Business
The legal industry has traditionally been a slow adopter of architectural and design change. Typical office layouts with perimeter offices and career growth indicated by office size have persisted, despite other industries moving toward new trends like open offices. The unique nature of the legal industry mandates much of the reliance on standard office layouts of the past – but is there change on the horizon?Hosting this episode is Skender Vice President and Partner Clay Edwards, an office interiors industry thought leader with extensive experience in law firm construction. Clay is joined by two guests from Nelson, a global architecture and design firm. Marty Festenstein serves as NELSON’s Legal Practice Group Leader, and Kristin Cerutti is an experienced lead project designer. Marty, Kristin and Clay take a deep dive into the drivers of change and evolution in law firm office design, now and into the future, and explore questions such as:What types of offices will millennial-age lawyers expect and want?Can attorneys work in open offices?How are law firms investing in ubiquitous technology?In what areas are law firms leading change in office design?Can you future-proof a law firm office?About Marty FestensteinMarty Festenstein serves as NELSON’s Legal Practice Group Leader, driving creativity and strategy for clients nationally. Throughout his 30-year career, he has managed over 12 million square feet and over 400 workplace projects. As a result, Marty has gained a national reputation as a workplace “trusted adviser.” Many of his clients are large, national firms with sites across the country as well as large regional firms. This has allowed him to direct multi-site projects and national account occupancy planning. Marty consistently leads design teams to deliver creative solutions that delight law firm clients, meet their functional parameters and exceed their expectations. With his intense focus on workplace, he is acutely aware of the trends that affect how attorneys and their support staff work, which allows him to provide them with environments in which they can thrive. A consummate leader, Marty has contributed to numerous writings in Crain’s Chicago Business, Chicago Lawyer Magazine, Law Firm, Inc., and American Lawyer. His speaking engagements have included the Association of Legal Administrators’ Annual Convention, Managing Partner Round Tables, and the annual NeoCon design conference.About Kristin CeruttiWith 13 years of experience in interior architecture, Kristin Cerutti is an experienced lead project designer, with extensive knowledge in schematic design and design development processes, as well as construction document assembly, construction administration, and client relations. With experience working in multiple markets across the country and around the globe, her project coordination, design capabilities, and proficiency in the operation and implementation of computer-aided design programs are invaluable to her team as a leader in the office.