Boutique Law Firms

Boutique Firm Is Ditching Billable Hours, Lockstep Pay, Partnership Track, Titles To Make Everyone Happier

Bye-bye, billable hours!

millennial lawyer happy businessperson in a suitOur incentive program originated from the dissatisfaction with the class system, and the focus on billable hour requirements in Big Law. We want people to have skin in the game, which makes them more invested in the firm and their overall success and career.

A lot of people are realizing that money doesn’t buy happiness,” Tyz said. “It’s about sharing purpose, learning and growing professionally, and participating in work that challenges you. And life outside of work is important too, because a happy life means being on your game at work.

— Ryan Tyz, founder of Tyz Law Group, a Northern California-based litigation and intellectual property boutique, commenting on why his firm has moved away from the “broken” Biglaw model to carve out its own path. Tyz has adopted a profit-sharing model where attorneys will be eligible to receive compensation based on the firm’s month-to-month successes.


Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.