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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.

Discover our offices for lawyers in Chicago.

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.

Discover our offices for lawyers in Chicago.

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. 

Discover our offices for lawyers in Chicago.

Work-From-Home Lawyer? 5 Things You Need to Outpace Your Competition

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Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s become more common for lawyers to implement a work-from-home model for their law practice. Working from home certainly comes with benefits like less commuting time, flexible work hours, and access to the best snacks in the fridge.

But adapting your law practice to a work-from-home model takes planning and hard work. While working from home can be a welcome transition for many legal professionals, it’s important to have the right tools in place to keep up with the competition and remain relevant in the legal sphere.

Here are our top 5 suggestions to help your law firm operate remotely and still achieve success.

 

#1 Create a Dedicated Work Space

If you don’t already have a home office, dedicating a space for work is a must. Creating a functional, private space helps spark productivity and delineates a boundary between home-life and work-life. Maintaining work / life boundaries is particularly important for your mental health, since legal work is often all-consuming and stressful. When you have a separate work-space it’s easier to set aside your professional concerns and rejoin your family when the day is over.

Although some folks have a tendency to overwork themselves at home, it’s also easy to procrastinate and do chores around the house, watch TV, or get distracted by family or roommates. Having a separate work space enables you to limit distractions and tackle the task at hand with greater efficiency.

 

#2 Focus on Marketing and Advertising

Now that your law office is operating remotely, it’s more essential than ever to advertise your skills to the public. Folks might expect you to have a brick-and-mortar location and may be confused by your lack of permanent address. To combat this confusion, it’s wise to broadcast your availability online.

You can market your law firm by:

–          Making sure your website is full of accurate and SEO keywords the target the types of things your clients are looking for. 

–          Investing in specific ways to point people to your website like advertising on spaces like law organization websites and Google Adwords or creating engaging content to post regularly on social media.

–          Starting an email newsletter with frequent updates and answers to general legal questions.

–          For more ideas on marketing strategy, just ask us! We have partners ready to help you take control of your digital marketing.

#3 Use Video Conferencing Software

Video conferences have become a ubiquitous form of communication. There’s no doubt that online meetings are the new normal and more folks are comfortable navigating online forums. To keep up with the ever-evolving legal world, it’s imperative to have the latest and fastest video conferencing software. 

Double check to make sure your camera is updated, your internet can handle video calls, and your microphone provides sufficient audio. Once you have your video-chat set-up complete, you’ll be ready to take meetings with clients and conduct interviews from the comfort of your home office.

 

#4 Embrace Tools for Collaboration

If you work in a firm with multiple partners, paralegals, and assistants, it’s crucial to maintain fluid communication even when working from home.

  •         Implement Online Chat Services – Instead of relying on text messages or phone calls to communicate, invest in online communication services to keep your team organized and on the same page. This way, you can keep communication all in one place and instantaneously send and receive messages through a secure platform.
  •         Use a Virtual Mailbox – You don’t want to receive business-related correspondence at your personal address. Aside from the obvious infringement on your privacy, receiving sensitive documents at a non-secure location may cause heightened anxiety. A virtual mailbox service provides you with all the benefits of a physical address without the need to pay any rent. Your mail will be directed to a real, secure address and instantly scanned and uploaded to an online server by a licensed courier. A virtual mailbox allows you to view your mail online instantaneously, and you don’t need to worry about packages being stolen or clients sending sensitive mail to a PO box or personal address.

#5 Employ Virtual Legal Assistance

Running a successful law firm entails completing a lot of paperwork and conducting extensive research. To help lessen the load, consider hiring a virtual legal assistant. Virtual assistants, or virtual paralegals, offer your firm the support you need on a case-by-case basis. Instead of hiring a full-time employee, virtual assistants offer all the expertise of highly trained legal professionals on a flexible scale. If you find yourself facing an increased caseload, or are going through a dry patch, you can scale-up or scale-down as needed to receive the support you need to tackle your workload.

 

Work with Amata Law Office Suites

At Amata Law Office Suites, we offer lawyers and legal professionals in-person and virtual law office opportunities. We are dedicated to fostering a community where lawyers can work, meet, and utilize legal resources to improve their business. 

Amata Law Office Suites provides the tools you need to upscale your virtual office, including virtual mailbox services, in-person conference spaces, and professional phone services. Come and join the Amata community today!

Discover our virtual offices in Chicago.

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.

Discover our offices for lawyers in Chicago.

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.

Struggling to Work From Home? These Law Firms Safely Returned to Their Offices Amid a Pandemic

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On March 23, 2020, Chicago personal injury attorney Tim Rhatigan of Rhatigan Law Offices, LLC found himself like many other attorneys across the state: working from home. This marked the first working day of Illinois’ “stay-at-home” order, issued by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in an effort to flatten the curve of spiking COVID-19 cases.

Rhatigan doesn’t have a home office, so he set up a makeshift desk with his laptop and scanner in his bedroom. But he struggled to write a brief due to intermittent Wi-Fi. In another room, his wife tried to help their children with remote learning. Emotions quickly ran high. Before the morning was over, he decided that the only way to be productive was to return to the office.

“I was back in the office by lunch time,” Rhatigan said. “I didn’t even last half a day.”

Since last March, 84% of law firms had at least three-quarters of their attorneys working remotely, according to a Bloomberg Law survey. While some lawyers have successfully transitioned to at-home offices, a separate survey from design and architecture firm Gensler found that 74% of U.S. lawyers at large firms want to return and work from their physical offices for a majority of the week. The lawyers polled indicated that they miss face-to-face interaction and socializing with colleagues as well as scheduled client meetings. Nearly half also found it more difficult to avoid distractions at home.

But before attorneys rush back to work, even if only for a few days a week, they want office spaces to make specific safety adjustments. In addition to stricter policies preventing sick workers from coming into the office, 45% of attorneys want their offices cleaned more frequently and 38% want air purification systems added. More than 30% would also like to see provided hand sanitizer and touchless bathroom fixtures/doors.

While many of these safety measures are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Illinois Department of Public Health, air purification systems and touchless doors are expensive to install, and some firms in traditional commercial spaces simply wouldn’t be able to afford them.

“My business is contingent upon a case resolving, and there are no trials right now,” said Rhatigan, who has three full-time team members. “So, there’s an income hit because of the pandemic.”

But if attorneys return to work without safety adjustments in their offices, they risk exposing themselves, family members, coworkers and visitors to the virus. If someone gets sick, it could pose legal issues. One employment law attorney at an Am Law 200 firm told the Wall Street Journal that he has advised roughly 600 companies on COVID-19 questions. Of those considering reopening, one-quarter decided against it due to challenging legal requirements.

So, what’s the solution? Upgrading home Wi-Fi and working around family distractions for the foreseeable future? Moving physical files and equipment to a makeshift home office?

There’s a better option, and law firms are jumping onboard. Since 2018, Rhatigan has housed his firm at Amata Law Office Suites, Chicago’s first legal community of 700-plus attorneys operating out of seven Class-A downtown offices. Early in the pandemic, Amata CEO, Ron Bockstahler, recognized that attorneys wouldn’t want to completely abandon office space.

Amata quickly contacted O’Malley Construction Co. and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to implement important safety measures, ensuring attorneys would feel as safe and comfortable as possible when returning to the office. Now, each location is equipped with glass sneeze shields, touchless entry doors and bathroom fixtures, directional signs, touchless temperature guns, sanitation stations and more.

“It’s been reassuring to see what Amata has done because it has taken every possible step,” Rhatigan said. “How quickly the team got it all in was remarkable.”

Along with building improvements, Amata scanned lawyers’ mail for 90 days and handled document preparations (free-of-charge) to encourage firms to make choices based on safety, not financial concerns. They even waived some related fees on items that needed to be shipped. Fellow Amata attorney Sarah LeRose of the Law Office of Leonard J. LeRose Jr., Ltd. found the complimentary mail services to be extremely helpful during the stay-at-home order.

“As a small firm, it’s an obvious issue if you don’t get your mail for months,” she said. “We all have bills to pay.”

LeRose returned to her office in late August and has been coming in a few times a week. She “absolutely” visits frequently because she feels safe with Amata’s installations. Both LeRose and Rhatigan have also noticed other Amata-based attorneys return to their offices over the past several months.

Although COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed, most Illinois residents won’t be able to get their shots for months. But in the meantime, Rhatigan thinks Amata has successfully created a safe culture.

“They always have a tenant-first approach, so they’re always asking if there’s anything they can do to help your practice or even you personally,” Rhatigan said. “Even these COVID-19 implementations … they were implemented not only to comply with CDC recommendations but definitely with us in mind. Amata does a terrific job of fostering a comfortable environment without compromise to safety or other resources. It is their commitment to the providing of these resources that puts its tenants in a position to succeed. I love it here.”

Don’t struggle with productivity and challenging work-from-home conditions any longer. Whenever you are ready to return to an office outside of your home, Amata prioritizes your safety and offers other services to help you focus on practicing law, including virtual offices, live reception and paralegal support.

Call us or visit our website and take an online or in-person tour of one of our seven Class-A law firm office spaces to learn how our COVID-19 safety measures will help keep you safe as you return to work.

Discover our legal support staff for lawyers in Chicago.

A Shared Space Is More Than Office Space. It’s Your Law Firm’s Legal Partner.

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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.

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How Shared Office Space for Attorneys Benefits Solo Practice Law Firms

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Young lawyer business man working with paperwork on his desk in office.

Between running your partner or solo practice from your home and leasing individual commercial space, there’s an attractive middle ground: renting shared office space for attorneys.

Attorneys who have been working from home have seen the perks as well as the drawbacks. It is extremely convenient to walk from your bed to your home office but doesn’t provide any of the benefits of having an office. Conversely, partner and solo practices that rent out traditional office space find that their offices lack the amenities of a full firm, such as stocked cafes, top technology, receptionists, and paralegals. If they want these items, they have to take on the overhead and manage them themselves.

The concept of sharing office space among solo attorneys and partner practice firms has been around for many years, but is it the right decision for your law practice? In this blog, we give three benefits of why shared office space for lawyers works well.

3 Ways Shared Office Space for Attorneys Helps Solo Practices

Expanding your Expertise

Lawyers often require a network of trusted peers in other complementary practices to assist their clients.

A shared office space for attorneys helps lawyers access a wide network of legal expertise. Connections can be fostered across specialties, and firms can recruit assistance from another lawyer with specific knowledge for an existing case, or even just advice over a cup of coffee.

Additionally, some spaces (like Amata) staff legal professionals such as legal admins, law clerks, and paralegals. These professionals are knowledgeable in the micro-details of legal work and can help lawyers get their paperwork processed, go through e-discovery, medical record retrieval, research and more at a faster speed.

Less Money for More Services

Traditional commercial leases crush budgets. When you rent a conventional office space, you have to spend a lot of money on rent and taxes. Furthermore, many direct-to-landlord arrangements require a five-year lease agreement with a large down payment. The firm takes on a large overhead and has no flexibility once the contract is signed. In the pandemic especially, many firms and lawyers are discovering just how time-consuming negotiations with a landlord can be, and how little they receive for their efforts.

A shared office space offers many amenities that help attorneys and law firms save on expenses. For example, a solo attorney may not easily swing the costs and management time related to having office equipment, internet, support staff, and a telephone service. However, in shared office space, many of these amenities are part of the package, helping attorneys save money and time.

Amata offers a range of services paid on a fixed or per-use basis, to help meet your law firm’s individual needs. From on-site paralegal assistance, mail services, and live legal reception to a full virtual office with conference rooms and private office space, which can be rented out as needed, a shared office space adapts to an attorney’s unique requirements.

Building Out Your Book of Business

How is shared space different from conventional commercial arrangements? In short: new business is right next door. Practicing law is a profession, and many attorneys take pride in assisting their clients through every legal aspect, even if it’s as simple as giving them a reference for another attorney or firm.

When another lawyer meets you because they office down the hall, they get to know you, and you them. The usual time and energy – spent after hours in social clubs, bar associations, networking groups etc. – is no longer essential to finding and building a referral network. Shared office spaces allow attorneys across practice areas to office next door to one another, develop relationships while making a cup of coffee, and many even provide online communities for virtual networking (Amata has the Amata Community and Member Directory site, for example).

Being part of a powerful referral network, which can be tapped into for new business, is how attorneys can become rainmakers. Shared office space makes this easier than ever.

Amata Law Office Suites: A leading shared office space provider for private practice attorneys

Exclusively catering to the shared-workspace requirements of solo attorneys in Chicago, Amata Law Office Suites offers private office space to lawyers looking for more adaptive solutions than working from home or leasing expensive traditional office space. Our shared  law office space comes with all the amenities and services required for supporting lawyers, at a price that won’t break the bank.

With seven premium shared office spaces in Class A buildings across Chicago, our law office space includes both unfurnished and furnished offices, as well as virtual law office programs with professional reception and business address services. Our shared offices are available on flexible leases that can be scaled up and down depending on an attorney’s requirements. Additionally, our members have access to all the necessities, including on-site legal staff—admins, paralegals, and notaries—and other essentials such as top of the line printers, a varied selection of coffees and teas, and café and lounge space.

Our shared office space for attorneys has already helped solo and partner practice lawyers become part of an extensive community of more than 700 attorneys. Schedule your next visit to one of our shared law offices today and take a confident step toward establishing and growing your Chicago legal practice.

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Summer’s Over and Big Law’s Real Changes Are About to Take Hold

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Summer’s Over and Big Law’s Real Changes Are About to Take Hold

Written by Roy Strom – September 3, 2020

For firms locked into longer-term leases, they may have more space than they will need. Is anyone going to be interested in taking over that space? One possible answer is companies that offer on-demand work space targeted at lawyers.

Smaller law firms have closed their offices and turned to “virtual” rentals that provide offices and other services like a mailing address and document couriers, said Ron Bockstahler, CEO of Chicago-based Amata Law Offices, which specializes in renting to lawyers.

Read the full article at Bloomberg Law.

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