Hartford Business Journal

10 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | August 15, 2022 ON THE RECORD | Q&A same-size offices, some type of shared space or hoteling concept? Will we go to hoteling at some point? I don't think we will do that at the outset in terms of people reserving offices. We are currently contem- plating that everyone would have their own office, but again every- thing is flexible. Every office will be single size so we can really adopt to the changes in our population and how many people are coming into the office. What we really need is more collaboration space, having people's offices be there home base for quiet time for phone calls and work, but really encouraging people when they are interacting with others to do it outside their offices and building space throughout to make sure people can collaborate in a seam- less manner. What we don't want to do, which a lot of law firms have right now, is have a lot of empty, unused space. Q: Can you talk about how tech- nology will be integrated into the space? A: Technology for hybrid meetings is really important. We are talking about creating Zoom rooms with smart galleries. That allows everybody, whether they are sitting inside the office or outside the office, to have a Zoom box, as opposed to now where the traditional technology shows a conference room full of people around the table and then some people in Zoom boxes. We are planning to have some digital scheduling options for some flex space. We have been working for several years to digitize all of our records so we won't have a need for file rooms, which traditionally took up a lot of space for law firms. We are digitizing our library needs, reducing our needs for that type of space. We are also thinking about more creative things. Like glass walls are really popular right now, but there is something called electric switchable glass where it can be clear glass but you can also flip a switch and it turns into frosted glass, providing some confidentiality. We are a law firm, mostly everything we do is confiden- tial, so preserving that confidentiality is really important. Q: What amenities attracted you to the Hartford Steam Boiler building? A: The building has long been known to have a great cafeteria, it has an on-site restaurant (ON20, which is currently undergoing a renovation), it has abundant private, secure, parking in the building, a fitness center that is being renovated, and a daycare center on-site. Having an owner-occupied building is also a great advantage because Hartford Steam Boiler owns the building and has their people there, so keeping the building maintained is a high priority for them. Q: How has the pandemic changed your view on how people work? A: We spent two years working remotely and then we came back to the office in March on a hybrid model. We are asking people to come into the office two to three days a week. Our staff is coming in two to three days a week as well. That has been really well received. Robinson+Cole will be occupying the top five floors of the 500,000-square-foot One State St. office tower, beginning in Sept. 2023. We did give all of our staff the chance to work remotely this summer on Fridays, but coming back after Labor Day we are looking forward to people coming in on that regular two- to three-day schedule. The legal industry has really embraced the hybrid model and it is a competitive market for talent right now so we need to be mindful of what other firms are doing as well. This hybrid model seems to be the most attractive to our talent. And it's not just about keeping our existing talent, we are in a growth mode both here in Hartford and all of our markets. To be able to recruit the best talent, that hybrid model and flexibility seems to be very well received. We are encouraging people to be in. We aren't mandating it. We aren't monitoring it for our lawyers, but I think the way that we did it in terms of a slow roll, was effective. I think flexibility is really key to be successful. Q: You mentioned Robinson+Cole is in growth mode. Can you elabo- rate on that? A: We are in the third year of a three- year strategic plan and one major prong of that is focused on growth, both geographic and really trying to deepen our strength in some of our noteworthy practices. We continue to look for lateral talent in Hartford and Connecticut as well as all of our markets. We've grown during the pandemic with a lot of lateral hiring. We are in a really financially stable place to be able to do that. Q: Are you looking at potential acquisitions, or focused more on new hiring and organic growth? A: It's kind of the gamut. What we are not really interested in is a merger. We really feel strong about where we are and where we are headed. We do look at some smaller firms or groups as a potential combination. But we are not looking for a merger of equals or to be acquired. Intimate knowledge of the local business community. kbushey@centrevillebank.com 860.928.6501 x3072 EQUAL HOUSING LENDER | NMLS#402947 | MEMBER FDIC Kim Bushey Senior Vice President CT Commercial Market Head Centreville-38222 Revised ad_HBJ_10x325_Kim Bushey.indd 1 Centreville-38222 Revised ad_HBJ_10x325_Kim Bushey.indd 1 11/9/21 1:38 PM 11/9/21 1:38 PM PHOTO | COSTAR

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