A quarterly newletter by the Boston Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators

October ALA’s Member Spotlight: Paul Morton


Name:   Paul R. Morton   Jon Bashein
Firm:   Burns & Levinson LLP 
Education:   Bachelor of Arts, English Education Major, State University of New York in Albany
Member of ALA since:   1980 or 1981, not sure
Born:   New York City back in the dark ages.  Old enough to have gone to Woodstock.
     

Professional Experience:  I began as an office manager for a ten attorney international tax firm in San Francisco in 1978.  I was responsible for hiring and supervising staff, purchasing electronic typewriters, the first “stand alone” word processor, copiers, supplies, etc.  I relocated to the Philadelphia area so my wife could go to graduate school.  I was hired as an office manager for a firm in Wilmington, DE.  I joined the ALA at that time and at my first chapter meeting – I was the 7th member and was told that I had to be president since each member had already been.  After 3 years, we moved to Boston and I joined Morrison, Mahoney & Miller as Legal Administrator.  I moved to Sherburne, Powers & Needham as Director of Administration.  I was there for 13 years and coordinated the merger with Holland & Knight.   I have now been with Burns & Levinson as Executive Director for almost six years.

 

How did you become interested in legal administration?   I contemplated going to law school (what else do you do with an English Education degree when there are no teaching jobs?)  I took a job after college as a paralegal for a patent and trademark law firm in NYC.  Years later, having moved to San Francisco with the woman who became my wife, I decided it was time to grow up and think about law school again.  I took a job as an office manager in a firm and decided I liked the challenges of the legal environment and management.  I had no desire to go to law school.

 

What are the biggest challenges facing legal administrators in the business today?  Managing and creating change encompass all of the issues we face.  The general economic picture is constantly in flux, and how law firms face this changing market will impact how successful firms are.  If lawyers do not adapt to all sorts of changes they will have problems.  The challenges we face are all on fronts – changes in the demands of our clients, the speed at which work is expected to be produced, globalization of the economy, the shifting of clients needs, the competition between local industries and business and regional and national businesses and how best to serve them.  We are faced with changes in the demographics of our work force, availability of staff, training and education, language and cultural difficulties.  All of these things require us to be willing to look at things in new ways.  Most people are resistant to change, and yet our firms must constantly adapt.  Our job is to anticipate change and help our staff respond.    

 

Of what are you most proud?   I have had the privilege over the years of working with many talented people.  I have had the opportunity to share some of my experiences, my occasional successes and my many mistakes.  I guess you could call this mentoring.  I have been thrilled to watch these individuals, learn, grow, take on more responsibility in their jobs, and move on to become administrators and leaders.    

 

What impression do you like to leave on your staff?   I always like to think I am this laid-back, easy-to-talk-to hippie.  I’ve come to learn that’s not always the impression.   I can come across as irritable and authoritative. I want my staff to think that I am approachable and reasonable and that their suggestions and concerns are important.  I want them to know that I have to juggle the best interests of the employees with the interests of the firm, and that ultimately my goal is to always treat people honestly and fairly.

 

The biggest challenge you’ve ever faced personally or professionally?  The biggest challenge I have faced has surrounded joining a new law firm only to find that the reality of the experience was different than the anticipation of the experience.  Having served seven law firms over the past twenty-five years, I have learned that each firm has its own personality.  Coming to a new firm to find that that your role and the firm are not what you expected can be disappointing and hard to manage.  The challenge became addressing differences, finding ways to introduce change, and feeling that you made a difference. 


Your mentor?  I have learned a great deal over the years, primarily from different managing partners.  I have been fortunate to work with many talented administrators over the years. Watching different leadership styles, ways to approach challenges, seeing different priorities and alternate ways to handle things have helped me to develop my own style.  While there was no one individual who I had as a primary mentor, many different people in different roles have helped me in this fashion.

 

If you were not an administrator, what would you be doing?  I’d like to be glib and say that I’d love to be on a beach in Hawaii, watching a sunset with a cold beer in my hand.  However, in reality I’m not quite ready for that. I’d either be teaching or have gone back for a degree in counseling.

 

Outside interests and advice to new administrators?  I love to cook, listen to music, read, hike, ski, bike, play tennis, play with my 2 golden retrievers, and do all of the above with my family.  My advice~  Listen, learn, adapt, ask questions, develop a thick skin, develop a strong ego, be creative, don’t hesitate to speak your mind and have fun doing it all.