The Wyrick Way
Exceptional client service is a core tenet of our firm. The following principles, which we call The Wyrick Way, guide our work with our clients and in our community, with an emphasis on respect, responsiveness, quality, and collegiality.
- Never forget our formula for success. Without great clients, exceptional people, and commitment to these principles, we will never be successful. Each of these is equally important.
- Act professionally and ethically at all times. This is the foundation of our daily activities; the way we interact with our clients, one another, our community, and our adversaries. Professionally is the way we should act; ethically is the way we must act. There is no substitute for character, honesty, and integrity. We expect our people to maintain the highest professional and ethical standards in everything we do, both in our work for our clients and our firm, and in our personal lives.
- Our clients’ best interests always come first. If our clients are successful and grow, we will be successful and grow as well.
- Listen. We must be effective communicators, and effective communication begins with being a good listener. We listen to the needs of our clients, each other, and our community.
- Our success should never be measured solely by the bottom line. If we provide exemplary service to our clients and a collegial, supportive work environment, and treat our clients and our people fairly and with respect, we will be successful and the bottom line will take care of itself.
- Our most valuable asset is our people. We must attract and retain talented, highly motivated, dedicated, and creative people at all levels in order to deliver the level of service expected by our clients (and ourselves). We must offer the opportunity for our people to grow professionally by being participants, not observers.
- Quality is mission critical; quantity is not. We take great pride, and expect excellence at all times, in the quality of our work for our clients, regardless of the size or complexity of the project or who the client is. We will not compromise our work product or cut corners for any work we undertake.
- The right size of the firm. The size of our firm is relevant only in the context of being able to serve our clients’ needs. We want to be big enough to handle the largest project that any of our clients may undertake, yet small enough to maintain our collegiality and culture, and close collaboration with our clients, which contribute greatly to our individual and firm success.
- Think outside the box. While our clients expect us to know the law and provide sound, practical legal advice, it is important to be creative in advising clients. If we advise a client it cannot do what it wants to do, we must be prepared to provide realistic alternatives.
- Allocate resources optimally for clients. We make a conscious effort to staff every project with the optimal level of support by partners, associates, and/or paralegals. We strive to have work performed at the level where it will be performed correctly for our clients, and also efficiently and cost-effectively for our clients.
- Commit to excellent client service. Although we are engaged in the practice of law, we are delivering a service to our clients. As such, we must be available, responsive, and user-friendly, and we must deliver results.
- Teamwork. While individual talents, experience and creativity are important, we believe collaborative efforts yield the best results for our clients. It is unacceptable for anyone to put his or her personal interests ahead of the interests of our clients and our firm.
- Earn respect; we cannot expect or demand it. This applies equally to our clients as well as our people.
- Avoid complacency. The practice of law, the needs of our clients, and the needs of our people are constantly evolving in this competitive, global marketplace. We must be proactive in responding to these changing needs or we will neither maximize our opportunities nor achieve success.
- Treasure our existing clients. The most valuable client to our firm is an existing client, not a prospective client. Although we always seek new client relationships, we never take existing client relationships for granted and we must proactively maintain and service existing relationships.
- Maintain confidentiality. We regularly receive confidential information as part of our normal client relationships. To breach a confidence or to use confidential information improperly or carelessly is not only unethical, but also unthinkable.
- Be involved in our communities. We stress involvement and leadership roles in the communities in which we operate, and the organizations that support our communities.
- Add value. We must add value to each client relationship and project we undertake.
- Maintain professional and personal balance. Each suffers when the other is dominant.
- Well-being. We believe the physical and mental well-being of our employees and their families is one measure of our firm’s success. Through our Wyrick Robbins Wellness Program, “Well-being is Elemental”, we will help our employees and their families understand, adopt, and maintain a healthy lifestyle.