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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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Developing New Associates

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By Ron Bockstahler, CEO

As most of the world is emerging from the pandemic and trying to figure out what the new normal will look like, many law firms and professional organizations are moving to a hybrid work environment. It’s not like most of us have a lot of choice. It’s an employee labor market and to keep great employees, you must be more flexible than in the past. This past Sunday I was at a benefit for The Simon Wiesenthal Center and sat with the co-managing partner of an 18-attorney law firm. At dinner he stated, “If I go into the office tomorrow and demand our attorneys come back to the office every day, most will quit. They all are in high demand, with too many options and do not want to come into the office every day.” He even referenced a law firm larger than his that recently announced they are transitioning to a 100% virtual work environment.

The one area my dinner guest was concerned about is how do you develop new associates if you rarely see them in person? It turns out this is a big concern for many firms that hire young associates. Virtual law firms have been around for years, and most have grown at a fast pace during the pandemic. The difference is most of the established virtual law firms such as FisherBroyles only recruit experienced lawyers or as they claim, “partner-level attorneys”. But if you’re a solo with ambitions of growing your firm by adding young associates, a purely virtual office model can be difficult.

In full disclosure, I founded a company that provides flexible office space to law firms back in 2002. So, I have been singing about the values of flexible and virtual office space for a long time, mostly on deaf ears in the legal community. Well, maybe not totally deaf ears, we do serve over 800 law firms. My point is, if you are a rain maker and want to grow your firm by hiring young associates to perform the lion’s share of the work, you need some type of office space where you can spend time with your associates to develop them. You are building a law firm based on a different business model than firms like FisherBroyles or Potomac Law Group.

In a different meeting with a founding partner of a 7-attorney law firm last month, this issue of developing new associates was a hot topic. This firm gave up the office space they had for 20 years midway through the pandemic and took a virtual office at one of my Chicago offices. It seemed like this would be a permanent arrangement since the senior partners are empty nesters and enjoyed working from home. But when two associates, with 5 and 7 years’ experience respectively, left for in-house positions, mindsets changed. The question became, how do we develop two new associates working 100% remotely? The solution they settled on was for most of the firm to remain virtual, but to add two permanent offices to spend 2-3 days each week working with the new associates in-person. When you break down the cost between 2 offices in a law firm office suite versus their long-time home with a direct lease, the savings amount to a bit over $240,000 annually.

More important than the financial savings, the firm has been able to create a hybrid work model that satisfies the needs of the partners and the young associates. I’ll keep singing the praises for flexible and virtual office space for 20 more years, but based on what I am seeing today, it won’t be on deaf ears. The legal industry is changing for the better and hopefully these changes will result in a more balanced work/life model that supports individual attorneys while allowing the firm to maintain the connection and culture that develops from in-person interaction between attorneys.

Want to find out more about how your firm could benefit from a hybrid work model? Start a conversation with us here.

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Five Things to Look for in Shared Office Space

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By Ron Bockstahler

In the past, law firms were known for sprawling offices, where even the most junior associates had their own private workspace. That changed as larger firms adopted standard-size offices, open floor plans and clustered workstations, and a growing cadre of lawyers — particularly solo practitioners — moved to shared offices. Prior to the pandemic, demand swelled for co-working spaces — including office centers designed specifically for the legal community.

With the pandemic, space needs shifted again. As law firms reconsider their space and hybrid and full-time remote work becomes the norm, the demand for shared office space is rising.

Here’s what you should expect if you’re shopping for legal-only shared office space.

  1. Paralegal support. Some centers offer paralegal staff who can assist with everything from basic administrative tasks to legal research. Some services come at an additional fee, but it saves you the expense of hiring a full-time legal assistant. Paralegals and support staff, typically employed by the shared office provider, can also help line up court reporters, file paperwork and serve subpoenas.
  2. Professional deposition rooms. While amenities like lounges and on-site gyms are common in most shared office suites, private deposition rooms don’t usually make the cut. In centers that cater to the legal community, look for access to private meeting rooms with videoconferencing capabilities to conduct depositions either remotely or in person. You can rent this space as needed, without having to cover the cost for the extra space every day.
  3. (Truly) private office space. Many co-working spaces have open floor plans that group tenants together in one large room or use glass partitions to wall off separate offices and meeting areas. This layout may appeal to startups and creative businesses that thrive on collaboration, but it’s not conducive to the day-to-day needs of most attorneys. Law-specific centers should provide access to lounges and other common areas where you can host guests and network with other legal professionals — without requiring you to give up a private office where you can have sensitive conversations with clients without them feeling like they’re in a fishbowl.
  4. Next-door expertise. Most people choose a collaborative environment so they can work alongside and network with people from different industries. In legal-only centers, you have an opportunity to tap into a built-in network of legal professionals who specialize in different areas of law.
  5. Location, location, location. Proximity to the courthouse is key for many lawyers, so most centers designed for the legal community are located in established legal districts close to the courthouse and other frequented buildings. If your office provider operates multiple locations — either in the same city or, in some cases, across the country — you may have the added benefit of working from whichever center is most convenient on a particular day, eliminating the need to commute back and forth.

The bottom line when evaluating any shared space is to make sure that you are able to reap the social and financial benefits of a collaborative environment without compromising either your professional responsibility or your image.

Looking to maximize your effectiveness in a shared office space? We can help you find the right fit – start a conversation with us here.

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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.

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The Future Of Law Offices | Grant Drager on The Inside BS Show

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Do you want a glimpse into the future of law offices? Grant Drager, Vice President of Business Development at Amata Offices, joins The Inside BS Show with Dave Lorenzo to talk extensively on the topic of the future of law offices.

Watch The Interview Here

Listen to the podcast episode here.

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Brand New Offices for Attorneys – 161 N Clark

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It’s hard enough to find good office space for lawyers in Chicago. Brand new office space with on-site paralegal and administrative services? Practically impossible. Unless you mean the latest floor that will open up at 161 N Clark. It’s an offer by Amata, and here’s what you need to know.

What Is Amata?

Amata is a co-working space that is designed and tailored specifically for attorneys and legal professionals. It’s a workspace where everything has been carefully curated and set up for the specific needs of the legal profession.

Which means all you need to bring with you when you work at Amata is your client files and your laptop. It’s the perfect, private downtown law office where it’s all done for you.

Perfectly Situated

161 N Clark - new floor

When they talk about real estate, they always say it’s all about “location, location, location.” That’s even more true when the real estate is going to be used for law offices. If you want to be seen as a top firm, have access to all the best cases and be taken seriously, you need to have your offices in the right part of town.

The new floor being opened up by Amata is located right across from The Daley Center and City Hall, and you don’t get more central than that. It’s right in the heart of the business district, a perfect location for your practice.

Stylishly Appointed

Let’s face it. Appearances matter. Your office, including the building, the décor and everything else tells your clients a lot about who you are, what you can do, and more importantly, what you can do for them.

Amata offices are always perfectly decorated. They’re understated, stylish, and designed to be modern and comfortable but also professional. In other words, they’re the perfect foil for your law firm’s brand.

Check out renderings for the new floor here.

On Site Services

One of the big differences Amata offers our clients is the option to make use of on-site paralegal and administrative services. You can take advantage of all the professional level help you need, when you need it, without having to hire full time staff of your own.

From answering the phone to helping with research, typing your briefs to welcoming visitors, it’s all done for you at Amata Law Office Suites. If you need to source an affordable and reliable court report or pick-up last-minute supplies on a Friday evening, the team at Amata has done it before and have the resources in place to take care of it.

Managed Buildings

If you’ve ever rented your own offices, there’s a good chance you’ve had to deal with cleaning, maintenance and repairs, maybe even some delayed and over-budget construction costs. There’s a lot that can go wrong in a building, and it eats up a lot of your time.

Amata offices come with all the maintenance, repairs and cleaning built in. You never have to worry about anything that doesn’t directly impact your clients. After all, if you wanted to be in property management, you wouldn’t have gone to law school!

Tech On Tap

Of course, Amata offices have the very best internet connectivity and all the technology you need to stay connected, including pre-established VLAN connections for your law firm to protect the privacy of your documents and communications. But there’s another level to the Amata legal office service.

Everyone who works from an Amata office also gets premium access to the Amata app, which allows you to call, text and email your clients without revealing your personal contact information. So, you can take your office in your pocket without risking your personal security and privacy.

Work From Home While Maintaining a Digital Office

We’ve all learned recently that many of the important functions of our businesses and jobs don’t actually require our physical presence. If you’re planning to keep your services hybrid, you can still use your Amata office space as a virtual office to receive your mail, answer and forward calls and more. It means you’re finally free to have the work life balance you’ve been struggling to find for years, while still offering your clients the service they expect.

Who Benefits Most from Amata Law Office Suites?

Amata Law Office Suites are the perfect solution for lawyers who practice on their own or have a small partnership or practice. They are perfect for law firms that need a satellite office or are expanding into a new market. They’re perfect for the virtual law firm or law firm where many of the attorneys have moved to a hybrid office model. They’re perfect for people who want to keep their overhead costs low, but still project a professional image.

Amata offices also have all the extra services you might need built in, so you don’t have to hire extra staff until you’re ready to.

Whether you’re just starting a law practice or winding down before you retire, this is the perfect solution for people who want the amenities without the responsibilities and high costs.

They’re also great for lawyers who want to expand their services into Chicago, but want to test the waters before they commit to a long-term lease.

So, whatever your situation is, if you’re looking for a clever workspace solution that is flexible and accessible, chances are you’ll find it on the new floor at Amata.

A Downtown Presence

Even if your law firm has a larger office space in another part of the city, there’s a good chance many of your clients work and do business downtown. Maintaining an office at Amata for those times when you need to meet a client and they don’t want to travel to your office is a great way to compromise. You don’t need to relocate, and they don’t have to come to you.

How Far Is the Project?

If you recognize the value of getting an office at the new floor that Amata is launching in 2022, you’re certainly not alone. There are hundreds of lawyers who are already using Amata offices to take their legal business to the next level. These offices are in demand, and they’re likely to be snapped up soon after they are released.

Currently, work is expected to be completed on the new floor of Amata offices at 161 N Clark in July of 2022, and applications will open closer to that time. If you’re interested in this innovative legal office option, you can sign up for early notifications now.

Getting early notifications about the new floor at Amata is easy. Simply sign up on the website or call the office to speak to someone for more information.

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How Flexible Attorney Offices Future-Proof Your Legal Practice

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In 2021 working from home has become the new normal. For some, this may still feel like a big transition, but it’s essential to stay up-to-date with changing expectations in the professional world. This goes for all business owners, and is especially true for law offices hoping to stay relevant in a competitive legal climate.

So how can you “future-proof” your legal practice? Think of “future-proofing” as anticipating trends and adapting your law practice to embrace the newest technology. With tech updates, flexible law offices, and cloud-based solutions, your legal practice will be ready to take-on the future.

 

What is a Flexible Law Office?

A flexible law office offers attorneys the opportunity to customize their schedule. This means that attorneys select their work hours and may conduct work from any location. Although a flexible office format might seem too unstructured at first, many attorneys are eager to work in an environment that values their personal preferences and offers an adaptable schedule.

According to an article in Reuters, “a recent survey from legal recruiter Major, Lindsey & Africa found the vast majority of the incoming generation of lawyers prefer to work remotely at least some of the time.” Fostering an environment that values a healthy work / life balance and encourages flexibility is key to maintaining a thriving law practice.

 

What Tools Do You Need to Get Started?

While flexible law offices are the way of the future, it’s unrealistic to expect to transform your law practice overnight. Before you offer lawyers the flexible schedule they crave, you need to implement tools and resources to make the transition possible.

 

Update Your Video Conference Capabilities – Working remotely means relying on technology to get the job done. For lawyers working today, it’s essential to have video conferencing tools that are easy to use and provide reliable connectivity. Since client interviews and meetings need to be done remotely, it’s imperative that you use secure video conferencing platforms to keep meeting content confidential. An article in Bloomberg Law discusses the emergence of “telepresence rooms” to create a more authentic experience during video calls: “advanced audio-visual systems and large, mirror-like screens are used to make it appear that a client or colleague is in the same physical conference room, even if the person is at the other end of the globe.”

 

Use Cloud-Based Platforms

Since remote workers don’t have a centralized hub for information, Bloomberg Law asserts that “law firms are also shoring up their IT infrastructures now that a lawyer can’t simply count on their colleague down the hall to answer a question, or the filing cabinet with a particular document being nearby.”

In order to create accessible IT infrastructures, more law firms are embracing cloud-based document sharing tools. Cloud-based platforms allow documents to be securely uploaded, organized, and stored on an accessible online database. This way, lawyers have access to important files and information no matter where they are.

Flexible law firms are also implementing virtual mailbox services. Virtual mailbox services provide clients with instantaneous access to mail via a secure online platform. Mail is sent to a secure physical address and then promptly uploaded onto the database by a licensed handler. These services are an excellent option for law practices who don’t have a permanent location.

Cloud-based software also allows your legal team to optimize daily tasks. With easy-to-use communication platforms and simple scheduling and bookkeeping software, switching your systems to online services will save you time and money.

 

What are the Benefits of a Flexible Attorney Office?

Flexible attorney offices provide benefits for lawyers and clients alike.

Connect with a Wider Audience – Since lawyers who work in a flexible law office can conduct their work from anywhere, flexible law offices are able to serve a wider population and extend the reach of their business. This helps diversify caseloads, and increases client numbers.

Save Money – Attorneys who work in a flexible environment don’t need to be locked into a 12 months lease to practice the law. With money saved on rent, power, office supplies, and managerial staff, most law practices who switch to a remote model end up saving money in the long term.

Improve Retention – Remote work isn’t just a request anymore, it’s an expectation. Switching to a flexible schedule demonstrates your dedication to fostering a work environment that aligns with current demands.

 

Find Your Office Space at Amata Law Office Suites

Amata Law Office Suites provides lawyers and legal practitioners both in-person and virtual law office accommodations. With flexible pricing and unbeatable legal support services, Amata Law Office Suites has served the Chicago area by providing dedicated conference spaces, offices, and much more.

Now is the time to embrace the future of your legal practice. At Amata Law Office Suites, we’re here to help. 

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Tired of Working from Home? These Lawyers Share The Importance of Maintaining a High Quality Office Presence.

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Stephanie Sexauer

While some lawyers have enjoyed the flexibility of working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, others have had enough. According to a 2020 survey from design and architecture firm Gensler, only 10% of U.S. lawyers want to work from home five days per week.

Stephanie Sexauer, a Chicago attorney focusing on probate and estate planning, can relate.

“Even before the pandemic, I was never somebody who wanted to be virtual,” Sexauer said. “I wanted to be in the office. My work demands that.”

Over the past three-and-a-half years, Sexauer has doubled her firm size from two to four team members at Sexauer Law, P.C. Everyone has come to the office almost every day throughout the pandemic. Technology may be a huge convenience, but she said it’s often easier to see coworkers’ expressions and review documents together in person.

Lawyers Largely Prefer the Office Over Home

Nearly half of lawyers polled in the Gensler survey cited scheduled client meetings as a top reason why they wanted to come into the office. For Sexauer, another reason is the quality office space that she receives at Amata Law Office Suites — Chicago’s first legal community of more than 700 attorneys and Class-A downtown offices — where she has operated her firm for nearly four years.

Until last month, when she moved to another Amata location, Sexauer’s office overlooked Michigan Avenue, with views of Lake Michigan and Millennium Park. She said her clients were consistently “blown away” by the space. As a result, she was able to attract even more clients.

“It was a beautiful location,” Sexauer said. “And it was great when clients would arrive. I could hear the front desk greet them so warmly.”

Fellow Amata-based attorney Jon Masini of Masini, Vickers & Hadsell, P.C., who specializes in construction and commercial litigation and also serves as a mediator and arbitrator, said his clients have also been impressed with his Amata office for the past two years. When he and his partners branched off from another firm, they wanted to maintain a downtown Chicago presence that was affordable and high quality for clients. Now, their 150 S. Wacker Drive office is also close to the Circuit Court of Cook County and public transportation.

“Amata is just perfect for both our firm and our clients,” Masini said, noting the elegant conference rooms. “In Chicago, meeting in the Wrigley room or Comiskey room is always a great icebreaker.”

Sexauer’s office moved to Amata’s 180 N. LaSalle St. location due to a recent consolidation, and Amata made the transition as seamless as possible.

Don’t let high commercial real estate prices deter you from maintaining a fabulous physical office presence as your firm grows. Call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our Class-A law firm office spaces. Join the Amata community and find out how our flexible office options can help you save on costs and grow your business.

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Change is Hard. Finding a Stable Space for Your Law Firm Shouldn’t Be.

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It’s no secret that the legal industry is slow to change. Lawyers have billed clients by the hour since the concept was first introduced in 1958. Long working hours and lavish office space have been industry standards for decades. And since updating laws and the legal system can be a yearslong process, it’s fitting that the business of law changes at a similar pace.

But quality office space, in particular, is often necessary for attorneys.

“The whole thing with lawyers, unfortunately, is how people look at us,” said attorney Mary Fahey of Fahey & Associates. 

Cost-effective office options have been available since the 1980s, but they’re not always appropriate for attorneys’ needs. If lawyers have shabby offices, she said clients will also view their counsel as subpar.

In 2010, Fahey had three offices across the city, but juggling appointments at all locations culminated in a hectic schedule. When she decided to consolidate to a single office, she wanted to make the best move for her practice. Overhead costs and other expenses were “top of mind” for Fahey, a former accountant, but the space also needed to be visually appealing.

“When you start your own business, you wear all these hats,” she said. “One hat that I had to wear was marketing my firm.”

A Stable Space for Your Law Firm Needs to Be Adaptive

Marketing is especially important when choosing a new office, and one Chicago provider answered all of Fahey’s needs. Amata Law Office Suites — already a decade old and simply called Amata back then — offered scalable, affordable shared workspaces in the downtown area and began growing a dedicated following among Chicago lawyers. Fahey joined the community of now 700-plus attorneys in 2011 and has stayed ever since.

Fellow attorney John S. Kendall of the Law Office of John S. Kendall, P.C., joined Amata in 2004 and says Amata has been a good partner for his intellectual property firm over the past 16 years. Since Kendall frequently travels to visit clients, he’s pleased with how Amata’s “courteous and professional” staff keeps him up to speed, even when he’s out of the country.

“One of the things I appreciate is they’re technologically current in terms of providing the tools to help someone like me,” he said.

Chelsey Robinson of Owens & Robinson has watched Amata’s changes since she joined the community in 2005. She enjoys the services that Amata has added over the years, such as live receptionists and an experienced legal support team, to better support its attorney clientele.

“They help me get more work done,” Robinson said. “They help me take on more clients and grow more efficiently.”

Fahey, Robinson and Kendall represent Amata’s longest tenured clients, but they aren’t alone. At least a dozen private practice firms have operated and grown their firms out of Amata for more than a decade. Even more have called Amata home for nearly 10 years. For these attorneys, choosing stable office space is key to their success.

That’s because relocating a law firm is no easy task. Various entities must be notified, including current and former clients; local courts; state and local bar associations; insurance companies; and financial institutions to prevent service disruptions. The extra work also takes attorneys away from their cases. Finding a stable place is more than comfort. It’s a good business decision.

“If you have the nicest space, a great, affordable location and great people that are servicing your needs, why go elsewhere?” Fahey said.

The best part? She eliminated the work of managing bills and taxes across multiple Chicago offices. 

“That’s when I truly started enjoying practicing law,” she said. 

Want success and longevity for your law firm? Consider joining the Amata community. Call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our six Class-A law firm office spaces. Amata runs the office so you can focus on running your practice.

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Lawyers Sharing Office Space with Non-Lawyers: Is It a Good Idea?

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As the idea of the traditional office has been shattered by shared work spaces, any savvy attorney might ask whether lawyers sharing office space with non-lawyers is a sound strategy.

Shared work environments can provide tremendous value and are certainly cost-effective, but such workplaces don’t always provide the environment and resources that are needed for success in the legal profession.

Lawyers Sharing Office Space with Non-Lawyers

People in office sharing their work result to potential partner.

Coworking spaces have grown exponentially in popularity, and with good reason – affordable yet modern, filled with basic necessities and in great buildings with easy access to transport; they offer an attractive alternative to a traditional office.

They also provide more financial control. While most traditional office spaces require a lease from anywhere between 2-10 years, shared office spaces can charge by as short a term as a month. Versus long-term leases, the shared office setups offer flexibility and the chance to decrease space, add space, or even work virtually without ever changing your address.

Despite all these benefits, they aren’t always an ideal match for attorneys. Private practice law firms have more demands their spaces need to fill, like a professional work environment and like-minded peers.

Violations of Attorney-Client Privilege

Lawyers are not ethically prohibited from using a shared office space, but caution should be taken to maintain the independence of your law firm and ensure that attorney-client privilege is maintained. For general shared working spaces, this can be a challenge.

Live Answering

Consider a live answering service – if a receptionist is shared between unaffiliated businesses, they will need customized messaging specific to your law practice rather than a general greeting. Additionally, having one receptionist act on behalf of two lawyers who are not affiliated isn’t illegal, but associating them together in the same messaging is ethically dubious. Furthermore, it may come off as unprofessional to your clients.

Data & Document Retention Policies

The shared faxing services and copiers can also pose a problem. If the team receives electronic versions of documents, they need to be sure to have appropriate data policies that protect your firm and your clients. If you use a shared fax machine that doesn’t receive electronically, then you have to also look out as an incoming fax will be available for others to grab, even if it’s accidental, as it lays on the copier.

Some shared offices offer admin work for their clientele as well, and for a busy attorney this may be intriguing. Once again, however, they need to ensure the shared office space has document retention policies that they adhere to and that any work is behind secure storage drives.

With the tech and cybersecurity competence policies being adopted by many bar associations, attorneys need to pay extra attention that they protect their client data and are confident in their shared office space provider’s policies.

For attorneys, the shared space must be compliant with ABA Model Rule 1.6 – Confidentiality of Information; but few know that rule exists.

Culture & Environment Clashes

Startups, marketing firms, advertising spaces; everyone loves shared spaces which can lead to an exciting blend of businesses on a single floor. But the culture at any given business isn’t necessarily compatible with what we might consider a “traditional legal office” – as such, clients who meet with you in a typical shared office space may have doubts as to your professional decorum.

Your clients will be in the common areas when they come to visit, even if it’s just a short span of time while waiting and grabbing a coffee before meeting with you. It’s important that the culture on the floor matches the culture you want your firm to project.

Lawyers Sharing Office Space with Other Lawyers

As a solo or private practice law firm, it is important that you don’t join a shared office space for cost-effectiveness and sacrifice the other important parts of your firm—protection of client data and information, firm brand, and office environment.

At Amata Law Office Suites, lawyers are provided with all of the amenities that a larger law firm might have, with the affordability and flexibility of comparable shared office spaces. With attorney receptionist services, on-demand paralegals, data and document retention policies and internet compliant with ABA code [insert], all of the resources and ethical considerations that a lawyer needs for success are taken care of.

In turn, you’ll work on a floor with other lawyers with a shared mission: practicing law. By sharing an office with other lawyers, you’ll find an easy stream of referrals, as well as collaborative culture where lawyers can share their expertise and advice with others.

Amata Law Office Suites provides an ideal working environment for small and private legal practices. Contact us today for more information about our services.