, and expertise. Many of them come from working in-house and directly with lawyers. As such, they are familiar with the style, tone, and cadence at which you work.

Training Closely With Senior Staff Members

Amata may also hire administrative assistants with less than three years of experience. However, we recognize these individuals as standouts among other qualified applicants with promising legal careers. Our senior staff members work with them closely to help them gain experience for future advancement within our organization.

Prefer the Same Assistant? No Problem

Many of our clients prefer to work with the same administrative assistant throughout the time they use Amata’s services. We will match your needs with the most qualified candidate so that you engage in high-quality work while lowering your operating expenses and overhead.

Amata Works as an Extension of Your Law Firm

Dedicated Administrative Assistants

Are you tired of working with assistants on a short-term basis? Team up with a dedicated Amata administrative assistant who will become familiar with your methodologies. This allows you to focus on your craft without paying too much mind to administrative details.

Administrative Assistants On-Demand

Don’t let your caseload spiral out of control during busy periods. Work with an administrative assistant who handles stress well and can reliably complete essential tasks. Amata will find the time and resources to take some of the pressure off.

Control Your Operating Budget

Administrative assistant services are more affordable than you think. We offer our services on flat and hourly rates

so that you are NEVER caught off guard. Amata bills clients transparently and by the minute, not the hour, so that you don’t pay for more services than you use.

Let Us Stand In Line For You

Have you ever needed to make a run to the courthouse but felt crunched for time?

No problem: Amata has got your back!

We send team members to the County Clerk’s Office, Recorder’s Office, Secretary of State, Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Building each day. Not only can we file or pick up documents, but we can also pay for copies, deliver courtesy copies, or handle any other task that comes your way.

Just let us know how we can help, and we’ll be there.

Do You Need Administrative Assistant Services in Chicago?

Our administrative assistant services are available to fulfill your standalone needs or as part of our other attorney support services. Amata serves law firms in the Chicagoland area and throughout Illinois. We empower our clients by offering services that they truly need and nothing more.

You do not have to sacrifice client and case management standards due to staffing issues. Connect with the Amata team to learn more about your options. Call 1.888.358.8692 to start a conversation now, or send us a message here directly and we’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible. 

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

Private Law Practice: Why You Need A Private Place Of Work

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Practicing law is hard work.

Beyond knowing case law, legal eccentricities, and strategies to get the best possible outcomes for your clients, you must be able to get inside your opponent’s head to win a case.

Sometimes you just need a private space to do your work.

Co-working spaces are great when you need to bounce ideas off of someone.

But what about finding a private space when you need to work?

It’s Quiet

Sure, as a one-person firm, you love working from home to spend more time with family or you enjoy the bustling background noise of a coffeeshop where no one pays attention to you and earbuds let you tune everyone out.

But sometimes, you need to concentrate fully on a case without distractions, particularly if it’s a complicated case with many tough aspects and several moving parts.

Perhaps you just need to unplug. Having a private office can give you the peace and quiet you need.

Deadlines Approach

Maybe you overstretched your client load, some cases are dragging out longer than you expected, or you had to extend some motions so you could have more time.

Suddenly, you have three major deadlines coming up, and the judge in each case has said we can’t delay the pretrial conferences any longer.

You have to work frantically and can’t afford any distractions because you need to have everything ready for your deadlines, and each case is nuanced.

We hope this never happens to you. We hope you have many clients and are successful in their cases.

However, there will be times (not may be, will be) in your legal practice where it seems every case is coming due at once through no fault of your own.

Distractions cannot enter into your head as you need to concentrate on the matters at hand  because your clients depend on you (and their lives and livelihoods could be at stake).

You have an important job, and you love your job, but sometimes you need a break from everything in the outside world just to focus.

You Need a Private Space for Consultations & Conferences

Legal offices must maintain the privacy of their clients. It’s the law.

As such, a private space for consultations and conferences helps you fulfill your duty of attorney-client privilege while reassuring your clients that what they talk about will not be discussed outside of the walls of your office.

You’ll need a private space for initial intakes, talking to clients ahead of pretrial conferences and depositions, and a space for recording depositions ahead of a potential trial.

A private office also fosters respect and trust with your clients by leaving an impression that their time is valuable. You are completely focused on them, what matters to them, and how you will help them get past this legal matter.

You Have Complete Control Over a Private Office

Working in a shared space is nice in a pinch. You can sit in a coffee house with the internet to do research. A coworking space with other attorneys lets you bounce ideas off of fellow lawyers.

But a private office gives you complete control over the space.

No loud people talking one table over. No conversations on cellphones that you hear with other attorneys conversing with their clients. Not clanging coffee cups. No discussions about other cases that a trio of lawyers are having in the corner of your coworking space to distract you from your caseload.

You have the key to your private office. You can lock it behind you and not come out for three hours if you want.

It’s quiet, there is no food or loud people, and no other attorneys to talk shop with when you really need to focus on your own cases.

What If I Can’t Afford a Private Office as a Solo Practice?

Amata affords the ability for lawyers to have private office spaces for individuals and small firms, especially since office space in Greater Chicago is sparse and costs a small fortune.

You benefit not only from private spaces but also from Amata’s professional law support with virtual assistants to answer phones, mailboxes, billing software, catering for conferences, conference rooms, and web conference set-ups.

Our office space services can:

  • Find you a great downtown location in one of several buildings.
  • Provide a conference room for up to 18 people.
  • Handle web conferences and remote video calls.
  • Cater food and have coffee to impress large clients.
  • Offer coworking spaces with other attorneys.
  • And so much more!

Amata’s features in downtown Chicago are similar to those afforded to AM100 law firms.

Save time, money, and effort through Amata’s services so you can focus on winning cases and growing your firm.

With so many ways we can help you, Amata is the legal team you want on your side.

Contact us for more information about our private offices.

Discover our offices for lawyers in Chicago.