It’s a cute thought — actually, it’s. The conceit of the challenge is that morale wants a lift proper now and agency executives are hitting the street to make in-person visits to every U.S. workplace. Greenberg Traurig government chairman Richard Rosenbaum and Brian Duffy, the agency’s CEO, have taken to a “beat up” RV and are hitting the street to see all 30 U.S workplaces of the agency.
It’s cute, actually. Especially as Rosenbaum told Law.com the duo are sleeping within the RV and driving it themselves.
[Rosenbaum] and Duffy, the two,171-lawyer agency’s CEO, launched into a cross-country street journey final weekend to fulfill with every of the agency’s 30 U.S. workplaces. The tour, dubbed “Mel on Wheels” for the agency’s late founder, Mel Greenberg, is a bid to reconnect attorneys and reveal the Miami-based agency’s appreciation for the lawyering that helped it reach $1.7 billion in income final 12 months, 5.4% larger than 2019.
“We’re not going to remember last year based on the fact that the financial numbers were on every measure the best they ever were. We’re going to remember that we came together, that we respected our people, that we didn’t do across-the-board layoffs,” he stated. “A firm that values those things wants to make sure people understand those values, that we’re not going to jot off a quick email and then go home.”
The journey looks like a PR dream come true, combining the longed for in-person reconnections with all of the cutesy of a buddy comedy ready to occur. Rosenbaum says an RV street journey was on his bucket record, whereas Duffy had no such desires, however the germ of the journey was planted final 12 months:
“After we got through that first quarter, we were thinking about the cultural impact of the pandemic — how could we stay connected,” Duffy stated in an interview. “Richard said, ‘let’s get an RV and drive around the country when it’s safe!’ And I’ll be honest I thought he was joking, but it started to take on a life of its own.”
And it’s been branded as an outreach transfer with a charity twist:
“We took a chunk of our lives,” Rosenbaum continued. “And got into this little beat-up RV and drove ourselves. We slept in campgrounds. And they know why we’re doing it — to see them, but also for them to come together with each other.”
The first leg of the journey, occurring this week, consists of the agency’s Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa, Tallahassee, Atlanta, Houston, Austin and Dallas workplaces. Future legs will traverse the remainder of the nation, and Duffy stated the agency is donating a minimal of $100,000 to native charities alongside the way in which and asking companions to match.
And whereas I’m positive the intentions had been well positioned, a number of tipsters on the agency are lower than thrilled. Mostly as a result of the agency, regardless of the bump in income mentioned, hasn’t ponied up the special COVID appreciation bonuses making their means by means of Biglaw. Take a take a look at a number of the feedback from insiders:
Greenberg Traurig senior administration purchased an RV and are supposedly going to drive to all of the US workplaces as a “Getting Together” (GT = getting collectively, what a high shelf joke…). Coming to the workplace when the RV arrived is supposedly non-obligatory (besides it’s not likely) and attorneys aren’t precisely thrilled with the initiative, particularly after no 2020 or 2021 Covid bonuses.
Just need to provide you with an replace. While Greenberg Traurig’s agency management is busy having enjoyable touring across the nation of their souped up RV (known as Mel on Wheels) the associates are getting increasingly more pissed off concerning the lack of bonuses. Somehow agency management fails to see the obscenity in parading round celebrating GTs fantastically profitable 12 months (with companions seeing 6% improve in earnings!) however but not inclined to offer market compensation. Yesterday, GT New York had a convention call with the associates to examine in and talk about returning to workplace. They stated that they’re conscious that different corporations have made bulletins relating to bonuses however GT is rarely one to comply with the pack. They stated GT is taking a practical and deliberate approach in direction of giving benefit primarily based bonuses however don’t have any different updates right now. They hope to have extra information subsequent week. Needless to say, associates really feel burned and unappreciated.
Those are particularly reasonable points. It’s exhausting to observe a agency thrilled with their monetary efficiency — and over a billion money in income — nonetheless not give market compensation to their associates. Until the bonuses that peer corporations are giving out are on the desk at GT this street journey is prone to ring hole.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the most effective, so please join together with her. Feel free to e-mail her with any suggestions, questions, or feedback and comply with her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).
