LSAG Legal Briefs - Vol 2

Workplace Shifts & Strategies

ARCHITECT SURVEY 2018 RATIOS:

20%

Under 400 SF/Attorney

For the second year in a row, the survey was expanded to include responses from a dozen of the top-tier architectural firms specializing in legal sector interior design. We are pleased to provide an expanded set of statistics and benchmarks from this year’s survey that continue to support the densification of square footage, single-size offices, and many additional workplace shifts that are occurring in the industry. These shifts stress the need to improve client services, operations, and technology, while creating a more collaborative and productive work environment. Hoteling continues to grow in the legal sector. Please note that hoteling at this time is not being implemented in the legal sector to discourage attorneys to come to the office, rather it identifies ATTORNEYS WORKING MORE REMOTELY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS:

20%

401 to 500 SF/Attorney

30%

501 to 600 SF/Attorney

30%

601 to 700 SF/Attorney

the percentage of attorneys that only come to the office one to three days a week – and the consideration of these attorneys utilizing hoteling. Let’s take for example a 100-attorney firm that has 25% of its attorneys coming to the office one to three days per week. Could the firm provide 10 offices identical in size, furnishings, and technology for these 25 attorneys rather than assigning them their own office that may sit vacant 50% to 75% of the time? Absolutely. In fact, per the associate survey, their interest in hoteling grew from 23% to 26% this year alone. While hoteling concepts require some additional investment in technology, the benefits far outweigh the carry costs of real estate and for current real estate that is sitting vacant for more than 50% of the time. Firms are also looking at long-term ways to grow and densify into space versus increasing square footage — thus hoteling provides the opportunity over time to accomplish this goal. Future Trends Cushman & Wakefield began to track future trends six years ago at the inception of the survey. Over these years, we have seen significant shifts and trends become reality in operational areas of technology, paper management, hoteling, single-size

PER-ATTORNEY RATIO AT CURRENT ATTORNEY HEADCOUNT:

13%

9%

More than 1000 sf

Less than 600 sf

20%

17%

601-700 sf

901- 1000 sf

801-900 sf

701-800 sf

15%

26%

PER-ATTORNEY RATIO AT 100% OCCUPANCY:

YES , we anticipate our attorneys will work more remotely

49%

and retain their personal o ces

9%

7%

More than 900 sf

Less than 500 sf

YES , our attorneys work remotely and plan to initiate hoteling plans in the next five years

18%

12%

27%

801- 900 sf

501-600 sf

701- 800 sf

NO , we do not anticipate our attorneys will work

23%

24%

601-700 sf

remotely in the next five years

31%

20 | Legal Sector Advisory Group | ADVISING FOR EXCELLENCE