A plot was brewing at the law office of Bisnar Chase in Newport Beach.
The scheme included clandestine meetings, top-secret emails, and a solemn vow of secrecy by all lawyers, legal assistants, managers and support staff involved—nearly everyone in the Orange County office. Everyone, that is, except the firm’s founding partner, John Bisnar, and Senior Partner Brian Chase.
“The most important thing about our plan,” says Shannon Barker, Bisnar Chase legal administrator, “was that under no circumstances could Brian—or especially John—find out what we were up to.”
There wasn’t a corporate coup in the works, despite the cloak-and-dagger aspect. Rather, Barker explains, the plan behind the plot was to create the “world’s best sendoff” for the “world’s best boss.”
Bisnar, who founded the firm as Bisnar & Associates in 1978, was retiring.
“There was really no gift we could give him that would show us what he meant to us,” Barker says. “So we decided to create an unforgettable memory for him instead.”
The all-hands group met in secret for two months to practice a song-and-dance number to perform for Bisnar. By the night of the party in April, they had perfected a customized mash-up of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” song and Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” complete with choreographed dance moves.
The celebration was held at the Balboa Bay Club, and when it came time for the customary goodbye speeches, the Bisnar Chase employees all rose together and surrounded Bisnar, enveloping him with their song.
“John was stunned,” Barker says.
She adds that after the initial surprise, he thoroughly enjoyed the performance, later saying it was the best gift they could have given him.
‘Like Family’
Serenading a retiring boss perhaps isn’t the most common retiree send-off. But as Brian Chase explains, Bisnar Chase isn’t the most common company.
“Here, everyone is treated like family,” he says.
Bisnar Chase is the Business Journal’s 2015 best place to work in the small-business category. Chase says he credits the firm’s employees with helping to create an atmosphere of respect, consideration and courtesy.
“Everyone, from management on down, really cares about our employees’ professional development.”
Gavin Long, an attorney who joined Bisnar Chase in 2012, says he appreciates the office’s positive tone.
“In other practices, there is often gossip, backstabbing, undermining each other’s work, you name it,” he says.
“Here, there is true camaraderie and respect. We work with each other,” he says, stressing the word “with.” “There is a genuine trust among everyone.”
Ned Spilsbury, a Bisnar Chase legal adviser who’s been with the firm since 1979, concurs.
“We invest time and money to try cases. It’s a commitment. We know our attorneys, and everyone here are deeply committed to our clients and will do the best job for them.”
Chase says the trust and respect that defines the office atmosphere also overflows into the relationships the firm has with its clients. The personal-injury firm works exclusively on behalf of plaintiffs and specializes in helping people who’ve been seriously hurt or lost loved ones due to an accident or defective product. The firm also represents people claiming employment discrimination.
“People enjoy being here, and that translates into the care we give our clients,” Chase says. “We are all inspired to do our best, all the time. For our clients, that means we are responsive, honest and compassionate.”
Commitment to Personal Growth
The firm provides ample opportunities for the staff’s professional and personal development, Barker says.
Nine employees went back to school this year to earn certificates and degrees. There is also an informal mentoring program that encourages employees to approach their managers anytime to share hopes for the future, as well as concerns and challenges.
“Employees feel respected, acknowledged and listened to,” Barker says.
Every other week, Bisnar Chase hosts what Barker calls “employee engagement meetings.” An employee gives a presentation at each meeting about what’s important to him or her, sometimes including topics unrelated to work.
“The topic might be cooking, fashion or travel,” Barker says. “We’ve covered all kinds of topics.”
The benefits of such presentations are multifaceted, she says.
Colleagues learn more about each other, thus creating deeper bonds, and the featured speaker has an opportunity to hone his or her presentation skills.
Recognizing employees for their efforts is also important to the firm, Barker says, and staff members are regularly acknowledged.
Each year employees who perform exceptionally well receive a trip to Maui. But thanks are not reserved just for top performers—everyone on staff enjoys the appreciation of colleagues and managers, Barker says.
“A simple, sincere ‘thank you’ means
so much.”
Openness Creates Bonds
In a field like law, where stress often goes hand-in-hand with success, conflicts can arise. Bisnar Chase employees are encouraged to say what they feel in a safe environment rather than allow a problem to fester.
By being open with each other, employees often find that their relationships are better and more productive than before, Barker says.
The bonds employees enjoy are strengthened by their commitment to improving the lives of people in the community, the firm says. The Bisnar Chase team volunteers monthly at Mary’s Kitchen, an Orange provider of food and services to homeless people; sponsors events for Mothers Against Drunk Driving; assembles backpacks for homeless people filled with sundries; and provides scholarships to aspiring law students with financial needs, among other outreach efforts.
“We do our best to give back and make life a little better for others,” Chase says.
Compassionate Professionalism
The firm’s mission statement is: To provide superior client representation in a compassionate and professional manner while making our world a safer place.
John Bisnar was seriously injured in a car accident in 1978 and received poor representation in the lawsuit, the firm’s website says. The experience left the fresh law school graduate frustrated—he knew that people deserved an understanding professional who was committed to helping them navigate the complicated legal process. He founded Bisnar & Associates in 1978 in order to offer that. It became Bisnar Chase in 1998.
The vision of compassionate professionalism has guided the firm for more than 30 years.
“Respect, acceptance, support, being supported, being acknowledged, and big appreciation,” Spilsbury says. “That’s what makes this firm special, and we know it’s pretty rare.”