Canadian Lawyer

w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m J U L Y 2 0 1 6 21 squirrel away in quiet solitude for concen- trated work. Individual offices are small and often standardized for many firms adopting new design models, driving meetings to com- munal areas or meeting rooms. Collabora- tion is deemed important in the transfer of knowledge and ideas. Young lawyers need to take advantage of the experience of older lawyers to develop. But it is also increasing- ly recognized as an important part of the business model to help drive profitability. "So much of what we do is experiential," says Sven Milelli, who, as managing part- ner for McCarthy Tétrault LLP in British Columbia, oversaw the move to sleek, new offices in April. "Patios" now occupy those premium corners allowing staff to gather. A staircase tying the floors together was purposely designed to be more narrow to encourage interaction. Having lawyers and support staff meet or even bump into each other where they can discuss different aspects of the same client's files as a team is bound to be benefi- cial for the client and can lower transition costs. Growth and profitability, he says, is ultimately about delivering more value and using fewer resources. Lawyers say new work environments, whether in small offices with access to com- munal spaces or open concept, don't change their approach to the issues of client confi- dentiality. In Ontario, there are no specific rules prohibiting the open-office approach, but the Law Society of Upper Canada does stress that confidentiality needs to be pre- served. The client's information as well as paperwork must be kept confidential and out of sight and reach of those not entitled to see them. An open office that exclusively houses a practice may also require a sepa- rated waiting or reception area. Confidentiality screens are often used to limit access to clients' electronic files to only the team members involved with the particular client. McCarthys relies on elec- tronic systems for document and e-mail access and control to ensure the screens are robust, says Milelli. In its hybrid office design, the electronic measures are supple- mented by physical ones, including the segregation of practice floors from client space, clean desk policies, lockable cabinets and offices, privacy screens for computer monitors, and access to private meeting rooms. "Our new Vancouver workspace actually enhances our ability to assure con- fidentiality by significantly reducing the volume of physical documents in our work environment," says Milelli. The Vancouver move was the latest for the national firm, coming on the heels of McCarthys' move to newly designed spaces in Calgary in 2014 and Quebec City in 2015. "In Quebec City, our associates are in an open space, our partners have offices, but it's in 10-by-10 glass offices," says Did- hiti Bhoumik, McCarthys' senior director of office services. People meet in the Star- bucks-style café or interact in workspaces. Efficiency is often a driving factor and, with real estate being the firm's second- highest expenditure, saving space clearly saves money. Vancouver reduced its space to 60,000 square feet from about 90,000. Milelli observes that there is more com- mon space now, meaning the space savings was largely achieved through the reduction of individual office sizes. The firm isn't quite done. The two remaining locations will be transformed as the leases expire — Montreal in 2021 and Toronto in 2024. As firms come off long-term leases, law- yers often look at their space with a new eye, observes Colin Scarlett, head of the law firm practice group for realty company Colliers Canada. "There are a lot of firms that are terribly inefficient because they've been in the same space for 20 or 30 years and they can make significant enhancement and reduction in square footage without affect- ing people that dramatically," he says. But, he adds, keeping people happy in the space in which they work is paramount, particu- larly given the importance law firms place on retention and recruitment of talent. Houston, Tex.-based Marilyn Archer, principal at the design firm Gensler, says law firms have been slower to accept design changes than other professions. While firms began starting to show interest in dramatic design changes about a decade ago, she sees the economic slowdown of 2008 as a real accelerator. As many firms have seen little growth in their business in the intervening years, they sought transfor- mation in the law office design as a way to drive business growth and seek efficiencies. As law firms move more to digitization and using off-site, less premium real estate for storage, they are able to achieve some savings in office space. Libraries are also becoming learning and resource centres with a diminished need to house physi- cal volumes of texts. "So interior space is becoming more available. And depending upon the vintage of the building, there could be quite a lot of it. That's also led to us looking at the interior of attorney offices," says Archer. Taking a page from other professional services, some lawyers have started eyeing mobility plans with offices being shared by those who aren't onsite full-time, adds Archer. In order to ensure confidentiality, these offices are equipped with lockable storage components. Also something of a rarity in Can- ada is the full open concept. But that's exactly what Jim Titerle and his partner Robert Miller decided they wanted when they launched Miller Titerle + Co. LLP nearly seven years ago. They envisioned something completely different and they embraced the open approach. Their space, in what is believed to be Vancouver's oldest building in the funky Gastown area, with high ceilings and windows that open, is meant to bring a team approach to every- thing that they do. And as the firm expanded to 15 lawyers and 10 support staff, it took over more of the building, but continued to largely operate in a non-hierarchical, open atmo- sphere. "There's no silos, no closed doors, you're just in a room working together. So it works for this fabulous space where the whole thing is alive all the time," says Titerle. "This office mirrors our culture." There are, of course, quiet rooms available, as well as meeting rooms and two "tele- phone booths" for when solitude is needed. The space and universal access to the natural light can also serve as a marketing tool. In designing his new space in Kelow- na, B.C., Matthew Fischer decided the win- dows should be enjoyed by everyone, so the only wall with windows became the meeting room. And with a glass interior wall, the natural light can be enjoyed by everyone in the office. Remote-controlled blinds were installed to offer clients an increased sense of privacy when necessary. The message to the clients is that the firm's two lawyers, occupying interior, window- free offices, shouldn't hog the nicest aspect of the space for themselves. After working in the space for two years, Fischer concludes it is a success. "The lion's share of what we've done worked really well."

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