57.5 F
Laguna Hills
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
-Advertisement-

‘One Firm’ Approach Treats Colleagues Like Clients

Bryan Cave LLP’s Irvine office projects a sense of elegance mingled with calm.

The reception area is warmly sophisticated, defined by sleek wood furniture, subdued colors, and floor-to-ceiling windows framing an expansive view of the buildings that make up the business center near John Wayne Airport.

The setting puts visitors at ease while creating the feeling that working with this firm is the right decision.

The partners, associates, legal secretaries, paralegals, and other staff radiate confidence and kindness in equal measure, as well as a sense of solidarity with each other.

Stuart Price, managing partner of the Irvine office, says the camaraderie between partners, associates, and staff is genuine, the result of the respect they treat each other with.

“We provide our employees with a considerable amount of discretion and latitude to do their jobs,” Price says. “There isn’t a lot of distinction between the different ranks.”

“The way that we treat each other, the way that we interact with each other, it all looks the same, whether two partners are talking to each other or a partner and file clerk are talking to each other,” adds associate James Litwinovich.

“Despite titles, despite any circumstances, everyone is there to help each other,” says receptionist Asgie Hernandez. “Everyone is respectful and courteous to each other.”

One Firm Philosophy

Bryan Cave is the Business Journal’s No. 1 best place to work in the large-company category. The law firm employs more than 2,000 people around the world, with nearly 70 in its Irvine office. It focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and securities law, with particular emphasis on multinational and domestic mergers.

“This award is an honor,” Price says, “and we’re very excited.”

He credits Bryan Cave’s commitment to valuing employees in the same manner as its clients as a key reason people find fulfillment working there.

“We are ‘One Firm,’ ” he says, referencing Bryan Cave’s mission statement, which highlights its philosophy.

Bryan Cave lawyers collaborate to bring their talents together to support clients, unhindered by geographic boundaries. If an associate in Irvine can provide assistance or knowledge to a lawyer in any Bryan Cave office in North America, Europe and Asia—there are 25 of them—he or she does so without hesitation, Price and Litwinovich say.

“A file clerk in Miami really helped me out with a big transaction a few months ago,” Litwinovich says. “And it’s because we have this wide berm that we can reach out like that. It’s the same sort of openness throughout the firm.”

Creating Better Culture

“There are strong roots in the office that lead us to be this way,” Price says, “We’ve always been kind and respectful. Our goal is to foster even stronger interoffice relationships that are even more productive.”

Price hired a leading expert on civility in the workplace two years ago to give a presentation at the Irvine office.

“It was interesting to hear her explain the benefits civility brings and how a lack of civility creates avoidable problems,” Price says.

Then the team crafted a code of civility of its own.

“Very much in the style of our firm, everyone worked together. We broke into teams, all mixed together, to come up with the guiding principles that we felt were most important,” Price recalls.

The 10 rules included, saying “please” and “thank you,” acknowledging and valuing opinions, and being kind, no matter the conditions. The rules were literally etched in stone—a plaque is prominently displayed in the firm’s lobby, where visitors pass it as they enter.

“It’s a reminder that we can touch,” Price says.

The code of civility is specific to the Irvine office, but as Senior Marketing Coordinator Mackie Wood points out, “This speaks to the spirit of Bryan Cave across the firm, both nationally and internationally, in that we treat our colleagues like we treat our best clients. We have a rooted, deep respect for each other in all of our offices.”

Beyond Benefits

Having a warm office environment takes work, firm leaders say.

“In general, being with a law firm is sort of like being an air traffic controller,” Price says. “Constant time pressure, very heavy stakes, all day, every day. So you have to work extra hard to make it a place people like to work.”

Bryan Cave offers an industry-competitive benefits package and has also developed several ways to show employees they’re appreciated.

It holds monthly town-hall-style meetings to celebrate people’s work anniversaries and birthdays and to recognize people’s role in the firm’s latest successes. A yearly staff appreciation week features catered lunches, raffles, and activities designed to show appreciation for everyone’s contributions.

Management acknowledges that as hard as its associates and staff work, the firm wants to encourage work-life balance. It has flex-time arrangements for its lawyers that allow them to work an 80% or 90% schedule. That works especially well, Price says, for those with young children.

Creating opportunities for professional development are also key.

Senior partner Steve Sunshine created an extensive internal training program called Coaching the Coaches eight years ago that focuses on helping attorneys in the firm acquire new business. Nearly 1,000 lawyers have been through it, as well as some paralegals and administrative staff. The program is practiced throughout the firm.

The Bryan Cave Business Academy was created in 2013 to teach associates out of law school for less than three years the business of law: billings, collections, finances, and all of the components that contribute to a smooth-running firm. They learn how to support multiple segments of law, from corporate to litigation. The academy also gives new attorneys opportunities to develop innovative ideas that use technology to better service clients.

The relationships that Bryan Cave fosters among its employees translate to strong relationships with clients, firm leaders say.

“Our core values define who we are,” Price says. “And that’s consistent across the board—partner, associate, legal staff, file clerks, and client. We treat everyone with the same respect, appreciation, and kindness.”

Want more from the best local business newspaper in the country?

Sign-up for our FREE Daily eNews update to get the latest Orange County news delivered right to your inbox!

-Advertisement-

Featured Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-

Related Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-