Moving to a new “beat”: how law firms are rethinking office design and support functions

February 07, 2025

The legal industry has undergone a seismic shift in recent years, with the COVID-19 pandemic serving as a catalyst for sweeping changes in how law firms approach their workspaces and support staff structures. At Williams Lea’s first Legal Operations and Administration Forum (LOAF) of 2025, hosted at Shoosmiths’ office in London, industry experts gathered to share their insights on navigating this evolving landscape. Ken Bundy, Creative Director at Claremont Group Interiors and Jenni Morrissey, Solutions Director at Williams Lea offered a glimpse into the strategies and design principles that are shaping the future of legal workplaces. Valuable additional insight was provided by Simon Taylor, Director of Property and Workplace at Shoosmiths and Simon Campion, Director at Claremont; with our chairperson, Chris Bull, Principal, Consultant, and leading industry expert moderating the discussion. Here are the top takeaways from the event:

Unlocking productivity by designing workspaces for individual rhythms

Post COVID, law firms have recognized the importance of moving away from the previously established 9-to-5 routine, to designing workspaces around the unique needs and preferences of individual employees. Ken Bundy explained the concept of “the beat,” which emphasizes the need to understand each employee’s preferences and create a workspace that caters to their unique requirements. “Everybody’s different. I have my own beat, and I like to feel that beat when I go to work. I want to go to work, but I want work to be different, said Bundy. “Everybody has a different rhythm. You, I and everybody will react to different things. So, it is about a balance. You’ve got to be practical. I think the good thing about this is bringing inclusivity into what you’re thinking.”

This concept of “the beat” emphasizes the need to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to office design. Bundy stressed the importance of looking beyond data to understand the rhythms and activities of each employee “We’ve got to look at the human angle, not just the data. It’s about understanding your colleagues, their ‘beat’ – what makes them tick. It’s not just about the workplace anymore; it’s about understanding the individual rhythms of your team. What do they do in a day? What do they need? We’ve got to look at their calendars, see what their activities are, and design spaces that truly engage them, that make them want to come in. Because, let’s face it, forcing people back isn’t the answer. It’s about creating an environment where they feel valued, where they can be productive, and where they can connect with their colleagues. That’s the ‘beat,’ and that’s what we need to design for.”

The future of legal support is flexible, remote and technology-enabled, offering centralized hubs with highly skilled expertise

Another crucial aspect of the discussion centered on the changing role of support staff within law firms. As Jenni Morrissey of Williams Lea highlighted, the shift towards more centralized, specialized support functions is accelerating. “We now see this new support model that seems to be emerging, with a solid, centralized team function,” Morrissey explained, encompassing areas like document production, admin support, office services, and financial support services. “We still have resources sat within direct teams, working very closely with the lawyers, but they now have the option to delegate lower level, process heavy tasks to specialized support teams, allowing them to focus on high value, and potentially chargeable activity.” This evolution has led to a rise in lawyer to direct support staff ratios, with firms now aiming for as high as eight to one, and in some cases, even reaching ten to one in lower-volume areas.

Morrissey also noted that this shift has allowed direct support staff, particularly Executive Assistants (EAs), to become “mini paralegals,” taking on more high-value tasks. This elevation of the EA role reflects a growing recognition of their value in streamlining processes, improving efficiencies, and freeing lawyers to focus on billable work. Furthermore, the rise of centralized teams creates specialized roles like “document specialists” and “billing executives,” increasing expertise and reducing risk by avoiding over-reliance on any single individual.

Morrissey also pointed out that technology, evolving work models, and a growing emphasis on efficiency will continue to rapidly transform the legal support landscape. Law firms need to remain adaptable and embrace new approaches to support staffing, including remote work, centralization, outsourcing, and tech-enablement, to stay competitive and retain talent. “Law firms and their support models have been through so much change over the last decade, and have evolved even more so since COVID.  I’d recommend tightening your seat belts,” said Morrissey, “because the change train isn’t stopping.”

Finding the Friday formula: Balancing flexibility and collaboration in the modern law firm

Law firms today face a core challenge: How to foster a thriving, collaborative culture while also embracing the growing demand for flexible work, especially on Fridays. There was a concern among the law firm leaders at the event that we may have now “lost Fridays to the weekend,” as attractive office spaces alone are no longer enough to draw employees in for the fifth workday. As Chris Bull noted, “We must be getting to a point now where there’s lots of people who’ve never been in the office on Friday, who don’t even know what it’s like.”

The key lies in creating a purpose for office attendance, transforming it from an obligation to a destination. This might involve strategically scheduling team meetings, offering valuable training sessions, hosting engaging social events, or facilitating crucial client interactions. Understanding employee motivations—why they choose to come in, or why they don’t—is far more valuable than simply measuring desk occupancy. This shift towards activity-based working and hot-desking, where shared spaces replace assigned desks, demands careful planning and a nuanced understanding of team dynamics. As an audience member, also an operational leader at a leading UK law firm participant pointed out, “Ultimately, we need to find out what’s blocking people from coming to the office on a Friday. You’ve got to understand your people, understand why they’re coming in on some days and not others, understand what their options are. Leaders have become a bit scared of challenging people’s behaviors. But I’m not looking to take away their ability to work with flexibility. I’m looking for them to buy into the fact that we’re a business that must deliver to our clients.”

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