BigLaw firm abandons the corner office in its new egalitarian digs
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Nixon Peabody is abandoning tradition and embracing a millennial mindset in its new Washington, D.C., office.
All offices–for paralegals, associates and partners—will be the same size, the Washington Post reports. They will be outfitted with adjustable standing desks, if requested, and one guest chair. And no one will get a corner office. Those spaces will instead be dedicated to group meeting rooms.
In the old offices, top lawyers enjoyed “palatial space” in corner offices with private conference tables and good views, according to the Post. The new space isn’t quite like offices used by tech companies in Silicon Valley, replete with ping pong tables and climbing walls. But the new offices are a first for a BigLaw firm, according to the story.
The new office has a grand lobby with a living green wall. A different video wall will showcase the firm’s good work. The power comes from solar panels. Women who pump breast milk can retreat to “a well-appointed wellness room.”
The new offices are designed to attract younger lawyers, and they carry an added benefit—office space is reduced by about a third, saving money for the law firm.
Nixon Peabody chief executive Andrew Glincher told the Post the firm decided it needed to adapt to millennials’ preferences to attract and retain top talent. The story cites surveys showing millennials prefer a flatter power structure and want to feel they are part of something with a positive impact.
“Several years ago, the attitude of law-firm partners was, ‘Millennials are going to have to be like us,’ ” Glincher told the Post. “But very quickly, they learned, they’re not going to be like us. And we need to adapt.”
