Work Perks: Incentivizing Lawyers at the Small-Firm Level

  • October 17, 2019
  • Chris Chu, principal at Chris Chu Law

For many sole and small-firm practitioners, there will be a point in time where your workload will become too heavy to carry alone.  Rather than refer a file away, some of us opt to hire on additional lawyers to gain a greater foothold in expanding revenues. 

One of the bigger issues that many boutique legal providers face is not so much in finding talented team members but in keeping them.  In a competitive legal market, many bright minds gravitate to large and multi-national firms, often taking a cut in their social lives for larger salaries and swanky corporate benefits packages.  Even for lawyers who desire a more balanced approach to their career and personal life, the sacrifice of a high wage can’t come without gaining well-positioned benefits packages. 

So where does that leave us?  Where does it leave the solo and small firms that are often working around stretched budgets, limited health insurance policy coverages and seemingly- unqualifiable corporate discount entitlements?  Even with a collegial work environment and humane work hours, many prospective hires would shy away from being part of a growing team that offers little to no benefits.