New ways of working for closer collaboration in legal services

Client

BAKER McKENZIE

Sector

Legal Services

Location

Madrid, Spain

People

280

4.000

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Challenge

An international law firm such as Baker McKenzie has longstanding traditions that shape expectations around workplace design, organisational structure and professional processes. However, new generations, emerging technologies and the growing complexity of legal services, which are becoming increasingly multidisciplinary, prompted the firm to reflect more deeply and embrace new approaches.

The office relocation created an opportunity to reassess how partners and associates worked. The challenge was to define a model that would foster collaboration, efficiency and flexibility, grounded in evidenced needs and supported by a change management process.

Our approach

At BICG, we began with an assessment that revealed that only 21% of the space was dedicated to collaboration. These findings informed BMove, a strategy focused on client centricity, multidisciplinary working, agility, a sense of belonging and flexibility.

The model removed private offices and reduced visible status symbols to bring partners and associates closer together. The workplace was organised around a 50/50 balance between individual and collaborative work, supported by more consistent technology provision and tools to digitise knowledge, minimising reliance on physical paper wherever possible. A participatory process helped explain the decisions and support adoption throughout the project's nearly ten-month duration.

Generated impact

The new office enabled more open ways of working and closer interaction between professionals. Digitalisation also brought measurable changes in paper use and communication channels.

• A 52% reduction in the number of printers and a 39% reduction in printing volume.
• A 68% reduction in calls made, alongside greater face-to-face interaction and use of collaborative tools.
• A 4,000 m² workplace accommodating 280 people, with more opportunities for collaboration.

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