What This Law Firm Has Learned From Being Remote for 20 Years

Businesses can’t survive without managing change effectively, and there’s been no greater change recently than the cultural shift towards remote working—initially forced by global lockdowns, but then embraced by workers as the norm.

I co-founded and managed the world’s first and largest distributed law firm, with partners based in the US and UK and active across global markets. I’ve experienced remote work’s pros and cons for 21 years—they’re not easily navigated.

At FisherBroyles, we have learned fundamental lessons that allowed us to survive and thrive before, during, and beyond the pandemic. One of the greatest lessons is the importance of protecting the innovative model that has enabled so much success.

Remote working can be good for business and good for work-life balance. Studies have shown working remotely can increase productivity up to 77%. We also know it increases a firm’s profitability via lower real estate and reduced workplace liability costs, while employees benefit from less commuting and other ancillary costs.

Remote working also allows more labor flexibility and a healthier work-life balance—something much of the legal world has been requesting for years. It allows a firm to move away from unnecessarily long hours and a presenteeism culture.

We have seen great results at FisherBroyles, with dividends of improved productivity and efficiency created by our unique distributed model. The time and energy our partners save by simply not commuting daily is staggering. This energy is redeployed into providing an even higher quality service for our clients.

Culturally, we have found a silenced phone is more acceptable than a closed office door. Fewer work distractions means better and more efficient work. This benefits our clients, but also our partners who see the value of dynamic working practices.

It is no surprise in-demand talent seeks to switch to working remotely, particularly as they see their law firms—typically big corporate firms—prioritizing expensive offices and justifying poorly considered property leases over employees’ well-being.

This changing dynamic within the legal talent market is relatively new. Twenty years ago, as the firm was growing and we were building our global network of partners, the mindset of many attorneys was very different. They couldn’t conceive of a big law firm without a major bricks and mortar presence.

Fortunately, our early partners could appreciate the benefits: the flexibility, transparent compensation, reduced commuting time, and were willing to embrace our firm’s revolutionary model.

Regardless of the reasons for adopting a distributed model, remote working requires the right approach, with a refined focus on accountability and responsibility. At other law firms, partners may need to reconsider performance metrics such as billing quotas if they provide younger workers with the opportunity to work remotely.

At FisherBroyles, our unique, formula-based approach to compensation means partners are incentivized to optimize our distributed model. Some may describe this as eat-what-you-kill, and there is an element of truth to this—it is certainly a key reason behind our decision to focus hiring on experienced partners, rather than associates.

However, we marry this with a collaborative approach to combining areas of expertise, which means clients always receive the highest quality of service.

This collaborative approach is equally top-of-mind when it comes to compensation, with partners receiving recurring referral fees for work originating from their practice but passed on to another partner at the firm—a win-win for all involved.

Collaboration is also critical when considering another great workforce challenge faced by law firms and global corporates generally—mental health. Exacerbated by the pandemic, the effect of remote working on mental health can be detrimental if not managed correctly.

Cognizant of this, we implemented various supportive touchpoints to check-in on our colleagues. We use Zoom meetings and wellness checks—such as bi-weekly coffee chats—to ensure team members get the support and interaction they need. Other solutions are management check-ins, annual retreats, and reinforcing open communication to foster collaboration and social stimulation.

Underpinning any attempt to embrace remote working is a need to get the technology right. While at FisherBroyles we have over two decades of experience in this field, many law firms in the pandemic were forced into quick decisions with little preparation.

Tools such as innovative virtual meeting options, video calling, and collaborative break out rooms may seem obvious, but equally important are support services—accounting, IT, HR, risk management—and making sure they all function correctly. They cannot be an afterthought, or law firms will quickly discover they waste many of remote working’s efficiency gains.

In the same vein, technology needs to be reviewed regularly to make sure partners can be as efficient as possible and the firm can retain the competitive advantage of successfully embracing technology.

For example, when founding the firm over two decades ago, collaborative technologies that are now so common-place weren’t available. Instead, we had to be highly organized and rely on email and phone systems—as many law firms still do!

Over time we’ve updated our systems, incorporating virtual meetings and video calling, among other technologies—with the relentless focus on improving efficiency giving us an edge when faced with the disruption of the pandemic and the changed world it created.

Recent years only herald the beginning of the remote working revolution. Much of the workforce in the legal industry have tried it and see it as part of their future. Firms need to act now to stay ahead of this trend, or risk becoming overtaken by more agile, flexible competition.

Remote working requires a clear and focused plan to get right. But those who rise to the challenge have the opportunity to lead the way with a measured success that sets them apart.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law and Bloomberg Tax, or its owners.

Author Information

Kevin Broyles co-founded FisherBroyles in 2002 and has played a key role in managing, adapting, and growing the remote law firm model.

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