Law Firms Slow to Adopt Progressive Office

San Diego

Law firms have been among the slowest industries to adopt new workplace strategies, according to the 2018 Law Firm Workplace Survey from BDO Corporate Real Estate Advisory Services. The survey shows that only 8% of law firms have adopted open or flexible seating options and none use third-party office or co-working spaces to augment their current office configurations. Additionally, law firms occupy 30% more space per employee than office users in other industries.

“Cultural change is more acute within law firms, whose affinity for traditional ways of working remains strong,” David Bradford, managing director in BDO’s Corporate Real Estate Advisory Services, tells GlobeSt.com. “There are generational factors impacting the rate of adoption. The older generation of partners, who remain very influential as part of firm leadership, view space as a right and perk. It is a sense of accomplishment to have the “corner office” as opposed to taking a more holistic view point in understanding how employees truly work.”