2023 Bright Insight: The 2023 National Legal Sector Benchmark Survey Results

09 F U T U R E T R E N D S

Do you believe traditional partnership structures will exist 10 years from now?

In 10 years, we will not even recognize the new law firm structures compared to how they exist today.

In five years, do you expect it will be common for firms to opt for an open plan with no private attorney offices?

In 10 years, we will not even recognize the new law firm structures compared to how they exist today 7%

Yes, and they will stay the same as they are today 10%

Don’t know / not sure 8%

25%

60%

63%

57%

20%

20%

All Firms, 40%

40%

15%

37%

35%

10%

9%

20%

7%

5%

15%

4%

0%

Yes, but select shifts will continue to take place 75%

0%

0%

Global 100 Am Law 1 - 50

Am Law 51 - 100

Am Law 200

None of the above

Global 100 Am Law 1 - 50

Am Law 51 - 100

Am Law 200

None of the above

Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research

Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research

Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research

A shift that is happening is the openness to moving away from private attorney offices towards open plan models and/or hoteling. Forty percent of respondents in 2023 indicate it will be common for firms to move away from private attorney offices in five years. This is nearly double the share (22%) of firms that responded in such a way last year. Prior to the pandemic, only 11% of firms thought this was likely to occur. This is another point of view that varies by firm size. Over half of respondents from Global 100 and Am Law 50 firms expect this to be a reality in five years, while very few respondents (15%) outside of the Am Law 200 expect there to be no private attorney offices in five years. Hoteling is currently a discussion for many firms as they look at upcoming lease decisions, but it is still less than the norm, at least for attorneys. There are some firms moving attorneys who frequent the office less often to non-dedicated space. It is more common, however, for firms to have support staff that are now remote more than half the time and utilize shared, non-dedicated spaces when they are in the office.

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