Things Lawyers Like - Firmwide Meetings

Every once in a while, the chairman of a law firm likes to come up with another way besides his oversized paycheck to remind himself that he’s the leader of the pack. To do this, he typically likes to channel his inner State of the Union and call the dreaded firmwide meeting. This gathering usually coincides with extremely good or bad news. Had a good start to the fiscal year? Let’s call a little pep rally in the form of a firmwide meeting. Need to layoff one-third of all associates? Let’s bring the team in for a huddle through a firmwide meeting.

The firmwide meeting is typically more staged than a George W. Bush press conference. If the news is good, you can expect some above average food and a couple of minutes for canned questions that will be cheerfully answered by a beaming leader. If the news is bad, you can expect a significant reduction in snacks, no time for questions and answers and a stern reminder from a finger-pointing parent that clients (and big brother) are watching.

In the good old days, firmwide meetings used to be held at upscale locations. They were a horn-tooting event where partners engaged in a ritualistic chest-bumping and cash counting exercise. In the current environment, these gatherings are typically confined to a firm’s largest conference room or cafeteria so that costs can be kept low and employees can get back to work faster. With employees on edge, the tone of firmwide meetings has shifted from the levity of a college reunion to the awkwardness more typically found at the family reunion. Essentially, these gatherings have become less chest-bump worthy than a McDonald’s iced coffee.