Major law firms appear to be adhering to a long-term office space strategy even though many lawyers indicate a desire for something different. Even with firms enforcing a 50% in-office policy, several attorneys are seen showing up less than 25% of the time. Extravagant leasing expenditures continue unhindered, as evidenced by the largest 20-year commercial lease of 2023 in New York worth $1.46 billion held by Paul Weiss, and Davis Polk’s expansion in the city to a 25-year lease for over 700,000 sq/ft, as covered in a report by The New York Times.
Simultaneously, the prevalence of remote work continues to rise among members of the legal profession with new distributed firms sprouting up around the country. Many of these fresh market entrants are offering associate programs, retreats, practice groups and a culture of collaboration, with an added emphasis on brand quality and values – all while offering the benefits of remote work and low overhead. The question arises as to whether this new “distributed firm 2.0” model can entice more lawyers to reimagine their practice.
Recent developments suggest that remote work is gaining wider acceptance among lawyers, albeit progress is seen to lag when compared with the overall white collar markets. One plausible explanation is offered through Everett Roger’s diffusion of innovations theory and the example of the technology adoption curve. This curve provides the foundation to build around the notion of the five phases of change adoption: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. Adopting a similar curve to law firms offers a fresh perspective into the rise of remote work in the legal industry.
More recently, firms such as Scale LLP, Rimon, and Outside GC have emerged with an evolved distributed firm model. Described as the “distributed firm 2.0,” these companies combine the efficiency and recruiting opportunities of remote work with the benefits that lawyers appreciate in traditional firms. These include efficient staff for dealing, a brand centered on core practice area strengths, and a focus on collaboration and quality.
To support this insight, a recent ABA report titled “Where Does the Legal Profession Go from Here?” found that remote work is now a top priority for attorneys, with 44% of the new generation of lawyers stating they would leave their current jobs if they were unable to work remotely. Given the emphasis on quality by the newer distributed firms, attorneys seeking the benefits of remote work without sacrificed quality have sufficient options in the market to try a new model. If the trend continues, we might soon see the practice of law transitioning from the early adoption phase to the early majority phase which would be beneficial to lawyers and clients alike.
The detailed article can be found on Above The Law’s website.