By Justin Sayles
PBN Staff Writer
The concept of treating all employees with an even level of respect isn’t necessarily exclusive to Taylor Duane Barton & Gilman LLP. But the extent to which the law firm treats its employees equally would probably not be considered typical in most practices.
All attorneys at Taylor Duane Barton & Gilman – from new hires to the senior-most partners at the firm – participate in the firm’s administration. Those functions include, but are not limited to, participation in attorney lunches, attendance at annual planning sessions and serving on administrative committees.
Even the firm’s financial records, according to partner Sheri L. Pizzi, are made available to Taylor Duane Barton & Gilman’s attorneys. According to Pizzi, the firm operates in such a transparent manner to help young attorneys gain experience and the knowledge necessary to run a firm.
“They can get to understand what goes into making a successful law firm from a business perspective,” he said.
The civil litigation firm operates two offices – one in Providence and one in Boston, both of which have 25 full-time employees. It serves large corporations, individual professionals, entrepreneurs and small businesses, specializing in a wide variety of areas of litigation.
When it comes to its employees, Taylor Duane Barton & Gilman prides itself on retention rates, said partner Francis A. Connor III. Indeed, the firm’s turnover numbers have been extremely low, with three new hires last year despite no staff members leaving. A recent internal survey of employees at the firm showed that more than a third had been employed there 10 years or longer.
On a professional level, Connor and Pizzi said, the high rate of retention can be credited to the opportunities employees receive. All employees are given the chance to advance within the company. Seventy-six members of the firm’s current staff have received promotions. Pizzi proudly tells the story of a former receptionist that was able to make her way through the ranks, now serving on the firm’s administration team.
“The people here look for advancement within our firm,” Pizzi said. “It is by far the norm for people to look to stay here and develop their careers with us.”
On a personal level, Connor and Pizzi said, the key thing to keeping employees satisfied with their job is respect.
Aside from benefits – which include bonuses and life-insurance coverage – workers have previously been granted time off to participate in charitable work. In 2005, one worker with a background in health care was given paid leave to assist in Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.
The concept of treating all employees as equals is an idea that Connor credited to partner John J. Barton, a founding member of the firm who manages the Providence office.
“He really taught us to treat everybody with respect and to show appreciation on a consistent basis,” Connor said. •
