My First Office. Or Lack Thereof.

By David Gulbransen

There is a first in business that I will never forget. It pre-dates the launch of my own practice—it even pre-dates law school. I was a young entrepreneur and software developer, launching a startup with a friend, and we signed our first commercial lease on office space. I will never forget it because, at the time, it was a huge commitment for us. We were young and had no business track record. Yet there we were, committing to office space for two years, and personally guarantying it. Daunting, yes, but it made us feel legitimate.

Flash forward to now. I’m no longer a software developer (professionally). I went back to law school to be able to help and advise entrepreneurs like myself. That’s also why I opened my own practice: you never stop being an entrepreneur. And make no mistake, solo attorneys are entrepreneurs. This time out, though, something is different. I don’t need that lease on office space to feel legitimate. In fact, I don’t have that lease, and here’s why: I don’t have a traditional office, which is another first for me.

I do have an office. It’s a dedicated office space where I work and keep client files, etc. but it happens to be in my home. However, I am not a “Starbucks Lawyer.” I do meet clients out on occasion, but my clients are predominately business people and as a service of my practice, I make “business calls.” This might not work for all practice areas, but it’s been a boon to my practice. My clients appreciate not having to trudge out to meet at my office; I save them time by going to them and time is money. I also save them money in my fees, because I keep my overhead low. Clients seem to care much more about saving money and getting solid legal advice than they do being able to sit in a leather chair in my waiting room. That is good, because the leather chair in my waiting room is usually littered with toys and/or a sleeping cat.

That is not to say there are not challenges. I have the occasional client who is starting up and doesn’t have a location. We make it work. I go to their homes or I rely on colleagues or conference room “rentals” to pick up the slack. But in reality, that is rare. Usually, my client business is done on the phone or via email, and when we meet, I go to them. I also try to get out and meet with colleagues more—not being in an office can get lonely sometimes.

There are some in the legal community who might think my model makes me somehow less of an attorney. I think the exact opposite is true. I model my practice first and foremost on client service. By being more flexible than a traditional office model with the trappings and expense that come with it, I’m able to focus my time on my clients and keep my costs lower. Technology is a big part of that, too, but that’s a topic for another day.

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