138Shares

Named the 5th fastest growing law �rm in the nation by Law Firm 500, local Patel | Gaines

(http://www.patelgaines.com/) is on the fast track to the top. Not only do they offer their clients innovative

strategies to their commercial real estate challenges, but their new building, due to open in Spring

2018, is a physical manifestation of these innovative strategies as well. After working for several well-

established law �rms in the nation, Rahul Patel and Grant Gaines found themselves disillusioned by

the corporate structure of the law practices in which they worked. They met while working at the

same �rm and opened their own practice together in San Antonio in 2013 — with one in Fort Worth

soon to follow — vowing to bring out-of-the-box solutions to their clients and their workplace.

PATEL | GAINES: THE MODERN LAWOFFICE

February 27, 2018 at 2:09pm ROCKSTARS (/ROCKSTARS) WORK (/WORK)

M

Rahul Patel and Grant Gaines of Patel | Gaines

Innovation in Workplace Structure

In the past, law �rms had the corporate model of principals located back in their massive corner

of�ces, unapproachable, with their desks arranged in such a way to intimidate anyone who walked in.

This is merely one example of the outdated concepts many law �rms have worked under and �rms

like Patel | Gaines recognize these systems are not productive. This new generation of lawyers also

recognizes that in order to have a successful and productive practice, they must change this mindset

to that of a collaborative team as opposed to a “be-quiet-and-get-the-job-done” kind of workforce.

Through this updated mindset, Patel | Gaines has been able to recruit some of the top talent in the

nation.

Motivational quote courtesy of the Patel |

Gaines Instagram page

Patel | Gaines of�ces- Rendering of rear elevation courtesy of Chesney Morales

Innovation in Real Estate Development

As the �rm has grown, they realized that being commercial real estate and litigation lawyers, they

should also put their money where their mouth is and practice what they preach. This logically led

them in the direction to develop their own commercial real estate. Under construction now — and

opening in Spring 2018 — the �rm is developing a two-story commercial of�ce building where the

second �oor will house the Patel | Gaines of�ces and �rst �oor will be a series of leased tenant

spaces.

Some of the Patel | Gaines real estate

development strategies have involved

paying attention to their neighboring

businesses and their trajectory for

success. They plan to meet the needs of

these neighboring businesses by

looking for potential tenants for their

building that could also service the

surrounding business community. Their

team is being selective about their �rst

�oor tenants, seeking well-branded

preferably local companies; and if the

synergy is right, even willingness to aid

start-ups in their success as tenants of

their new building. Patel is hoping for a

hip coffee shop and a salon to name a

few.

Innovation in Design

The Patel | Gaines of�ces are at the forefront of modern law of�ce design. To help them get there,

they hired the local reputable architecture �rm Chesney Morales (https://www.chesneymorales.com/) to

design both the exterior and interior design. With a reputation for building some of the most

sophisticated spaces in San Antonio, Metropolitan Contracting (http://www.metcontracting.com/) will

execute the design as their general contractor. Their furniture systems are being coordinated by the

local furniture dealership CBI Group (http://www.cbi-of�ce.com/) .

Rendering of Patel | Gaines furniture layout courtesy of CBI Group

Motivational quote courtesy of the Patel |

Gaines Instagram page

On the subject of physical space, what

comes to mind when you think of the

interior of a traditional law �rm?

Perhaps dark mahogany wood paneling

on the walls with ornate crown molding?

 Wing-back chairs upholstered in

burgundy or hunter green leather?

Huge libraries with thick law books

taking up valuable square footage? The

law �rm of the future is now heading in

a direction that is modern in design, has

a more ef�cient �oor plan, encourages

collaboration, and utilizes current

technologies that allow them to meet or

work from anywhere. According to

leading design researchers

(http://www.redesign-law.com/) , the following are 6 Key Points of the Law Of�ce of the Future:

1. Less is more: Gone are the gratuitous corner of�ces giving way to a smaller

footprint than the past with workers shifting to a more mobile/digital workstyle

and lessening the need for paper.

2. Choice and Balance: When they are working in the of�ce, they have a variety of

places to touch-down for both focused work and collaborative work. For example

a small conference room, a shared of�ce, a workstation, etc.

3. Future Proof: Of�ces are modular and recon�gurable with moveable wall

systems and workstations to change with technology and staff.

4. Ubiquitous Technology: Firms provide their workforce with mobile technologies

enabling them to work from anywhere.

5. Connect the Dots: Technologies are set up to be able to engage virtually from

anywhere, video chat, etc.

6. One Size Does Not Fit All: One of�ce design should not be copy/pasted to

another. The design and layout should �t the �rm’s unique culture and brand.

First wall being erected at the new Patel |

Gaines of�ce building

Patel | Gaines new building under

construction

Rahul Patel and Grant Gaines love

working in San Antonio because of the

ability to meet and work directly with

top talent and local business/political

leaders to shape the future and growth

of our city, as well as the massive

opportunities to �ll certain gaps in our

city – particularly when it comes to real

estate and technology. This ties in

perfectly with their corporate culture as

their new of�ces are designed to be a

law of�ce by day and host occasional

events by night to bring the community

and its leaders together. Their main

conference room will be multi-

functional and serve as an event space

with a conference table that is modular and recon�gurable to meet the needs of the event. The

Marketing department will have a shared workstation to encourage and promote collaboration.

Employees will have access to laptops to allow for remote work. Additionally, they offer full-time

employees the latest iPhone and service plan at no additional cost to them. Their staff also will Skype

to communicate with their DFW team and loop them in during their leadership workshops.

With exciting things on the horizon, the

sky is the limit for the Patel | Gaines

team and we applaud their efforts for

placing value on the power of cutting-

edge design strategies! You can follow

their updates via social media at the

links below.

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/patelgaines (https://www.instagram.com/patelgaines)  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/patelgaines (https://twitter.com/patelgaines)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatelGaines (https://www.facebook.com/PatelGaines)  

138Shares