Life Inside The Law at Schlemlein Fick & Franklin

Dogs stroll the premises. People play ping-pong and work out in the free onsite gym. Pizza parties and happy hours are common. A Seahawks or Mariners game may be playing on the big-screen TV.

This isn’t a social club, though longtime clients often refer to it as the “clubhouse.” It’s the headquarters of Schlemlein Fick & Franklin PLLC, a law office. And partners Garth Schlemlein and Jim Fick insist that all those amenities make the small team more efficient, productive and, well, happy.

“We don’t have a lot of rules and regulations,” Schlemlein says. “We are on top of things, but not in a micromanagement sense. But if there’s something we need to address, we’ll address it.”

Employees last year voted the firm – based in a former warehouse that Schlemlein completely renovated in Seattle’s SODO district – to “Seattle Business” magazine’s annual list of 100 Best Companies To Work for. It was the eighth consecutive year Schlemlein Fick & Franklin made the list.

New, young attorneys have responsibility almost from day one. They perform depositions, mediations and arbitrations. They help in the courtroom. Senior lawyers solicit their advice.

The firm doesn’t have many formal programs. Mentorship is constant, but it’s organic, not programmatic. Senior partners thoroughly vet potential employees during the hiring process, but there’s no official “hiring coordinator.” Unlike in larger law firms, there’s no one person responsible for overseeing all the associates.

Schlemlein, the founding partner, and other senior lawyers employ a “walk-and-talk” management style. Employees are encouraged to take advantage of the firm’s open-door policy and pop into an office whenever they have a question or concern. Team brainstorms often occur on the spot whenever anyone needs guidance on a case. One of the few formal meetings is the monthly get-together in the conference room.

“We want to train the associates to be partners, to be the leaders in the firm,” Fick says. “And they do that by supervising themselves. We try to get them into that mindset.”

When appropriate, Schlemlein often hands business over to younger lawyers for a practical reason: Their hourly rate is virtually half of his. The firm turns down lots of work, he adds, because it doesn’t want to overcharge clients.

“Ninety-eight or 99% of all cases are settled,” Schlemlein says. “Why spend the money at the courthouse when we can settle it here?”

The firm’s playful personality was recently on display after a young lawyer misspoke during a hearing, saying he was objecting because of “lack of vacation.” Schlemlein promptly printed T-shirts that he handed to the staff repeating the phrase.

“We work hard,” he says. “And we have fun.”