Quality of Life

Quality of Life Diversity Across the Bar - Newsletter Getting Involved in the Florida Bar

deBeaubien, Knight, Simmons, Mantzaris & Neal, LLP
earns the Michael K. Reese Quality of Life Award

Most of the time, Partners and Associates are at odds over issues involving quality of life. If one were to ask any law firm Partner about their young associates, one would undoubtedly hear how associates should be working nights and weekends. Thus, when a firm understands and strives for its attorneys to maintain balance in their lives, they should be applauded and recognized for their willingness to go against the grain. Recently, the YLD did just this by awarding the Michael K. Reese Quality of Life Award to the law firm of deBeaubien, Knight, Simmons, Mantzaris & Neal, LLP.

The Michael K. Reese Quality of Life Award recognizes a person and/or entity that, through humanitarian respect, advances balance and fulfillment in lawyers’ lives by redefining current work habits and schedules to provide more flexibility and a more meaningful existence. Each year the YLD solicits nominations for this award. After reviewing all the submissions this year’s award was given to deBeaubien, Knight, Simmons, Mantzaris & Neal for their willingness to offer their attorneys flexible schedules and innovative ways for their attorneys to perform their work out of the office.

The law firm of deBeaubien, Knight, Simmons, Mantzaris & Neal, LLP is currently celebrating its 30 Year Anniversary. The firm has evolved through the years from being a small practice to being one of Orlando’s fastest growing firms who also provides cutting-edge legal assistance.

Over ten years ago, the Firm was selected to represent a nationwide corporation that provides access to lawyers by telephone. This required the Firm to recruit attorneys who would be required to provide legal assistance (including, but not limited to, consultations, document review and letter preparation) in a non-traditional forum. In other words, never meeting with a potential client face-to-face.

Because many of the people calling in for services may not be able to discuss their matters at work, the Firm provides evening and weekend hours. This schedule allows an attorney to work at their pace and have flexibility when handling their own personal/family needs. If a lawyer has a medical appointment or has to deal with a family situation in the morning, they can request an afternoon shift and vice versa. An attorney can also request a day off during the week in return for working on a Saturday.

deBeaubien, Knight, Simmons, Mantzaris & Neal, LLP has also set up ‘terminal service access’ which allows attorneys (and staff) to log-in from any computer and retrieve email messages, documents received by facsimile and work on preparing or finalizing their own documents. This capability has allowed a working parent to work from home when their child(ren) is sick or has a day off from school.

The Firm also provides a “part-time” schedule, which allows an attorney to work three or four days a week. The attorney is not penalized for working reduced hours and still qualifies for the Firm’s benefits, including health insurance, 401(k) and profit-sharing.

The balance of flexible schedules and work assignments provides an attorney with some extra time to spend with family and friends. deBeaubien, Knight, Simmons, Mantzaris & Neal, LLP understands that balance in the lives of their attorneys will enhance their quality of life and ultimately make them a more productive employee while at the office. To this end, it seems as if deBeaubien, Knight, Simmons, Mantzaris & Neal, LLP have succeeded!

The recipient of The Michael K. Reese Quality of Life Award receives a beautiful plaque for their office and the YLD makes a monetary donation to the recipient’s charity of choice. deBeaubien, Knight, Simmons, Mantzaris & Neal LLP chose to divide the monies between Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida and The American Heart Association. Previous winners of the award have been Carlton Fields, P.A. and Fisher, Rushmer, Werrenrath, Dickson, Talley & Dunlap, P.A.