The Challenge: The new Cuatrecasas office in Barcelona embodies a key element of their strategic plan: evolving their way of working.
In 2016, Cuatrecasas, a leading Spanish law firm with a presence in over 12 countries, had to relocate from its headquarters in central Barcelona to the 22@ district.
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More InformationCuatrecasas: New strategic plan and implementation of transformation initiatives
The Challenge: The new Cuatrecasas office in Barcelona embodies a key element of their strategic plan: evolving their way of working.
In 2016, Cuatrecasas, a leading Spanish law firm with a presence in over 12 countries, had to relocate from its headquarters in central Barcelona to the 22@ district. This move became the catalyst for implementing a core aspect of their strategic plan—creating a more efficient, collaborative working model that would enhance business practices and better address client needs.
Pax: 1.500
M2: 17.000
Location: Madrid/Barcelona
Year: 2016-2018
With this new direction in mind, Cuatrecasas sought support from BICG, first to facilitate the reflection needed to develop a strategic plan, and then to conceptualize a new workspace that would support the firm’s evolving way of working.
The Solution: An umbrella for transformation that starts with ways of working
Through guided sessions with senior management, the key objectives were defined, including business model, corporate structure, collaborator role, market positioning, client experience, etc.
From these discussions, combined with an analysis involving a group of professionals from the organization, the company’s strategic plan was developed. This plan integrated both the customer and employee experience into a unified vision, from which nine strategic lines were established, to be carried out by autonomous teams reporting directly to the partners.
The strategic plan also defines a new way of working, along with the workspace concept to be implemented in the new offices.
The Keys to Success: innovation in ways of working
To ensure the adoption of new work dynamics, a more efficient way of working, and an innovative spatial concept, a participatory process was designed. This process extended beyond the Barcelona headquarters, as the project’s vision was always global. Therefore, the ambassadors selected to lead the change included not only employees from Barcelona but also representatives from other regional offices.
Key actions implemented during this process included transitioning to a more digital work model and with less dependence on paper, addressing diversity and work dynamics based on employee profiles, and generating a ‘leaner’ work model, with less bureaucracy and work on legal process management. The firm also focused on increasing technological training, particularly for partners, and exploring new ways to use workspace, such as piloting unassigned workstations and remote work.
Cuatrecasas’ commitment to technology has always stood out from other firms. In this transformation, a key driver was the investment in digitizing work processes, highlighted by successful initiatives like the “Genius Bar” and “Floorwalkers.” These efforts aimed to proactively understand the daily workflows of professionals, especially partners, and offer digital solutions that improved efficiency. By providing the necessary tools and training, the firm made technology more accessible, bringing the digital world closer to its professionals.
The Results: a transformative process
Other key results include:
- 75% reduction in paper usage: After digitizing essential documents and processes, 30 tonnes of paper were removed from the offices.
- 150 ambassadors: These individuals participated in the transformation process, helping to drive cultural change across all offices, not just the Barcelona headquarters.
- Project satisfaction rating of 4.6/5: This high score reflects the strong support and successful adoption of the new work dynamics.
Cuatrecasas became the first law firm in Spain to revise its working methods, adapting to the evolving needs of both employees and clients, with a clear focus on achieving its goals and maintaining its leadership position in the market.
The participatory change process, driven by a network of change ambassadors, was also a pioneering initiative in the sector. This innovative approach contributed to the firm being recognized as an innovative law firm in the Financial Times’ ranking of the most innovative international law firms (click to read).