We continue our bi-monthly column,听, created by Rose Ors for the 成人VR视频 Institute. Each installment will feature conversations with law firm leaders about how they are guiding their law firms in today鈥檚 dramatically changing and highly competitive legal industry.

In this installment, Rose Ors speaks with Jeff Cody, U.S. Managing Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright,听about managing through the pandemic, the future of remote work, and nurturing loyalty.

Rose Ors: You became the firm鈥檚 U.S. managing partner in January 2020. What were your key priorities at the time?

Jeff Cody: A constant priority, of course, is the firm鈥檚 financial success. That said, I began my tenure with a deep focus on our people. After 30 years at Norton Rose Fulbright, I have long viewed the firm as a family.

So, the question that was top of mind then and now is, 鈥淗ow can I empower each person in the firm to grow and prosper with us?鈥� To answer the question, I began a listening tour by visiting our U.S. offices and posing variations of the question to our lawyers and staff. The process was very helpful, and the conversations gave me a better understanding of what our people wanted for and from their law firm.

A second goal was to assure our people that the management team and I would continue to lead our firm transparently. Our firm has always worked hard to share as much information about the firm as possible with all of its members. We hold separate monthly meetings 鈥� now all virtual, of course 鈥� with the partnership, our non-partner lawyers, and our staff. In these meetings, we share financial statements, hiring plans, and other programs, explaining the what, how, and why of each.

Rose Ors: What has been the impact of these monthly meetings during the pandemic?

Jeff Cody: The pandemic has made these videoconferences even more critical. These meetings have become a way to make everyone feel we are all rowing the boat together. We have succeeded in navigating these times because everyone at the firm is working together as a team. I am very proud of how well we are meeting the challenge of working remotely.

A question I am focused on now, is how can we, as a firm, continue to feel connected and plugged in when we are not in the office. To that end, we are exploring ways to increase engagement in our communications. It is a work-in-progress.

Rose Ors: What have been the positives of remote work?

Jeff Cody: For many of us, the positives include the time saved by not commuting and traveling for work. Many have found they can be efficient and productive even while working remotely. Many have enjoyed the extra time with family.

Another benefit has been the pride each member of the firm feels about how we鈥檝e weathered the storm together. The 鈥渢rial by fire鈥� has brought everyone closer to each other.

Rose Ors: Is the firm looking to formalize a remote work policy?

Jeff Cody: We are currently drafting the policy and plan to roll it out in the next 30 to 60 days. The process has been one of balancing two competing interests. One is the desire to work remotely and enjoy the benefits that we just talked about. The other interest is how working remotely lessens our personal connections and affects our associates鈥� training and development.

In the office, there is an opportunity for spontaneous interactions among our people. For example, a partner walks into an associate鈥檚 office to talk about a matter they are working on, and the conversation sparks one, two, or three new assignments. That face-to-face dialogue is not happening anymore. So, we need to replace happenstance with intentionality. Similarly, it is much harder to expose younger lawyers to the nuances of the practice of law 鈥� how to have meaningful client conversations, how to exercise prudence and judgment 鈥� if they are not physically in the room.

Rose Ors: Have the associates had an input in drafting the policy?

Jeff Cody: I have spoken with members of the various associate committees to try to work out a policy that offers room for remote work options. I have been pleasantly surprised by how these young lawyers understand that working in the office is essential to building strong working relationships with other members of the firm and enhancing their career development and trajectory. We are just going to have to experiment before we get it right.

Rose Ors: Turning to firm culture, how has that helped you lead during these times?

Jeff Cody: We have a deep-rooted sense of loyalty to each other and to the firm. We see ourselves as a community of people who care about each other. We trust each other. The pandemic鈥檚 鈥渢rial by fire鈥� has only strengthened our loyalty.

Time and time again, I witnessed our people go above and beyond the call of duty to keep things running smoothly. Our staff has been the backbone of this effort. They made sure the mail was handled. They delivered important documents to our lawyers and our clients regardless of distance. They helped our lawyers with their tech questions. It has been an incredible thing to watch.

Rose Ors: How do you establish and nurture loyalty?

Jeff Cody: It starts with trusting the person who leads. The people in the firm have to trust me, my vision, and my judgment. The way you create trust is through transparency. During my listening tour in early 2020, I gave a number of talks and presentations where I kept coming back to this concept of transparency and servant leadership. I am here to serve. As I said, our firm is a family. One of my key roles is to ensure that members of the firm grow and flourish.

Rose Ors: How did you develop your approach to leadership?

Jeff Cody: I care about people, and I believe in being a team player. As a kid, I played team sports and learned that how the team performed was more important than how I performed. I was taught that you sacrificed for the team. To me, that was the right thing to do. It was natural to me then and now.

This interview has been edited and condensed by Rose Ors.

In this installment, Rose Ors speaks with Timothy Volpe, Executive Committee Chair, and Guilford (Gif) Thornton, Managing Partner of about the value of sticking to your strategic plan, fostering a collaborative culture, and making today (and tomorrow) a good day.

Rose Ors: Your management structure splits responsibility for developing strategy and implementing it. Could you describe how the firm is structured and the benefits of that approach?

Tim Volpe:听Our executive committee 鈥� composed of six partners who serve three-year terms 鈥� functions as a board of directors and is responsible for setting strategy. The committee develops our five-year strategic plan and selects a managing partner to implement that plan.听They also select a chair on an annual basis from among the committee members.

The managing partner is freed of all client responsibilities and focuses solely on managing the firm, including the appointment of practice group leaders. The managing partner is assisted by a professional staff who oversee operations 鈥� finance, human relations, marketing, and technology. The team reports to a chief operating officer, who in turn reports to the managing partner.

Many law firms combine the role of chairman and managing partner. We separate those roles because it promotes a more dynamic leadership corps and a clearer line between policy-making and implementation.

Rose Ors: What was the rationale for setting only a three-year term for the executive committee members and an annual term for the chair?听

Gif Thornton: A distinguishing characteristic of our firm is that we offer many leadership opportunities and ways for new firm members to have their voices heard. The shorter terms allow for the influx of new ideas and viewpoints. To ensure leadership continuity we stagger the terms such that two members of the executive committee roll on and two roll off each year. The chair can be elected to more than one term and typically serves consecutive terms.

One of the things that attracted me to the firm initially was the opportunity to find my way into leadership. I joined in 2005, was elected to the Executive Committee immediately and in 10 years was the managing partner. Tim joined the firm in 2013 and, within six years, was the chair.

Rose Ors: When you became managing partner Gif, what were your initial priorities?

Gif Thornton:听My first priority was to transition my practice and ensure that my clients鈥� interests were advanced in the process. The truth is, that took a couple of years.

My other priorities were determined by our five-year strategic plan. Our firm closely adheres to our strategic plan 鈥� a fact that legal consultants who we have worked with tell us is rare. Having this discipline was a real benefit for me coming into the managing partner role. The priorities outlined in the plan are essentially my to-do list for the upcoming year. That has been the case every year since.

Rose Ors: What are the priorities for each of you now?

Tim Volpe:听My top priority has been developing our new strategic plan. We are trying to look ahead as best we can while dealing with the uncertain present. We recently were able to conduct the first face-to-face meetings of our executive committee and strategic planning committee. Meeting in person certainly has helped us push the plan to the finish line.

Gif Thornton:听My priorities are two things that our current strategic plan could not have foreseen. First, to continue to flourish as a firm amid this pandemic. Second, to capture the lessons learned as they are happening.

We decided early on that we needed to embrace the new normal, whatever it is, instead of trying to cling to survival until things get back to 鈥渘ormal.鈥� Our mindset is to make today a good day, and when things are different tomorrow, make that a good day, too.

Rose Ors: What changes have you made in response to the pandemic, and what are some of the positive outcomes of these changes?

Gif Thornton:听Working remotely was a significant change for us. Having our staff work from home was of particular concern because we did not want to risk anyone working long hours and not receiving proper overtime compensation.

Another concern was how to prevent anyone at the firm from feeling isolated. So, we changed how we communicate. We now have a 15-minute Wednesday morning virtual meeting of the entire firm. We update everyone on the firm’s current issues and feature a couple of people talking about what is happening with them personally. It is a small way to humanize this collective experience and remind everyone we are in this together, even when we are apart physically.

A positive outcome that I particularly appreciate as a managing partner is that the crisis has caused the firm’s partners to be more responsive to management policies, requests, and guidelines. Before the pandemic, the partners might have been casual about a billing deadline or the need to complete a cybersecurity prevention exercise. Now all the partners have a heightened sense of the importance of doing these tasks. The collective feeling is, “We’re facing an external threat, and we need to do our part to overcome the threat.”

Rose Ors: How would you describe the firm’s culture?

Tim Volpe:听The hallmark of our culture is collaboration and teamwork. We manage the firm by practice groups rather than by individually measuring our 18 offices’ financial results. We encourage cross-selling and working among all of our offices. I think one year Gif told me I had worked with 42 different lawyers in the firm despite my office in Jacksonville having only eight lawyers.

I experienced the benefits of teamwork within my first month of joining the firm. A public relations client in Jacksonville wanted to use a particular song in advertising the Florida Lottery. I called one of our Nashville lawyers who worked on Music Row. He traced how ownership rights to the song had been transferred and knew how to obtain approval to use the song. My client thought I was a hero.

Rose Ors: How would each of you describe the other’s leadership style?

Tim Volpe:听Gif’s is analytic. He is also incredibly astute about political issues. He can maneuver through a thicket of people’s differing views in a sensitive way, but with a backbone to it.

Gif Thornton:听Tim is a good listener who thinks before he speaks, a trait that lends great credibility to what he says when he does speak. He does a terrific job of eliciting input from each person in the room and getting them to talk candidly. No one can complain after a meeting that they could not say what they wanted to say. That leads to good decision-making.

This interview has been edited and condensed by Rose Ors.

We continue our bi-monthly column,听, created by Rose Ors for 成人VR视频. Each installment will feature conversations with law firm CEOs or Managing Partners about how they are leading their law firms in today鈥檚 dramatically changing and highly competitive legal industry.

In this installment, Rose Ors speaks with Esther Cho, of (KYL), a law firm that serves the Western United States and Pacific Rim. In March, Cho was named Chair of the firm鈥檚 Executive Committee.

Rose Ors: What is KYL’s culture?

Esther Cho: First, we are a group that genuinely cares for each other. We are also a group that knows each other very well. Eighty percent of our lawyers have spent their entire careers at KYL. So, it is no exaggeration to say that we have grown up together. We have attended each other’s weddings and raised our children together. Some people even vacation together. So, when people say we are collegial, it is an understatement.

We also have a strong culture of respect. Every member of our firm knows that they have a voice and that it will be heard. Respect is foundational to our culture.

Finally, we are intentional about creating an environment of belonging. We hold not only partner retreats, but associate retreats and staff retreats. Before the pandemic, most of us would regularly gather for lunch. Sometimes work happens during these lunches, but mostly we talk about our personal lives. These daily gatherings foster an environment of closeness and mutual respect.

Rose Ors: What does collaboration look like within the firm?

Esther Cho: I believe that true collaboration only happens when every team member feels comfortable offering their ideas and opinions. And they do here. We genuinely value every member of our team’s skills and contributions, from the most senior partner to our newest staff member. For example, one of my closest friends and chief collaborators is a senior paralegal whose contributions on a case or project are unparalleled. Our founding partner considers a paralegal who has worked with him on numerous litigation cases to be the best 鈥渓awyer鈥� he has ever known.

It gets back to our culture of respect. All voices are welcomed and encouraged.

Rose Ors: Clients continue to push for law firms to become more efficient and cost-effective. How are you meeting these expectations?

Esther Cho: Our goal is to meet or beat expectations before they are expressed. That starts with looking at the relationship and each matter through the client’s lens. For many clients, success is settling a case as soon as possible. If we can do that with one phone call, we will. For other clients or specific matters, the preferred path is to take the dispute to trial and a verdict. Our strategy will depend on what our clients consider a win. But in every scenario, we employ the most efficient and cost-effective approach.

We also successfully partner with clients on alternative fee arrangements (AFAs), whether they be single case AFAs or AFAs across large portfolios of similar matters. Likewise, we have worked with law companies when doing so would be the most efficient and cost-effective way of handling a client matter.

Rose Ors: KYL was recently recognized as a midsize law firm that is “punching way above their weight.” Why is that recognition important to the firm?”

Esther Cho: It was a special honor because it was our clients’ responses to a national survey that garnered us that accolade. The firm has also been recognized for its custom workflow automation solutions designed by (KP Labs) for clients.

KP Labs started as a value-added service for our financial services clients, automating the effective handling of early dispute resolution matters. The legal process automation expertise developed at KP Labs augments our firm’s capabilities and builds deeper relationships with our clients by providing value before, during, and after litigation.

Rose Ors: How would you describe your leadership philosophy?

Esther Cho: I am a consensus builder. It is an approach that aligns well with the culture of the firm. As a part of our Executive Committee and now as its Chair, I elicit feedback from all levels of the firm. Listening to and understanding the concerns, ideas, and opinions of our firm’s members is critical. I especially value the time I spend talking to people one-on-one and in small groups because that’s when people are not afraid to speak frankly and broach new ideas and concepts.

I also gravitate towards a coaching approach to leadership. I enjoy getting to know the individuals on my teams, learning their strengths, and identifying areas where they need to improve. The approach allows me to assign them projects where their strengths can shine or where they will have the opportunity to improve a weakness.

Rose Ors: You were named Executive Committee Chair just before the pandemic struck. How are you leading the firm remotely?

Esther Cho: I lead in the same way I’ve always led 鈥� I listen more than talk. The only difference is that I’ve been more intentional in reaching out to people during this challenging time. I also have more “contact” with attorneys in other offices since Zoom knows no geography. This has been one of the positive outcomes of working from home.

However, having to quickly pivot from working at the office to working remotely has had its challenges. But we adapted quickly and continue pursuing programs that were important to us. For example, while other firms eliminated or shortened their summer program, we still held our summer program because it is an integral part of our firm culture.

And our summer associate team did an outstanding job of making it a great experience for both the students and the lawyers. They organized small group Zoom events that allowed students and attorneys to interact and have fun. Some of the popular events were virtual murder mystery night, paint & sip night, and the traditional partner/clerk dinner.

Rose Ors: Why did the firm decide to be part of the Community of Legal Interns (CLI)?

Esther Cho: Diversity and inclusion are important to us. It is important to me. So, when Connie Brenton 鈥� a person who needs no introduction 鈥� asked if we would support what she describes as a 鈥榗ommunity-based movement to connect students and employers committed to increasing diversity and inclusion,鈥� we immediately agreed.

The conversation with Connie was timely because our firm had only weeks before decided to establish a paid internship for diverse first-year law students and to recruit from a wider range of schools. Connie was impressed with students she had met at Southern University Law Center, so our firm decided to partner with that school. Our commitment to hiring a 1L summer intern from Southern was one of the first steps in what ultimately become today鈥檚 CLI.

This interview has been edited and condensed by Rose Ors.

In this installment, Rose Ors talks to Jonathan Skeeters, Managing Partner at , a 150-year-old law firm with 500 lawyers among 10 offices in six states, mostly in the South, and the District of Columbia.

Rose Ors: You became managing partner in September 2018. How did you spend your first 90 days?

Jon Skeeters: I visited all of our offices to have as many face-to-face meetings as I could with our partners on what I called my barnstorming tour. My goal was to better understand their practice and the support they needed. The meetings were also designed to get my partners thinking and talking about the direction of the firm. Those conversations were opportunities to start sketching out our next strategic plan, which we developed in the spring of 2019.

My other priority during that initial period was to open our Dallas office, which was the last major step in our then-existing strategic plan. We successfully opened Dallas on January 1, 2019, and we have experienced steady growth in Dallas over the past year.

Rose Ors: Why do you think it was important to have those conversations in person?

Jon Skeeters: Leading a law firm requires developing consensus. You can create a consensus by building relationships with your partners and gaining their trust and confidence in you. I think the best way to do that is face-to-face. I am fortunate I didn鈥檛 begin my tenure during this pandemic.

Rose Ors: How has the firm managed during the pandemic?

Jon Skeeters: Initially, like most firms, we went into crisis management mode. We went back to emphasizing the fundamentals, simple things like billing your time, getting the invoice out to the client and then collecting it. We immediately developed a financial plan that identified the key performance indicators we were going to monitor. If these indicators went the wrong way, we had alternative steps we would take.

We have been especially intentional with our client relations efforts to ensure that clients鈥� needs were being met. We have also emphasized communication and transparency across the firm. In addition to regular updates to partners on financial matters, I send a weekly email to everyone in the firm highlighting our wins, celebrating staff members who went above and beyond, and even announcing the birth of babies. I think that has helped keep us connected to the firm and to each other.

We are now in phase two of our return to the office plan, which is a voluntary return. While we certainly are happy to be returning to our offices, we have been pleased with our remote work operations. Our lawyers and staff have done a great job adapting. Our summer associates program was entirely virtual this year, and it was well received by the 90 students participating and the lawyers who worked with them.

Rose Ors: Many law firms eliminated their summer programs as a cost cutting measure. Why did Bradley decide to hold the program?

Jon Skeeters: One of the keys to our success has been consistently building a pipeline of talent. The summer program is an investment in the future of the firm. Training young lawyers and helping them reach their personal and professional goals is really important to us. It is part of our culture. It is a commitment to pay it forward 鈥� a commitment we take seriously.

Rose Ors: How else has the firm鈥檚 culture helped carry you through this crisis?

Jon Skeeters: We are celebrating our 150-year anniversary as a law firm this year, so we have a very deep culture to draw upon. You do not last for 150 years without a mindset that lets you adapt and evolve, and a culture that encourages innovation.

We had a firm-wide celebration 鈥� including spouses and significant others 鈥� earlier this year before the pandemic. It was a great celebration, and, in many ways, being able to gather as a group, reflect on our success, and reinforce our core values prepared us for this very trying period of disconnectedness. We had hoped to have additional anniversary celebrations throughout the year with clients to thank them for helping us reach this milestone but those had to be cancelled or delayed.

Another part of our culture that we also have benefited from is managing our business by practice groups rather than by individual offices, which creates a one-firm mentality. The common bonds of working in teams and collaborating in those practice groups makes it easier to overcome the challenges we have faced this year.

Rose Ors: How are you helping your clients navigate through this turbulence?

Jon Skeeters: At the beginning of the crisis, there was a frenzy of activity, but we saw there were some common themes developing from our clients. We wanted to coordinate the responses from our 14 practice groups to ensure they were consistent, so we created our Coronavirus Resource Center, which allowed us to distribute helpful content and turn our usual in-person events to virtual events.

We identified who in the firm would be our go-to experts on a particular issue, often teaming people from different practice groups. These subject-matter experts led the webinars and conference calls we opened to all clients. Everyone in the firm has invested non-billable hours in these efforts because we know our clients need to hear from us.

Rose Ors: How would you describe your leadership style and how did you develop it?

Jon Skeeters: I played a lot of team sports growing up. I think being on a team, working towards a common goal, and learning to embrace competition had an impact on my approach to my legal career and my leadership style.

I would describe my leadership style as always having a plan and then executing that plan. I liken it to looking down the field, figuring out where the ball should go, and then trying to get it there. I was a pretty good soccer player in college, but I was much more of an assist person than a scorer. My job was to keep the team organized and get the ball to the right person at the right time.

That is also how I approach leading the firm. I want to make others look good and put the team in the best position for success. Other aspects of leadership that are important to me are making sure people are clear on expectations, keeping them fully informed, and leading by example.

I don’t ask people to do things that I’m not willing to do.

This interview has been edited and condensed by Rose Ors.

In this installment, Rose Ors talks to John Alessio, Managing Partner of , a 74-year-old law firm based in the Western United States with more than 170 attorneys in 40-plus practice areas.

Rose Ors: You became managing partner in 2018. What did you plan to do in your first 90 days?

John Alessio: Our firm is run by a six-partner management committee. I had been on the committee for about four years when I became managing partner. I continued to support what has been successful for us 鈥� being nimble and opportunistic in pursuing growth. We are also entrepreneurial, with a productivity-based pay structure that lateral hires see as a good opportunity to build their own books of business and thrive here professionally.

When I became managing partner, the firm was doing well. However, in an effort to improve and look for blind spots, I met with a number of people at all levels within the firm and asked about what we should keep doing, stop doing or start doing. From that sprang a renewed focus on our culture and community outreach.

Rose Ors: How has the pandemic crisis changed your role?

John Alessio: Historically, the managing partner of our firm has had a player-coach role where you spent half of your time practicing law and the other half managing the firm. Being a practicing attorney helps the managing partner evaluate how firm mandates affect the day-to-day practice of law. But, even before COVID-19, the firm鈥檚 growth was starting to make the role into a full-time job. The pandemic has multiplied the obligations of everyone in management and accelerated the transition of the Managing Partner position into more of a full-time job.

Rose Ors: How has the firm’s culture helped during this time?

John Alessio: The short answer is we already had established a culture where frequent firmwide communication 鈥� weekly huddles 鈥� was a hallmark of our culture. We merely moved our huddles to Zoom. This weekly ritual has become doubly important when everyone is home and possibly feeling alone.

Rose Ors: This is the first time I have heard a firm refer to its meetings as huddles. How did that come about?

John Alessio: Years back we hired the Ritz-Carlton to teach the firm how to give our clients the white-glove treatment. Shortly after I became managing partner, we asked them to teach us how to give the white-glove treatment to each other. It鈥檚 important that we treat our coworkers with the same respect and responsiveness that we give to our clients.

One of the ideas that came out of the Ritz-Carlton training was to have everyone at the firm 鈥� from the receptionist to the most senior partner 鈥� meet regularly for 15 minutes for the sole purpose of sharing something positive about a member of the firm or the firm itself. Having the whole team gather for these quick sessions made us think of them as huddles. The name stuck.

Rose Ors: What made you decide to huddle weekly?

John Alessio: When we first started discussing the concept, I thought there might be a push to merely tag on an extra 15 minutes to our existing monthly team meeting. But the partners decided that stand-alone weekly meetings with everyone in the firm was the way to go. That way if someone could not make a huddle, they would not have to wait a month for the next one.

That is when I knew people realized this could be an important part of our culture. Having everyone meet is a great reminder that we are all in this together. That message really resonates in these days of COVID-19 isolation.

Rose Ors: What do you typically discuss in the huddles?

John Alessio: The initial Ritz-Carlton training resulted in the firm developing a firm purpose, a firm promise, and 10 pledges we committed to in serving our clients and each other. The pledges include things like living with integrity, acting with dignity, and 鈥渙wning it鈥�. In every huddle, we structure the discussion around one of the pledges.

During these huddles we learn new things about each other. For example, we have had members of the firm share how becoming foster parents has impacted their lives. We celebrate client wins, whether it be a great outcome on a pro bono matter or a great verdict for a client. Whatever fits with the pledge for that week.

We regularly celebrate work anniversaries. Not long ago, we celebrated the 50-year anniversary of one of our attorneys. Also, we occasionally touch upon a historical moment for the firm such as our upcoming 75^th anniversary.

Rose Ors: How are you meeting more stringent client expectations around cost and efficiency?

John Alessio: Our mentality has always been to staff our matters lean. We also gain internal efficiencies by investing significantly in hardware, software, and artificial intelligence tools. Additionally, these investments allow us to host the large document depositories associated with big litigation matters rather than paying an outside provider for that service.

The same budget discipline applies to how we run our firm. For example, while our offices extend from Southern California to Silicon Valley and into Las Vegas and Phoenix, our geographic footprint is tight enough where we don鈥檛 need executive staff at each office. This reduces our costs so we can be very competitive with our rates and legal project pricing.

Rose Ors: How would you describe your leadership philosophy?

John Alessio: As just one voice of six on the management committee, I view my role in leading the firm as a host leader. In this role, I need to make sure we invite the right people to join our firm and that we create an environment that allows each of them to perform at their highest ability. In the same vein, I need to make sure everyone at the firm feels they are part of the team.

To me, that means I need to be approachable and open. It means I listen more than talk.

This interview has been edited and condensed by Rose Ors.

Rose Ors: When you became CEO of the firm, what were your priorities?

Chris Jagel: Since becoming CEO in 2017, I have worked on continuing to grow our business intelligently, with a renewed focus on the economics underlying the business. I also have emphasized strengthening our collaborative, all-hands-on-deck culture. It is important that every person feels they are part of the firm, that their contributions are important, and are valued.

Rose Ors: How have you gone about doing that?

Chris Jagel: I have made it a priority to have meaningful two-way communication between management and all of the different parts of the firm. We created an Associate Advisory Committee, comprised of eight associates and senior counsel, one of whom participates in our weekly Management Committee meetings. The role of this advisory group is to present the concerns and recommendations of the firm’s associates and senior counsel to the firm’s Management Committee. I also meet with the Advisory Committee chair at least quarterly.

We also created a Professional Staff Committee, modeled, in some ways, on the Associate Advisory Committee. Since professional staff comprise more than 50% of our people, ensuring that their voice is heard, and their input is considered is critically important to us.

Less formally, I have created a special email address dubbed, Hey Chris, where anyone in the firm can shoot me an email with a recommendation or complaint. Hey Chris is an effort to demonstrate that I am accessible, I am interested, and I care about what they think and feel.

Rose Ors: Those sound like great forums for obtaining feedback from the firm. What methods do you use to communicate with those in the firm?

Chris Jagel: Before the COVID-19 crisis, Barry Kozak, our COO, and I, would go on a road show several times each year. We would visit each office and deliver a presentation on important things going on with the firm. We are now putting together our first virtual road show. The road show not only keeps people in the loop, it also makes Barry and me accessible to everyone in the firm.

We also launched Chris On the Beach, a periodic newsletter I send to everyone in the firm in which I talk about some of the firm’s initiatives, highlight the application of our values to our operations, and spotlight our wins and successes. I also share the ideas and recommendations I have received in Hey Chris.

Rose Ors: How are you leading Harris Beach through the COVID-19 crisis?

Chris Jagel: The COVID-19 response team we created in February has exemplified the best of our all-hands-on-deck culture. They have worked tirelessly 鈥� 80 hours some weeks, some weeks even more. They took us rapidly from where no one worked at home to where everyone works from home. Our office managers and our office managing partners have been equally committed.

All across the firm, the level of effort and willingness to pitch in to help the enterprise has been extraordinary. The resilience, grace, patience, and even humor, that everyone has demonstrated while we have raced to adapt is amazing. It demonstrates that, ultimately, we are relying on our culture to carry us through this crisis.

Rose Ors: Starting to prepare in February put you ahead of the curve. How did you know to start so early?

Chris Jagel: It was luck. My wife runs a not-for-profit corporation that has operations in the U.S., China, and India. Early in January, she got news that the impacts of COVID-19 had reached Shanghai, one of her locations, requiring it to suspend operations. Shanghai is not near Wuhan, and this news served as an early warning sign for me that Harris Beach had to ready itself in case the virus reached the U.S.

Rose Ors: What have been the most difficult decisions for you?

Chris Jagel: We have instituted some across-the-board salary reductions. We also have furloughed some people whose positions do not fit during the period that we are in a work-from-home environment. We intend to bring those people back when the circumstances warrant it, and it was a very hard decision to make. We鈥檝e taken the approach of shared sacrifices.

Rose Ors: How have those decisions been received?

Chris Jagel: It is probably an overstatement to say they have been embraced, but I feel the decisions have been understood. The best I could do, and continue to do, is to keep everyone abreast of our priorities and our decisions. No one has been surprised by the steps we have taken. Indeed, a number of people have reached out to me to say, 鈥業 really appreciate the way the firm has decided to handle this. I really appreciate the level of information that has been provided.鈥�

Rose Ors: Shifting to a different, but important, topic for you and your firm: diversity and inclusion. What is your approach to D&I?

Chris Jagel: Diversity and inclusion are part of our DNA. Inclusion is literally one of firm鈥檚 five core values. We have had a dedicated firm committee focused on inclusion and diversity for more than 15 years. We believe that increasing the perspectives and input that go into the decisions that we make and the advice we provide results in better decisions and better advice.

Diversity does not happen without commitment. We actively work with law schools across the state to broaden our pool of candidates. We cast a similarly wide net to fill positions held by professionals who are not lawyers.

Rose Ors: What drives your commitment to D&I?

Chris Jagel: I think the business case for D&I is indisputable when simply looking at the benefits we get from different voices. It also is important when dealing with the expectations our clients have of their law firms. And it is simply the right thing to do.

So, as someone leading an enterprise, working to increase D&I is sound business. But as an individual, my personal commitment is a product of my living abroad as a child. When I was six years old, my family moved to Japan. I was thrust into a culture where I didn’t understand the language, and I looked different. I attended school with Japanese kids and the kids of expatriates from countries all over the world. Those experiences helped me understand how it feels to be “the other” and showed me the strengths and benefits that come from bringing together many different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. I was fortunate enough to live in Taiwan when I was in high school under similar circumstances, which reinforced those feelings.

Rose Ors: How would you describe your leadership philosophy?

Chris Jagel: I subscribe to Gandhi’s maxim, “Be the change you want to see.” I believe in walking the walk, not just talking the talk. I also believe that, in my position, taking responsibility is more important than taking credit.

If something turns out to be a problem, it is my responsibility. If something turns out to be great, it is something we did, not that I did.

This interview has been edited and condensed by Rose Ors.

In this installment, Rose speaks with听Graciela Gomez Cowger, CEO of , about being an agent of change, her firm鈥檚 approach to client service, and being close to clients.

Rose Ors: You are Schwabe鈥檚 first CEO. What were the reasons for this significant leadership change?

Graciela Cowger: For 17 years the firm had two co-managing partners who split their time between leading the firm and practicing law. In 2017, the firm decided the times required the leadership of a single CEO to run the firm more like a business, as our clients do.

Rose Ors: How difficult was it to give up your law practice?

Graciela Cowger: For many people it would be hard to give up something you鈥檝e spent 20 years building. But for me the decision was easy. I love a mission and adventure. I am someone who, if asked to get on a rocket ship, would say Yes, every single time. Leading this great firm is my rocket ship.

Rose Ors: You seem very comfortable with change. Are you?

Graciela Cowger: I鈥檓 extremely comfortable with change. It has to do with being an engineer for several years at Hewlett-Packard. Being at a company whose success was based on continual innovation, I learned to not only accept change, but to embrace it. Moreover, change is the only way to remain relevant and thrive. This is true for both individuals and organizations.

Rose Ors: Would you describe part of your mandate at Schwabe to be a change agent?

Graciela Cowger: Absolutely. I joined Schwabe in 2015 and became CEO in 2017. As a newcomer, I looked at the firm with fresh eyes. As an electrical engineer and patent lawyer, I brought an innovator鈥檚 mind-set to how we could prosper along with our clients.

The firm was also ready for change. My partners were ready to embrace a bold and innovative approach to client service and talent development.

Rose Ors: How did the firm鈥檚 approach to client service change?

Graciela Cowger: We are in the fourth year of our strategic plan. One of the pillars of the plan is a strong focus on six industry sectors 鈥� Healthcare & Life Sciences; Manufacturing, Distribution & Retail; Natural Resources; Real Estate & Construction; Technology; and Transportation, Ports & Maritime. We developed industry institutes, enhanced our services to meet the unique needs of those industries, and conducted regular client tours.

We did this in response to our clients鈥� feedback that they wanted industry-tailored legal advice that takes into account the particularities of the industries in which they operate.

How we spend our time and resources is dictated by this industry knowledge. How we hire is dictated by this industry knowledge. How we train our lawyers is dictated by this industry knowledge. Having this narrow focus simplifies our operations, helps us make decisions, and allows us to partner with our clients.

Rose Ors: In addition to becoming industry experts, what else does it mean for Schwabe to be close to your clients?

Graciela Cowger: It means visiting them often, not just in their offices but out in the field where they do business. For example, we join our maritime clients on tours of their barges and at the launch of their new vessels. For our construction clients, we put on our hard hats and walk their construction sites.

It also means jointly developing solutions to their problems, such as a client dashboard or a contract management system. It means conducting client service interviews using members of the firm who do not service the client to ensure honest feedback and continuous improvement.

Rose Ors: How would you describe your firm鈥檚 culture?

Graciela Cowger: At Schwabe we consider culture a hard asset because it is a key reason that we鈥檙e able to attract and keep clients and talent. A centerpiece of our culture is our deep connection to our clients and each other. We like and care for each other. We collaborate meaningfully. We have fun together.

Our culture values diversity, as well. The mere fact that the partnership chose me 鈥� a woman, a Mexican immigrant, and an engineer 鈥� to lead the most transformational changes in the 130 years of our firm illustrates the point. In addition, women make up the majority of our board members. I鈥檓 not aware of any other major law firm in our region who has prioritized diversifying leadership like Schwabe has. These choices demonstrate that our partners understand that diversity 鈥� in all its permutations 鈥� is necessary for the firm to evolve and prosper for the benefit of our clients, our people, and our communities.

Our culture also values inclusion. We have doubled-down on increasing the diversity of our summer associate program and hiring from the program. Further, we train new hires to succeed 鈥� our training is comprehensive, focusing on both hard and soft skills. The hard skills component is centered on substantive legal knowledge; and the soft skills range from public speaking to wealth management.

Rose Ors: What are the unique challenges of a firm your size, and in equal measure, the advantages?

Graciela Cowger: A challenge we face is the entry of Big Law into our market segment. This in turn has created a battle for talent. We can’t just throw dollars at candidates to entice them to join us. But our unique culture has proven to be a key reason many candidates decide we are the firm for them.

An advantage of being a regional firm is that our size enables us to be nimble and flexible. Our cost structure allows us to offer excellent service at regional rates. But perhaps our biggest advantage is that we鈥檝e been serving clients in our key focus areas for decades. We know our clients and communities, and they know us.

Rose Ors: What is your leadership philosophy?

Graciela Cowger: I believe challenging the status quo at every turn is a business imperative. I lead by asking questions, such as, 鈥淲hy are we doing X?鈥� or 鈥淚s what we鈥檙e doing the best way to achieve our goals?鈥� There’s nothing I won’t ask questions about.

I believe innovative thinking and courage are must-haves for a leader today. I encourage innovation by understanding that failure is part of the process. We have tried a bunch of different things. Some projects have worked spectacularly well and some not so much.

Those that don’t work, we abandon and move on. Being risk averse is not an option.

This interview has been edited and condensed by Rose Ors.