How a Law Firm Chopped Wordy E-Mails Down to Size
Like many law firms, Berwin Leighton Paisner used to have a lot of lengthy internal e-mail being sent to all hands about office issues. But unlike most competitors, the U.K. partnership has taken stern measures to chop it down to size.
Among them: The firm has limited the number and permitted length of internal e-mails; established smaller groups to which many can be sent, in lieu of such functions as “reply all”; and created a weekly newsletter alternative to many internal e-mails that is expected to require only about five minutes to read, according to the Lawyer.
In addition to saving time for all concerned, such practices help everyone focus on the important stuff, says Keith Hardie, who is in charge of the firm’s communications. “Without filtering, the information people are swamped and don’t read the important things.”
One person for whom this approach has not saved time is managing partner Neville Eisenberg. As part of the new communications program, he met personally with about 18 Berwin Leighton groups in all departments and practice areas. The goal of the meetings, which were targeted to each specific group and included question-and-answer periods, was to inform and motivate the troops on key law firm initiatives and the role they are expected to play in them. Eisenberg expects to repeat the 90-minute meetings with the 18 groups annually.
“Hearing that stuff and hearing Neville saying it makes an enormous difference to people in terms of engagement and motivation,” Hardie says. “Those are very powerful things.”
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