Canadian Lawyer

FEATURE 5-STAR WORKPLACES 2021 22 www.canadianlawyermag.com WHAT WORKPLACE ATTRIBUTES ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO LAWYERS WHEN LOOKING FOR A FIRM Autonomy when choosing cases: 4.07 Diverse partners/leadership: 4.06 Parental leave: 4.04 Files distributed blind, based on availability and skill: 3.88 Pro bono opportunities: 3.69 Firm's reputation: 4.65 Strong management: 4.49 Team culture: 4.49 Flexible work hours: 4.47 Firm has a strong client base: 4.53 (1 least important, 5 most important) Top 5 Bottom 5 matter. Orlando says that technology was already in place to accommodate the remote workplace, and the pandemic merely accel- erated the speed of its adoption. "We want somebody who has been at the firm for a while, who has done quality work, to feel comfortable working at home if that is where they need to be," he says. "We also want them to come in and be part of office culture, but our philosophy is to evolve with the times," he says. "It used to be that if you rolled into the office at 9 am, you'd be told: 'Hey, the partners have been here since 7 am.' Today, lawyers want to feel trusted to get the work done." The attention given to making "work from home" work for both employer and employee was noticed by those taking our survey. Says one lawyer: "Providing us with the latest tech- nology in the field that has enabled us to do our jobs smoothly, even through these unprec- edented times, the transition to 'work from home' was effortless and effective." We're all in this together — and meaning it Rob Miller of Miller Titerle + Company in Vancouver says one of the "foundational" prin- ciples of the firm he co-founded is removing the social hierarchy between lawyers and between lawyers and staff. "It's an incredibly toxic way to approach your workplace if you let it infiltrate your organization." So, for example, Miller says that rather than having a career path that involves perhaps being made partner after many years (how many years exactly is a number that he says keeps getting pushed out), his firm offers ownership stakes in the firm. It's a way of showing — and yes, it's a term that has been overused during the pandemic — that "everyone is in this together, and meaning it." "It's a philosophical issue. We want a variety and a broad diversity of perspectives at the ownership table," Miller says. And rather than have a model where the firm distributes profits to the partners, "we want our model to be about reinvesting in everyone's future and making the practice better." While there are no partners at Miller Titerle, Miller says there are lawyers who are "principals," which he sees more as a "seal of approval" instead of a social ranking or caste system. As part of its goal to create a non-hierar- chical environment, Miller says, using weekly town halls (on Mondays) to roll out new ideas and gauge the reception. "It's for legal and non-legal people here, and they are generally pretty good at expressing how they feel, good or bad, and that's how we like it to be." He adds: "I think a lot of our core values speak to the importance of authenticity and communi- cation, so we want to hear from those we work with every day." Comments from our survey indicate that the staff at Miller Titerle appreciates what the firm's founders hope to achieve. When asked what they value most, they talk about "engaging all legal and non-legal staff in firm building and creating a mutually supportive team." Still, Miller says the firm can't rest on its laurels, especially regarding future evolution. "I think any law firm that tells you that they're fantastic at sort of change management isn't telling you the truth," he says. "Change management is very difficult in a professional services setting. We've done okay at it, but we know there's more to be done." "Young lawyers are looking for expertise and mentorship; they're looking to develop." Anne Kennedy, Pallett Valo LLP

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