2010 How-To Guide - The Legal Intelligencer

Opening Your Own Practice

After a tumultuous couple of years in the legal industry, more and more attorneys are separating from bigger firms and looking to open their own legal practice. One of the first hurdles of starting a new practice is deciding where and how to set up your office. The options available in today's marketplace vary with the most conventional ranging from opening and staffing an office, to subletting an office from an existing law firm, or opening an office at an executive suite.

While traditional space tends to be the initial direction many attorneys explore, it can be quite daunting once assessing the start-up and ongoing costs involved, including: office furniture, equipment and technology, utilities, and administrative staff. Subletting office space from an existing law firm, where staff and equipment can be shared, will significantly decrease costs. However, keep in mind, there are several pitfalls when subletting, including: 1) the practice's image is compromised, 2) the support team's loyalty is to the firm you are subletting from, so support and use of equipment tends to be limited, 3) it is often difficult to gain access to shared facilities, such as deposition and break out rooms.

While traditional or sublet space might make a good fit for some, the executive suite is specially designed to cater to attorneys' needs. At American Executive Centers, the Delaware Valley's premier executive suite, through a bundled package named The Legal Facilities at AEC; attorneys can have their practice up and running within a day, an invaluable savings of time and money. Whether it is a Virtual Office or a furnished, private office, American Executive Centers provides attorneys with all of the necessary tools and support they need to succeed, including: elegant reception areas, fully equipped and professionally appointed deposition and break out rooms, on-site technology management, reception, administrative and paralegal support.

Attorneys enjoy the full service office solutions available at American Executive Centers, making it easier for them to concentrate on booking more billable hours. From business development and marketing assistance, to in-house paralegals; from an on-site notary and bookkeeping, to IT support, attorneys have a wide-range of assistance available to them on an as-needed basis. Additionally, American Executive Centers' seven convenient locations, including Radnor, Exton, King of Prussia, Plymouth Meeting, Bala Cynwyd, Center City, and Marlton, NJ, offer an added convenience to attorneys and their clients, giving them access to conference and deposition rooms at all seven facilities.

After 20 years building a flourishing litigation practice representing some of the world's leading construction equipment manufacturers, Joe Trabucco and Stephen Menard decided they wanted to escape conflicts and adjust their rates to reflect the prevailing market and better serve their clients. Once their business plan was in place, the next step was to find the right office location. They looked into traditional office space, but realized it wasn't the right fit, as it was not cost-effective and would not help them achieve the goals of their business plan. That's when they explored the executive suite concept and learned about the associated advantages. "The executive suite is a much more practical and efficient alternative for our firm's operations," said Stephen Menard. The support services provided by American Executive Centers got Joe and Stephen's practice, Trabucco & Menard, up and running in a day! "American Executive Centers' King of Prussia Center Manager, Gwen Donnon, and staff made the transition for us not only seamless, but exceptionally pleasant. We couldn't believe that we were able to be productive the first day!"

Matt Wynn and Ray McGarry found American Executive Centers to be the perfect arrangement for launching their new practice, Wynn McGarry LLC. "American Executive Centers made it possible to get our practice off the ground running," said Matt Wynn. "From the experienced, friendly professionals handling our calls to the on-site paralegals who were ready to assist, the process exceeded our expectations. The support and professional image also created instant credibility for our firm, which ultimately made a difference in helping us to grow quickly."

For Scott Reidenbach of Reidenbach and Associates, LLC, starting his own law practice was a big step for him three years ago, as he was understandably wary of the anticipated overhead, expenses and staffing needs. Through American Executive Centers' Virtual Office program Scott was able to branch out on his own without his initial worries of locking into a long-term lease, which at the time he thought might prevent him from, moving or growing as his practice expanded. Within a few months as a virtual office client, Scott Reidenbach quickly moved into one, and eventually four, private offices at American Executive Centers. "It was the professional and friendly staff, modern accommodations, and state-of-the-art technologies that enabled me to rapidly expand my practice," said Reidenbach. ".American Executive Centers provided my clients with a superior level of service, value and support comparable to most large law firms. I can't foresee starting a new practice any better way!"

While many American Executive Centers' clients choose a private office, the Virtual Office program is a great fit for those attorneys, like Scott Reidenbach, who prefer to start their practice with complete flexibility, minimal overhead and commitment.  It's also a great arrangement for attorneys who have a multi-county practice, allowing them to use multiple executive suite locations to better serve their clients. Virtual Office clients have access to all the advantages of a private office lease, including a prestigious business address, business phone number handled by a team of professional receptionists, conference rooms, and inclusion in the office building directory. The Virtual Office programs offer complete: flexibility and are very cost-effective, allowing you to pass the savings on to your clients.

"We've been successfully helping both attorneys launch and grow their own practices, and law firms ‘right size' their business to reduce: costs and increase revenue, for the past twenty-seven years," said G. Michael Howard, President, American Executive Centers. "With the extreme challenges the legal industry has recently faced, we made it a priority to expand our efforts to maximize support for lawyers through our Legal Facilities at AEC office solutions.  At American Executive Centers, we are committed to our clients' success. From the most strategic business locations and our impressive office environments, to our professional support service teams who are carefully chosen to support your business needs and are thoroughly trained in al1 aspects of office technology, our goal is to help our clients succeed - at a price that's affordable."

Call us TODAY at 800.736.6034 to learn more about American Executive Centers and how we can HELP YOU successfully start your own practice and have an Instant Prestigious Office with a complete team of business support professionals, including paralegal support. Or, visit our website at www.americanexecutivecenters.com for more information.