How Law Firms Can Maximise Their Office Space

Designing offices for versatility

As lawyers, on average, are expected to bill 1,500 to 2,000 hours a year, the value of creating a space where lawyers want to work is business-critical. In addition, considering the high expectations of clients and the talent shortage within the sector, we expect firms to gravitate towards operating offices to be more focused on employee and visitor experiences.

In these offices, every space needs to bring value to the activities of work: even lobbies and reception areas become defined workspaces geared towards activity-based working principles. As expected, furniture plays a critical role in encouraging behaviours and promoting tasks – from single, high backed lounge chairs for telephony privacy and laptop work to modular sofas to accommodate larger collaborative groups.

Introducing activity-based working can yield dramatic cost savings. Law firms with space densities of 800 sq ft per lawyer incorporating activity-based working practices into their offices for 25% to 50% of staff could see a reduction in floor space by up to 30% – creating huge rent savings per annum. Learn more about how we introduced new agile and activity-based working principles at the new 18,000 sq ft London HQ for Boult Wade Tennant.