Firm Management: Out in Front
By
Adriana Gardella It’s easy to claim certain values, said
Gary Sasso. Mr. Sasso, who became President and CEO of Carlton Fields in 2006 after joining the firm as a litigator in 1987, added that building a culture requires moving beyond talk to living your ideals and acting in ways that advance them. Every decision, on matters from hiring to client support, offers an opportunity to create and maintain that culture.
Recently, Mr. Sasso discussed the lessons he has learned from the business world, the merits of his firm’s inverted pyramid structure, and his first job. A condensed version of that conversation follows.
Q. What characteristics define Carlton Fields’ culture?
Mr. Sasso: Our culture values innovation, client service, inclusiveness, mutual respect, and professionalism. They’re just words. Until you put them into practice.
Q. How do you do that?
Mr. Sasso: As an example, we embrace innovation by adapting best practices from outside the legal industry. It’s a constant process and touches all we do, including our client service initiatives. We’re always seeking ways to provide value to our clients that exceeds our work on specific engagements. We routinely share our business and legal insights with them through white papers and CLE programs, and connect them with each other. For example, we asked one client to discuss their success with Six Sigma with other clients. We also host an annual forum for key clients. They create the agenda and make all major presentations. It’s done with our clients, for our clients, and by our clients.
Q. What’s the biggest misperception law firms have about client service? Mr. Sasso: That lawyers know what’s best for the clients. We need to listen more and talk less.
Q. Is there anything a law firm should never say to a client?
Mr. Sasso: Well, I would never say ‘never.’ But we should almost never say ‘You can’t do that.’ We should strive to tell clients how to do what they want to do, consistent with their legitimate business goals and legal requirements.
Q. You’ve said you learn more from people who run other businesses than you do from other law firms or legal consultants. Can you give me an example?
Mr. Sasso: A CEO in Tampa told me that the first thing she did when she started her job was to conduct market research to find out what her customers thought about their company. I asked her what she thought about our law firm, and was surprised to hear she had felt we were smart and able, but unapproachable—until I asked that question. I came back to the office and talked to our marketing director about starting a client survey, which provided a wealth of valuable information.
Q. How do the opinions of the firm’s lawyers play into its management?
Mr. Sasso: We survey all of our attorneys, and all employees for that matter, to get their opinions on a wide range of firm management issues—and make their unedited responses available to all. We’ve found that embracing transparency and treating all members of our firm as valued colleagues helps us to retain the best. To foster an open environment we share business information about the firm, including its financials, with associates and summer associates, and our staff. Our goal is to break down the artificial distinctions that can divide us as we work toward common goals. Our unique business model also helps with that.
Q. How is it unique?
Mr. Sasso: We’ve never used the pyramid model, which has numerous inexperienced, junior lawyers supporting the efforts of relatively few partners. We have always taken the opposite approach: Here, partners outnumber associates. This unique model shapes our collective mindset by placing the emphasis on our attorneys as valued experts, not fungible tools used to drive profit through leverage. It works for our lawyers, and it works for our clients, who benefit from legal teams particularly suited to address their challenges.
Q. Could you describe some of the challenges they face?
Mr. Sasso: Today, many of our clients’ greatest challenges arise from the massive adjustments triggered by the shifting economy. Traumatic change will crush some organizations. Others take advantage of the enormous opportunity it enables. We place ourselves in the latter category, and believe that just about anything is possible when you start with the right people and empower, support, and reward them.
Q. What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?
Mr. Sasso: My great uncle owned a grocery store in a coal mining town outside Pittsburgh. When I was three, he paid me a dollar to help stack and organize shelves of canned goods. Other family members worked in that store. It was their livelihood, and I felt honored to work alongside them. I took that job as seriously as I’ve taken any job, and I felt really good about earning that dollar. Nothing has changed much.