Hartford Business Journal

8 Hartford Business Journal • June 8, 2015 www.HartfordBusiness.com FOCUS LAW Q&A CT law firms slowly embrace diversity Q&A talks about efforts Connecti- cut law firms have taken to diver- sify their ranks with Asker Saeed, the director of diversity at Hart- ford's Day Pitney law firm. Q: Has the legal indus- try become more diverse in the last several years? A: It hasn't. There has been marginal improvement in cer- tain areas, however, the overall numbers have stayed about the same for the last 30 years. That said, there is definitely a different attitude in the legal industry toward the importance of diver- sity and inclusion. Everybody is talk- ing about it now, and people who stayed away from the issues 30 years ago are now seeking out opportu- nities to get involved in the effort. Also, as social media brings people of different backgrounds closer together, more and more people are coming into the profes- sion expecting to work in an e n v i r o n m e n t where diversity matters and is valued. So, instead of the effort being driven by a select few (typi- cally women and people of color), it is becoming much more of an institu- tional effort where everyone appre- ciates they have a role to play. It also doesn't hurt that corporate Ameri- ca has very publicly embraced the value of diversity and inclusion and is demanding that their vendors have a similar commitment. Q: What groups still are struggling for acceptance into law firms? A: Most law firms do a good job of bringing in women, people of color, and members of the LGBT community at the entry level. Where law firms have historically struggled is in promoting diverse people into the partnership ranks. Although entering classes of attor- neys are decidedly more diverse than 30 years ago, the partner- ship ranks, and particularly equity partnership ranks, are not. Q: What should businesses do to promote more diversity in their workplaces? A: Take a look at the way they do business and ask themselves whether their systems, proce- dures, and operational customs are conducive to creating a work- place where diversity matters and is valued. Businesses, and particu- larly law firms, have to purpose- fully interrupt the 'that's just the way we've always done things,' mentality and instead put into place new sys- tems, procedures, and operational customs designed to create a culture where diver- sity matters and is valued and eliminate the damaging effects of unconscious and systematic bias. Q: Is the legal community, which has been long dom- inated by white males, near the fore- front of diversity in the workplace? A: The legal com- munity is at the forefront of driv- ing most social change because lawyers feel a responsibility (both professionally and personally) to make the world a better place. That said, we shouldn't con- fuse the com- mitment with actual prog- ress on the diversity front. The legal pro- fession lags far behind other p r o f e s s i o n s like medicine, a c c o u n t i n g , architecture, and engineering on diversifying their numbers. Q: What is your vision for how the inclusive workplace should operate in the future? The best people getting the best opportunities. A properly run diversity and inclusion initiative will create an environment where unconscious and systematic bias- es do not factor into whether peo- ple succeed. Or put another way, a successful diversity initiative is one that succeeds in getting the institution to stop favoring white men when making decisions about career advancement and instead focus on skill set, commit- ment, work ethic, accountability, and all the other factors that make someone successful. If the focus is on the latter, the institution will naturally become more diverse and inclusive because there are plenty of women, people of color, and members of the LGBT com- munity who would do really well in leadership positions. n ASKER SAEED Director of diversity, Day Pitney ▶ ▶ … We shouldn't confuse the commitment with actual progress on the diversity front. Small firms see opportunity in CT's tough legal industry By Chris Dehnel Special to the Hartford Business Journal T here's a downsizing trend in the law sector these days, with lawyers taking advantage of technology and a teamwork approach to practice in smaller firms or open their own shop. The latest example: Attorneys Matt Baldini and Rich- ard Lang, two lawyers who have practiced in both corpo- rate and traditional firm settings, have teamed up to start Baldini Lang LLC, a Hartford-based firm focused on serv- ing credit unions, community banks, financial technology companies, and franchises. Jonathan Shapiro, owner of Shapiro Law Offices in Middle- town and Stamford, a small inde- pendent firm with three lawyers and a paralegal, is one of those who thinks small can be effec- tive. Acquisitions by larger firms are still part of the mix, he said, but there is a motivation among many lawyers to go small, par- ticularly after years of downsiz- ing and layoffs in the industry. "A lot of people are starting their own firms — going out on their own or even working with a small group of people," he said. "Sometimes it is about specialization, but there are other young attorneys who start their own practices right out of the gate." Industry shift Connecticut Bar Association President Mark Dubois, who is an attorney with Geraghty & Bonnano in New London, said a large contraction in the legal industry emerged about seven years ago that affected both large and small firms. Some of it was rooted in the recession, but another factor was "the ubiquity of do-it-yourself resources available for free or cheap online," he said. "Some new market players, such as Legal Zoom, started skimming off the low-hanging fruit from tradi- tional practice. That trend continues," he said. "Though the pressure on large firms is easing up some as the economy improves, the pressure on small firms contin- ues as more and more folks venture to court without lawyers or use Internet resources for simple work like incorporation, wills, and such." Still, solo and small practices have always made up 60 percent to 70 percent of the Connecticut law market, he said. As big firms began to contract, there was more of an inclination among lawyers, including recent grads, to open their own shops or join smaller firms. Many big firms will hire lawyers with three-to-five years of experience and with a portable book of business, he said, but they will not pay for new lawyers on the learning curve. The trend toward smaller practices, however, has led to increased competition. "So the market for new lawyers who wish to open up a shop is flooded with supply but facing declining demand," Dubois said. "Some who are clever will find new ways to offer services and will thrive. But others find themselves saddled with large student debt, high startup costs, and a lack of sharp business skills, which they would need to fashion a viable business plan." Tips for entrepreneurial lawyers Shelton/Westport lawyer Carmina Tessitore, who started her own firm in 2013, said young lawyers must be careful about hanging their own shingle. Lawyers who want to become entrepreneurs need experience and capital, she said. Tessitore said she developed both by saving money and working at medium-sized law firms and as a media- tor for the state Judicial Department. "I saved up a lot, until I got to the point when I was ready," Tessitore said. "Many people do not realize that you have to cover yourself while growing your business. You have to treat the practice as a business with your product being legal services." Lawyers looking to strike out on their own also need to be as well-rounded as possible, she said. In addition to mediation, for example, Tessitore handles cases involving family matters, foreclosures, small business cases, and labor and employment issues. She also contracts services out to other firms and is an adjunct faculty member at Quinnipiac University. Shapiro said there is a plethora of legal resources available on the Internet, like databases and libraries that cater to the solo or small practice. But good old-fashioned teamwork can also help small practitioners make ends meet without having to hire a ton of support staff. "The smaller firms rely on [other] resources because no one can do everything," Shapiro said. "No matter how talented a lawyer is, it also helps to have other lawyers to bounce things off of." Shapiro said he often teams up with N. Kane Bennett, a neighbor of his at Aeton Law Partners in Middletown. Ben- nett started his firm in 2012 with two attorneys and a staffer; today the firm employs five lawyers and two support staff. "As a small firm, we have developed what you might call a consortium of resources that is designed to dupli- cate what you have in a bigger firm setting, attorneys and professionals from various areas that I do not prac- tice in that I can lean on as a resource or referral as needed," Bennett said. Bennett said he also maintains mentor relationships with younger attorneys and peer relationships with vet- eran legal minds. n In recent years, Connecticut's legal industry has seen an increase in small practices like Shapiro Law Offices, which employs three lawyers and a paralegal in its Middletown and Stamford offices. Jonathan Shapiro (right) owns the firm. Sarah Shapiro (left) and Deborah Shapiro are partners. N. Kane Bennett, founder, Aeton Law Partners P H O T O | C O N T R I B U T E D

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