Bene works with law

BENE WORKS WITH LAW. The Bene approach to legal offices.

Bene creates effective spaces.

Well designed offices and work environments have a direct effect on the intellectual capability as well as the emotional well being of the people who occupy them.

The performance of an organisation can often be attributed in part to the quality of its workplace, where an effective office design – the aesthetics, functionality and quality of the environment – contributes to a company’s success, increasing the ability and motivation to work productively.

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We understand that the office contributes to a company‘s success by fulfilling three key criteria:

Effectiveness Efficiency

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We design offices that focus on EFFICIENCY.

Efficiency Effectiveness Expression

Making efficient economic use of real estate and driving down occupancy costs.

BENE PROVIDES

> Office concept > Cost saving space planning > Flexible furniture programmes > Sustainable solutions > Long-term value for money > Product warranty

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‌ maximising the FINANCIAL investment.

> Efficiency at the purchasing process. > Efficiency in facility management. > Sustainable product

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We design offices that focus on EFFECTIVENESS.

Efficiency Effectiveness Expression

Creating spaces that support people, improving their output and quality.

BENE PROVIDES

… maximising the HUMAN output.

> Productivity > Motivation

> Workplace assessment > Space orientation > Ratio for privacy, interaction > Storage management > Furniture selection

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> Loyalty > Communication > Knowledge exchange

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We design offices that focus on EXPRESSION.

Efficiency Effectiveness Expression

Communicating messages both to the inhabitants of the building and to those who visit it - influencing the way people think about the organisation.

BENE PROVIDES

... maximising the BRAND.

> Brand equity > Corporate identity

> 3D Design > Complete environment > Office concept and layout > Material and colour advice > Reception / Meeting / Office

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> Cultural expression > Image

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Key challenges for the design of the legal workplace • Privacy vs Interaction • Concentration vs Communication • Hierarchy • Efficiency • Flexibility • Corporate branding / image

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Privacy versus Interaction Space for concentration is essential. Confidentiality and privacy is also a key consideration for lawyers.

Simultaneously, the offices require space that will facilitate communication, knowledge and information exchange. Balancing these requirements is the key to success.

Legal firms are increasingly exploring new ways of working, acknowledging the breakdown in hierarchical management into more democratic practices, as well as the expense associated with cellular office arrangements.

Modern legal environments achieve a balance between privacy and interaction by providing well appointed quiet rooms and meeting areas alongside open plan spaces where generous personal space allocation and acoustic security offer privacy and focus.

• Bene’s international expertise in the legal sector brings experience and recommendations for different layouts and the most effective, bespoke solution. Professional space analysis allocates appropriate space and functional facilities.

• Bene’s extensive product portfolio offers solutions for meeting rooms, reception, break out areas, libraries, think-tanks as well as workstations and touch-down areas.

• With an almost limitless range of colours and materials, Bene creates bespoke, tailored solutions that imply the quality and standards that lawyers appreciate both intellectually and aesthetically.

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Concentration versus Communication

Communication CONCENTRATION

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COMMUNICATION

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Different workplace typologies A

„MY OFFICE“ Autonomous, concentrated working + Status + Privacy

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„SHARED OFFICE“ Dialogue, face-to-face + Concentration + Communication

C

„TEAM OFFICE“ Project work, team work + Team building + Structured work

D

„OPEN OFFICE“ Knowledege exchange, openness + Flexibility + Know-how transfer

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Hierarchy Historically, cellular offices have dominated law firm layouts. Unchanging traditions have set their pattern. But, in addition to suggesting personal status and providing a hierarchical structure, their key and valued attribute is visual and acoustic privacy and documentary security.

Recently, the introduction of more democratic, open-plan workplaces, where intellectual crosspollination can more naturally occur, has led to fewer juniors aspiring to have their own offices and more collaboration, making teamwork a fundamental part of the workplace. However, hierarchy, status and privacy remain important.

In determining an effective, efficient design, careful professional analysis informs the decision as to whether a client should adopt layouts that are cellular, open plan or a mixture of the two.

• Bene understands the justification and benefits of hierarchical versus open offices and can recommend effective layouts.

Bene draws on its extensive international experience to help individual clients identify the most appropriate solution.

• Bene solutions help to facilitate an holistic workplace environment that covers every aspect of law firm activities including meeting rooms, breakout areas, back office administration, conducive for communication and concentration.

• Bene’s different management programmes offer a choice for specification ranging between value engineered and high quality executive solutions.

• Appropriate acoustic and visual privacy is paramount. Bene also offers acoustic panelling and structural partitioning.

• Bene’s extensive choice of materials enables the expression of value and status through a choice of wood veneers, melamine surfaces, colours, fabrics and finishes.

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Efficiency Research undertaken by architects revealed that wherever you are in the world, law firm desks are only occupied 40 % of the time, mostly due to people being away from their desks in meetings. Why pay £ 50+ per square foot – not including fit-out costs – for space just used by one person which isn‘t even fully utilised?

Due to the contemporary design of workstations and the advent of glass partition walls and smart technology, office space has reduced to between 225 and 250sq ft per office. As firms become more egalitarian in structure this may reduce even further to 150sq ft.

As technology has become smarter, secretarial and administrative staff has reduced in numbers and this pattern is likely to continue. These two factors alone mean that the law office of today and tomorrow will require less space for day-to-day working and more space for creating communication and relaxation zones.

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Bene’s versatile workplace solutions make efficient use of space and human resources.

Bene evaluates filing needs, and offers appropriate storage.

Bene’s service responds quickly to dynamic changes.

Bene products have guaranteed long-term availability as well as durability.

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Flexibility Flexibility goes hand in hand with efficiency. Workplaces need to be designed with the potential to change shape and size so that the evolving needs of the workforce can be met.

The requirement for a room plan that can be reconfigured has become so significant that it has, in turn, led to a trend for furniture that is mobile and allows flexible IT integration. The combined flexibility of plan and content, then, will result in a more dynamic environment.

Meeting rooms can be clustered together, if they are defined by moveable partition walls, they can be adapted to accommodate larger or smaller meetings, training, teamwork and other activities, not least when outsiders are invited into the workplace. Increasingly, conference areas are close to the kitchen, where they can double as event spaces.

• Bene‘s concepts and products allow for growth and change.

• To understand and foresee IT requirements forms part of the product developement at Bene already during design stage.

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Expression of corporate identity/brand Law firms need a clear expression of their individual identity and character. The physical environment in which and from which practises operate is tangible evidence of their brand values as much as their identity.

The workplace must give a sense of cohesion and corporate value to employees, simultaneously expressing intention and purpose to external audiences. It should also play a decisive role in attracting, recruiting and retaining talent of the highest calibre.

Sometimes - this is an almost unique facet of law firm operations - it may even be advantageous to intimidate opposing lawyers and their clients when they attend case meetings at the offices. Finally, the law is a challenging arena in which to advertise, so the workplace plays a part in the subtleties of marketing.

An effective, efficient and expressive workplace is a total and immersive experience which improves performance and productivity. It is an investment in human capital and corporate identity. It fosters positive internal and external relationships that lead to better business.

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Bene has a highly qualified design team of international repute.

Bene’s design team combine creativity with detailed product knowledge and a wealth of experience.

Bene offers an almost limitless choice of product, materials, colours and finishes to create bespoke interior environments.

Bene’s sophisticated design resource also offers detailed 3D visualisation and physical mock-ups to help in the decision making process.

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Typical Layouts – single occupancy

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Typical Layouts – single occupancy featuring desk that incorporates meeting facility

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Typical Layouts – two persons shared office

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Typical Layouts – four person cluster team office

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Typical Layouts – open plan office

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Bene‘s law references Baker & McKenzie (Hong Kong) Bingham McCutchen (London) Bristows (London) Chadbourne and Parke (London) Clifford Chance LLP (Dubai, Moscow) Davies Arnold Cooper (London) Eversheds (Birmingham) Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (Paris) Gide Loyrette Nouel (London) Herbert Smith LLP (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Moscow, Paris) Hunton and Williams (London) Kirkland and Ellis LLP (London, Hong Kong, Shanghai) Marks and Clerk (London, Edinburgh) Mayer, Brown Rowe and Maw LLP (Brussels) Nabarro (London) Paul Hastings Janofsky and Walker (London, Paris, Shanghai) Roedl and Partner (Cologne) Shearman and Sterling LLP (London) Shoosmiths (Nottingham, Milton Keynes, Reading, Solent) Slaughter and May (London) Reed Smith Richards Butler LLP (London) Russell Jones and Walker (London, Manchester) 2009 Š Bene AG

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Slaughter and May Slaughter and May employ more than a thousand people. It was expanding, and wanted to rationalise four smaller offices into one new London corporate headquarter building.

Specific solutions had to be found to ensure smooth running for the current occupancy and any future expansion potentials - freedom of movement inside Slaughter and May’s new building was paramount.

Lawyers need private offices for confidentiality but also facilities for big international cases that involve a team of twenty partners, assistants and support staff. The facility to reconfigure walls therefore became vital – not so much for the walls themselves but to store the vast amount of paperwork.

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Slaughter and May

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Hunton and Williams Hunton & Williams provide their clients with experience and advice in virtually every discipline of law. With lawyers in the United States, Europe and Asia they are a truly international law firm.

Continued expansion of their London office led them to move to the 18th & 19th Floor of the prestigious St Mary’s Axe, London.

The brief specified an exclusive, joinery led solution that required approximately 70% customized special furniture products. The use of bog oak for all desk tops was one of these special requirements.

Bene won this job because of it's expertise with law firms and it’s very cost competitive offer. The client appreciated the diversity in Bene's product range and the attention to detail that was given to all stages of the project, from mock-up to installation and after sale service.

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Hunton and Williams

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Paul Hastings, London The need for both private spaces as well as public areas were carefully considered, and client areas around a glass atrium, where reception and a waiting lounge are located, were created. The 8 meeting rooms within the client area are divided

by Bene's RF corridor wall, which was chosen due to its design features (flush, elegant, reflective) and the required acoustic quality.

Paul Hastings has a typical law-firm office layout with a large number of cellular offices. The design focus was set on the client facing areas (reception, lounge and meeting rooms), whereas the back-office zone was aimed to be simple and functional.

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Paul Hastings, London

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Paul Hastings, Paris Paul Hastings Paris does not only prioritise customer relations, but also pays careful attention to selecting the right colours—in all nuances and shades. In this historic building in Paris prestige and tradition were turned into modern office culture.

Team offices as well as single person offices were installed next to an impressive client meeting area which should certainly set a statement. Partners offices were designed in a customized solution.

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Paul Hastings, Paris

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Paul Hastings, Shanghai

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Gide Loyrette Nouel Gide's decisive senior partner wanted an environment that would emphasise the firm's brand and exude quality and attention to detail within a modest budget.

Bene addressed the challenge, creating an economical solution by adapting its T-Platform system for the cellular offices, based upon the aesthetic of the P2 executive system.

The final result suggests a bespoke solution but is actually the result of a series of adaptions with Bene's standard range.

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Gide Loyrette Nouel

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Roedl and Partner, Cologne, Germany Roedl and Partner is a very bright, modern and beautifully designed law office in on of Cologne’s new, l-shaped landmark buildings.

The approach was very architectural. Offices should reflect the same open and bright aesthetics as the building itself. All offices are open and transparent with a very light feel. The use of blue throughout the space stands for the flowing river outside the building trying to bring it into the space.

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Roedl and Partner, Cologne, Germany

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Shoosmiths, Nottingham Shoosmiths consists of 9 UK branches offering legal advice and services in a wide range of fields including Commercial, Information Technology and Dispute Resolution. As a fast growing business Shoosmiths recently expanded into new premises in Nottingham.

The aim was to create a light, modern and transparent environment to contribute to Shoosmiths contemporary brand.

This was enhanced by using Bene's double glazed RG Partitioning system, the acoustic properties of which satisfied the functional need for privacy and confidentiality.

Bene developed a customized personal storage unit that accommodates more filing than usual - a key requirement for legal work.

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Shoosmiths, Nottingham

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