We believe that a law firm that is committed to its clients must bring opportunity to them. We desire a transparent environment from the start of any relationship. We ask our team to be aligned with our vision of client service and accomplish this through our Mission Statement, Core Values, Business Goals and Promises to Each Other.
Mission, Values, Goals, & Promises
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We believe in an environment that empowers teams to provide the best legal services unrestrained by the traditional law firm business model. Teams must be rewarded for exceptional results, teamwork, innovation, efficiency, process improvement and creative use of technology. Working in this way means that wherever clients are in the world, when they allow us to act on their behalf they benefit from cost predictability, measurable results and the highest possible level of service. While professional licensing requires us to be a law firm, nothing says we must act like a traditional billable hour based law firm. We cultivate a working environment that provides a humane, sustainable approach to earning a living and living in our world – for ourselves and for our clients. We are committed to reducing our costs, and our footprint on the planet, by integrating virtually and avoiding the traditional “brick and mortar” costs associated with operating a law firm. We accomplish this mission through our Core Values, Business Goals and Promises to Each Other.
We” supersedes “me”.
We look after our clients’ interests as though they are our own.
We have only open and honest and direct communication.
We have team goals and successes, not individual agendas.
We treat everyone with respect, fairness and courtesy.
We are accountable for our clients and colleagues.
We acknowledge mistakes and learn from them.
We do more with less.
We embrace and drive change.
We share our success with the team.
We create fun and encourage a little weirdness.
We nurture creativity, passion, open-mindedness and determination.
We encourage continual personal growth and learning – striving for continuous improvement.
We ask everyone to be part of building a positive team and family spirit.
We require humility.
We believe the carrot is mightier than the stick.
We agree that emotion is the enemy of success.
We have a social responsibility to our team and our community.
We strive for “yes” solutions over “no” reactions.
The highest level of ethics and professional standards.
First class legal product and client service.
Being a congenial place to work where our team cares for our work and for each other.
Service to the profession.
Charitable service.
Service to the public.
Diversity being more than an aspiration.
Empowering women in the workplace.
Good and active management.
Having team members with integrity, humor, diligence, honesty, and strong communication skills.
Operating as a team; as one firm; where client’s and the firm’s interests are more important than an individual’s interests.
Operating profitably and in a businesslike manner.
Not making profitability value judgments based solely on rate or type of work, but instead looking at all factors, including realization, timely payments, overhead, staffing models, and volume.
Providing good income for team members by compensating fairly and well.
Entrepreneurial spirit.
Expecting a reasonable contribution of 2,400 total hours to the firm per year from each full-time lawyer (total for billable and non-billable).
Continuous improvement.
Return on investment, increased firm profile, productivity and profitability.
Accountability to our clients through responsible budgets, reducing extraneous costs, adding value, and using the right outside experts and vendors judiciously.
Transparent, ethical and proactive conflict identification, management and resolution.
Transparency, information dissemination, and data sharing – everyone should have appropriate information to understand our business.
Continuity planning to create a future for those behind us.
Ease of process in file opening, new client intake, rate setting, IT, HR, accounting and marketing.
Meeting internal and external deadlines.
Remaining organizationally flat and avoiding bureaucracy.
An open and timely feedback loop.
Being proactive and not reactive.
Empowerment of leaders, managers and employees.
Mutual respect and understanding of how we present issues to one another.
Capturing comprehensive data as part of disciplined workflow process, then using data for reporting, future analysis, and business insight.
Adopting reward-based systems.
Avoiding, to the extent possible, systems that attempt to impose negative consequences to influence behavior.
Not leaving people behind as we grow.
Only growing at a pace that ensures our Mission Statement, Core Values, Business Goals, and Promises to Each Other are maintained.
Reporting to each other on, and coordination of, all marketing endeavors that use Firm resources.
We believe a collaborative team must respect each other and respect the team’s Core Values. We believe this is best accomplished with the following things we ask our team to promise each other:
To circulate materials before meetings whenever possible.
Provide reasonable and adequate notice of meetings.
To manage our schedules in order to attend important meetings.
To solicit input for meeting agendas and publish agendas beforehand.
Understanding that email is best used to transmit information not have conversations or express decision-making.
Not to negatively characterize team members in front of other team members.
Avoid presenting a “final” or “unanimous” decision without first seeking input from those affected.
Management will not undermine its managers by stepping in unnecessarily, micro managing or providing “special treatment”.
If someone raises an issue concerning another person or another person’s decision, the first question they should be asked is whether they attempted to discuss the issue with the person.
To keep minutes of management meetings.
To value all levels of contribution in all forms.
Not visiting or marketing a client without coordination with others who have a relationship with the client.
Not to use Core Values, Business Goals, or our Promises to Each Other as a sword and a shield.
To take measures to make people feel safe and valued.
To coordinate with other team members.
To stand behind those who we ask to sacrifice for the betterment of the team (and their families).
Expecting a reasonable contribution of 2400 total hours to the firm per year from each lawyer.
To acknowledge that work and the practice of law is stressful and we must do all we can reasonably do to reduce this stress on each other.
To trust our colleagues and reasonably give them the benefit of the doubt as we would a family member.
Remove emotion from decision-making.
To check ego at the door.
To nurture creativity, entrepreneurial, spirit, self-motivation and passion in each other.
To encourage and reward delegation.
To ensure written terms of engagement and proactively manage retainers.
To work as a team and timely return invoices and collect accounts receivable.
Not to deal in guilt, shame or blame.
Not to litigate against our colleagues, build a case or take their deposition.
It is ok to ask for help, a resource or assistance. No one will judge the request or view it negatively.
We are on time for meetings and strive not to adjourn them once scheduled due to one or two person’s unavailability.
We have a zero tolerance for bullies and abuse of power.
To not abuse benefits, vacation, leave or other personal time.
If we make a mistake, we acknowledge it and continually improve.
We do not surprise our colleagues with information, analysis, reports or difficult discussions.
If a difficult issue arises, we deal with it openly, honestly and immediately.
To be mindful that how we talk about others in someone’s presence may be perceived as how we talk about that person outside his or her presence.
We will be professional when we receive disappointing news, information or constructive feedback.
We do not track originations or cultivations by individual lawyers. We acknowledge shared origination and recognize the collaborative effort and mutually supportive environment.
To work together to find opportunity out of adversity.
To grow at a pace that is consensual and allows work-life balance for all team members.
To empower others and share information they need to service our clients.
To convey clear expectations.