1.
Remote Work is Not a Phase in Legal
Set audio to “Computer” for the demo
February 2021
Maureen Blando
maureen@mobilehelix.com

2.
Profit Per Equity Partner Nov. 2019 v. 2020
2

3.
3
Monthly Billing Volume
Source: “COVID-19's Impact on the Legal Industry,” Clio

4.
New Matter Volume
4
Source: COVID-19's Impact on the Legal Industry, Clio

5.
Expense Growth 2109-2020
5

6.
Amid 2020 Expense Cuts, Technology &
Knowledge Management Were Up
6
“2021 Report on the State of Legal Market,” Thomson Reuters & Georgetown Law

7.
84% of partners surveyed expect their
firms to increase investments in
technology
7
“2021 Report on the State of Legal Market,” Thomson Reuters & Georgetown Law

8.
Cost Management
▪ Marketing & Bus Dev
▪ Real Estate
▪ Delay of Associates
▪ Recruiting Costs
▪ Travel & Ent
▪ Furloughs
8

9.
PPP - WOW
9
Loan Amount Business City State Jobs
$10,000,000.00 MAYNARD COOPER & GALE, PC. BIRMINGHAM AL 465
$10,000,000.00 DAY PITNEY LLP HARTFORD CT 477
$10,000,000.00 COLE SCOTT & KISSANE PA MIAMI FL 500
$10,000,000.00 BOIES SCHILLER FLEXNER LLP BOCA RATON FL 490
$10,000,000.00 GRAY ROBINSON PA ORLANDO FL 500
$10,000,000.00 GERALD SHAPIRO LLC BANNOCKBURN IL 472
$10,000,000.00 ROBINS KAPLAN LLP MINNEAPOLIS MN 479
$10,000,000.00 FREDRIKSON & BYRON MINNEAPOLIS MN 500
$10,000,000.00
KASOWITZ BENSON TORRES
LLP
NEW YORK NY 402
$10,000,000.00 THOMPSON & KNIGHT DALLAS TX 476
$10,000,000.00 VON BRIESEN & ROPER MILWAUKEE WI 340
14,363 firms received over $150,000. 36 recd over $8M
“Law Firms That Received PPP Loans,” Gerben Law

10.
Attorney WFH Interest Grew
▪ Attorneys – Remote Work Option1
▪ Pre-pandemic: 37% expressed interest
▪ Currently: 76% favor the option
▪ 85% of lawyers now want to work at least one day
a week from home2
10
1.“2021 Report on the State of Legal Market,” Thomson Reuters & Georgetown Law
2. “Lawyers put in 20 extra work days when working from home,” Legal Cheek, Aishah Hussain,
January 8, 2021

11.
The Commute
Legal workers are saving
an average of 85 mins per
day
▪ 36 mins extra on work
▪ 49 mins on leisure
▪ 20 more days of work per
year from home
▪ 27 gained days in free
time
11
Source: Legal Cheek: https://www.legalcheek.com/2021/01/lawyers-put-in-20-extra-work-days-when-working-from-home/

12.
Almost two-thirds (63%) of legal
workers are hoping for hybrid-working
— a blend of office and remote work
Less than 22% would want to work 100% from home.
12
“Lawyers put in 20 extra work days when working from home,” Legal Cheek, Aishah Hussain, January 8, 2021

13.
Need for Disaster Preparedness
COVID-19 Variants
Floods, hurricanes,
snow, fires,
earthquakes
13

14.
Lessons
▪ Rethinking of office space
▪ Save 3.5 percent of revenue by renegotiating leases
▪ Most important asset of any firm is its people
▪ Attention to wellness and work-life balance
▪ Importance of staff
▪ Importance of strong firm culture
▪ Sound financial practices: time-keeping, billing,
collections
▪ New models of practice, including collaboration
▪ Productivity issues with poor performing attorneys:
widespread & costly
▪ In-person still matters
14

15.
Outlook
▪ Expect to be back to “normal” 3Q 2021
▪ Pre-COVID variant survey
▪ Darwin: The species which survive are the most
adaptable
▪ Will law firms change?
▪ US economic outlook is very strong for 2H 2021
(4.2% 2021, FOMC)
▪ Majority of law firms are optimistic about 2021
▪ Both economic factors & attorney preference suggest
that remote work will continue in a hybrid model
15

16.
2021 Report on the State of the Legal Market
Thomson Reuters & Georgetown Law
16
Recommended
Reading

17.
Resources with Links
1. “2021 Report on the State of the Legal Market,” Thomson
Reuters Institute and Georgetown Law Center on Ethics and
the Legal Profession
2. “Was the Pandemic A Tipping Point for Law Firms?” LawNext
podcast, Bob Ambrogi Interview of James W. Jones, Senior
Fellow at Georgetown and Director of Program on Trends in
Law Practice
3. “Lawyers put in 20 extra work days when working from home,”
Legal Cheek, Aishah Hussain, January 8, 2021
4. “COVID-19's Impact on the Legal Industry,” Clio
5. “2020 Clio Legal Trends Report”
6. Law Firms That Received PPP Loans, Gerben Law
17

18.
Thank You!
www.mobilehelix.com
maureen@mobilehelix.com