Managing Partner Mary Beth Gray was quoted in a Law.com Mid-Market Pro article on the ways in which midsize firms accommodate family and medical leave and the adaptations made to help ensure the satisfaction of both employees and clients. As noted in the article, a smaller head count means the impact of each departure is amplified and can be challenging for firms to find a balance between offering flexibility, while providing consistent client service.
“Our teams are smaller—if we have a team working on a transaction and there’s [three people total] and the associate needs to take some time, it obviously has a significant impact on that team. We do feel it more acutely,” said Mary Beth. “We’ve been really lucky that no one has been seriously affected by a family emergency and had to be gone for an indefinite period or longer than six months. We’ve been able to manage with a two- to four-month change in someone’s schedule…What we try to do is move things around as best as possible so we’re not overburdening the people who are still here.”
Mary Beth also commented on the importance of flexibility and maintaining open lines of communication with both the team and clients.
“What is tricky about family leave in the professional services world is clients are frequently relying on a specific person who has unique experience to answer their question,” Mary Beth explained. “The lawyers here who have had children, they have not gone completely away for four months and had nobody try to get in touch with them. … We absolutely want you to take leave and prioritize your family, or if you’re ill, to get better … but in every case we really need people to be somewhat available.”
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