Speculation about what the post-pandemic workplace will look like has been relentless. Academics, corporate strategists and self-anointed futurists have issued a sea of predictions on what lies ahead. At Precedent, we’ve noticed the abundance of ink spilled on this topic—and puzzled over the best way to inject our voice into the conversation. “The future of the legal workplace is a top concern among our readers,” says Daniel Fish, the editor of Precedent. “But we don’t want to publish the same forecasts that have already appeared countless times in the mainstream press. After all, at Precedent, we strive to produce journalism that our readers can’t find anywhere else.”
So when Cassels announced that it was moving into a new Toronto headquarters, we took note. “This presented us with an opportunity,” says Fish. “We could report on an actual law firm that had designed an office with the lessons of the pandemic in mind.”
In May, Cassels officially decamped to its new space. Over the summer, the Precedent team toured the workplace and interviewed lawyers throughout the firm. The result of those efforts is a photo-rich feature that centres on a real-world example of a post-pandemic office. No speculation needed.
Photo description: Precedent editor Daniel Fish chats with managing partner Kristin Taylor and deputy managing partner Noble Chummar at the Cassels office.
This story is from our Fall 2023 Issue.
Photography by Lorne Bridgman. Hair and makeup by Jasmine Merinsky.