In Part One of this series of posts, we examined the ways that some law firms are using workplace design strategies to help transform the office from a cost of doing business to an actual profit enabler. In Part Two, we will look at how law firms are updating their workplace strategies to accommodate the evolution of user expectations.

Economic factors are forcing change

It’s getting harder to make a buck these days in the legal world, though certainly some firms are doing better than others. On average, here’s what the numbers show:

Cost reduction strategies: The times, they are a-changin’

Financially successful law firms have adopted many operational changes to reduce costs and boost profitability, including:

Many firms—including 32 percent of the top 200 U.S. law firms—are reducing their footprints or rearranging their existing spaces to reduce costs. Such activities include:

Pursue a concept of office space that actually makes money for the firm

Cost-reduction measures can have a positive effect on profitability, but cost reduction alone can only do so much. Our research findings lead us to believe that a significant opportunity lies in transforming the law office into an environment that enhances the ability of the firm’s revenue generators to do their jobs more effectively and more enjoyably, which in turn can boost profitability.

So how can you refine the business objectives of your law office space? Consider what you can do to:

Stay tuned for Part Three of our series, in which we’ll discuss how firms are rethinking the law office design paradigm for a new breed of lawyer.

Also: Read Part One | Read Part Three

As president of National Office Services for Colliers, Cynthia Foster leads our national office platform across multiple service lines, including capital markets, tenant representation, leasing agency, property management and valuation.