The 21st Annual Law Firm COO & CFO Forum Pre-Conference Workshop

As the modern workforce continues to diversify across gender, ethnic, geographical, and generational lines, entrenched employee resistance toward return-to-office plans—even if only 2 or 3 days a week—remains a challenge for many law firm leaders. Ever mindful of weighing individual concerns against broader organizational priorities, firm executives must evince empathetic leadership in moving the organization forward and ensuring that the “stickiness” of culture remains intact. This discussion ponders modern people management strategy in a hybrid environment. How are firms engineering the human side of pandemic-era work with so many disparate voices in the fold?

Moderator:
Gina Buser, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Traveling Coaches, Inc.

Panelists:
Anthony Davies, Chief Revenue Officer, Forrest Solutions
Michael R. Orce, Chief Operating Officer, Robinson & Cole LLP
Laura T. Sears, Chief Administrative Officer, Gould & Ratner LLP
Anna Thea Bridge, Chief Operating Officer, Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP

With hybrid or flexible working models growing increasingly popular, businesses must consider hypothetical tax and liability scenarios for remote employees. How, for example, should employers account for work completed by staff with multiple residences? What supervisory mechanisms exist to track individual performance, ensure accurate timekeeping, or assess core behaviors such as collaboration and teamwork? What happens when a remote employee is injured (or worse) while on the job? Please join us for a timely and practical conversation on how firms continue to recalibrate and adapt.

Moderator:
Terri Hartwell Easter, Managing Principal, T.H. Easter Consulting LLC

Panelists:
Cecy Graf, Chief Financial Officer, Stoel Rives LLP
Rob Mattern, Partner & Founder, Mattern LLC
Barbara A. Mica, Chief Operating Officer, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
Geline Midouin, Chief People Officer, Shearman & Sterling LLP

An overlooked, but no less critical, offshoot of hybrid work arrangements is the notion of equitable treatment within the organization. Throughout the pandemic, essential personnel—whether at an individual or departmental level—were expected to work from the office, even as colleagues remained productive from home. Now, as return-to-office plans swiftly mature, questions over who can or cannot work remotely is an important consideration for senior leaders. This conversation offers a frank assessment of new workplace dynamics and social strata. How can firm leaders ensure equity around core concepts such as attendance, promotions, or flexible arrangements?

Moderator:
Michael Ellenhorn, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Decipher

Panelists:
Virginia G. Essandoh, J.D., Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Ballard Spahr LLP
Jessica Pavlik, Chief Operating Officer, Berger Singerman LLP
Mat Rosswood, Chief Operating Officer, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
Adam Silver, Chief Operating Officer & Managing Partner, McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC

In the legal profession, firmwide coaching and professional development programs almost always cater to legal personnel. But as client expectations and evolving notions of “value” continue to span core business functions such as technology, finance, project management, or marketing, the need for more formal coaching and training of professional staff is a top priority. What actions are firms taking to develop world-class business talent? What creative measures are in place to attract and retain professional staff? What does compensation look like for top performers? Join us as our distinguished panel opines.

Moderator:
Dan Safran, President & Chief Executive Officer, Unbiased Consulting

Panelists:
Michael P. Motyka, Executive Director, Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP
Susan Olson, Chief Operating & Chief Financial Officer, Hawley Troxell
David Pickwoad, Chief Operating Officer, Miller Thomson LLP
Martinelle Stevenson, Director of Professional Development & Training, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP