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Employees feel valued at law firm GrayRobinson

 
“I really like it that GrayRobinson has a great presence in the community,” says Diane Drennon, business development coordinator for the law firm’s Tampa office.
“I really like it that GrayRobinson has a great presence in the community,” says Diane Drennon, business development coordinator for the law firm’s Tampa office.
Published April 10, 2015

TAMPA

When a lawyer in the GrayRobinson law firm began using a stand-up desk, it caught the notice of other staffers worried that too much sitting was hurting their health. ¶ So office administrator Gayle Wetherell scouted around and found an adjustable desk whose $400 cost the firm will split with any employee who wants one. And the desk is theirs to keep if they leave. ¶ Not that GrayRobinson has much turnover. ¶ "I like all the people, nobody's breathing down my neck, I have a great boss and the benefits are great" is how legal assistant (and stand-up desk user) Eileen Hunt summarizes why GrayRobinson is one of the 2015 Tampa Bay Times Top Workplaces.

A fast-growing firm whose clients include banks, governments and developers, GrayRobinson has 12 offices across Florida. The second largest is here in Tampa, where 102 lawyers and staffers enjoy spectacular views from their aerie on the 26th and 27th floors of the SunTrust Financial Centre in the heart of downtown.

Despite the imposing digs, "for a firm our size, we have the feel of a smaller firm," said David L. Smith, the managing shareholder.

Smith, a former Tampa city attorney and current special counsel to the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, says a key to GrayRobinson's success is "flexibility." From shareholders to secretaries, there's agreement that people do their best work and are happiest when they have some flexibility and aren't being micromanaged.

"It's a stressful job," said legal assistant Susan Urso, "but not a stressful environment."

For the 44 lawyers, flexibility means the freedom to structure their individual or group practices. Unlike the case in many other law firms, there is no hard-and-fast rule about the ratio of assistants to lawyers.

Lawyer Johanna Wood, who joined GrayRobinson in 2012, works in a four-lawyer group handling commercial real estate transactions with their voluminous amounts of paperwork. What she calls her "great team" includes three legal secretaries and two paralegals.

"We have a lot of help with transactions because they're very document-intensive," Wood said. "It makes it so we (lawyers) are able to practice law and not do so much administering."

Smith, on the other hand, has the "3 on 1" setup more commonly found in big law firms. Even though he heads GrayRobinson's Tampa office, he shares an assistant with two other lawyers. "My assistant is phenomenal," he said, "and I make sure she knows it."

Nonlawyers appreciate that kind of respect. It says something about GrayRobinson, they note, when a conference room with one of the best views is named not for a lawyer but for a longtime, recently retired receptionist.

"You don't have bullying by people who know they're in a higher-level position," said Carl Cotroneo, the firm's support services coordinator. "The general respect shown to employees is great."

For Cotroneo, whose team does "grunt work" like delivering mail, fixing copy machines and moving boxes, flexibility means the freedom to make on-the-spot decisions.

"Say an attorney comes to me and says, 'I really like this type of coffee.' There's not a long line of people I've got to go through to get that kind of coffee," Cotroneo said. "The more comfortable the employee, the more productive they'll be. Ultimately, it's the client that benefits."

Speaking of benefits …

GrayRobinson pays a substantial part of employees' medical, vision and dental insurance, and contributes to 401(k) retirement plans and health savings accounts. Employees get 18 days of vacation at the start, increasing to 27 days after 10 years. In addition, they have nine paid holidays.

The firm also gives bonuses twice annually — an amount roughly equal to a week's pay in August, then $500 at Christmas.

"It's awesome because not everybody shares profits with their employees," Cotroneo said. "Considering my wife (who works at a hospital) got a $25 gift certificate from Lowe's, you really appreciate where you're at."

There's even more.

Every fall, GrayRobinson hosts a family picnic with activities like hay rides, horseback riding and rock climbing. On national "Administrative Professionals Day" in April, nonlawyers get gift cards and are treated to breakfast or lunch.

Once a month, there's an in-house party with cake to celebrate birthdays and employment anniversaries. And Friday is casual day, when those not headed to court can come to work in jeans and enjoy a free breakfast of bagels, fruit, yogurt and doughnuts.

At such gatherings, employees might pitch in to help out a colleague. Among past beneficiaries: assistant Sheryl Griffin.

When her mother died in Jamaica, colleagues donated money to help Griffin make travel arrangements and get passports for her entire family. The firm also sent flowers.

"They went all out for me," Griffin said, "and didn't pressure me with coming back."

The firm supports many nonprofit organizations and raises money to fight cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other diseases.

"I really like it that GrayRobinson has a great presence in the community," said Diane Drennon, whose job as business development coordinator includes corporate sponsorships. "You can go anywhere in the city of Tampa and mention GrayRobinson's name and people know who we are."

The firm is renowned for its holiday open houses, held the Thursday before Thanksgiving for clients, public officials and anyone else lucky enough to snag an invite. The parties, with food and drink spread over two floors, are so popular that even judges juggle their schedules so they'll be free to attend.

For a few years during the recession, however, the firm canceled the open houses.

"I recall everyone saying, 'We have the budget to do it, but what kind of message would it send to the community?' " said lawyer Brian Oblow, one of the firm's shareholders. "So we decided to forgo the party and donate a substantial sum to a few charities instead."

Before joining GrayRobinson in 2003, Oblow worked in enough other law offices to relish the flexibility he now has. As an avid runner and the father of three small kids, he likes that he can arrange his hours to train for a marathon or attend a son's T-ball games.

"The thing I like most is that you have a lot of autonomy," he says, echoing colleagues. "As long as I'm managing my time and getting the work done, nobody is saying, 'What are you leaving a 6?' "

Contact Susan Taylor Martin at smartin@tampabay.com or (727) 741-9089. Follow @susanskate.