Working at Primeau Law, you can wear whatever makes you feel strong, powerful and able to work in a healthy way with two exceptions = No corduroy, because it makes a funny noise, and no shirts with inspirational quotes on them, because no one in the office likes to be told what to do.
When Jodie Primeau decided to start a feminist general practice firm in the small town of Deep River Ontario, where she grew up, she had three choices. 1 - She could ignore the fact that not only would this be the first female led firm in the area, but that her and her associates would be the only female lawyers in town. 2 - She could acknowledge but downplay these realities. Or, 3 - she could lean into them. With the help of a fantastic business coach, Jodie chose to lean in. That’s why Primeau Law’s logo has the female symbol incorporated into it, or as Jodie puts it, “we put our lady parts right in the middle”.
Feminism also drives Jodie’s goal to dismantle the pyramid hierarchy that is common in law firm structure.
People at the top (typically male) received a lot of the benefits and glory, while the stress, pressure and grunt work is piled on to those at the bottom (typically females). Jodie also noticed a glorification of exhaustion at law firms, which did not sit well with her. She knew that she didn’t want these things for her own life and career and nearly 10 years into her career, she recognized that if she wanted something different, she’d have to create it herself.
Primeau Law came to life in 2019 and shortly after came a global pandemic and a baby for Jodie. Jodie and her team meet weekly to discuss the future of the firm and everyone in the office has an equal say and opinion. Jodie has a huge amount of pride in and respect for the non-lawyer workers at her firm and thinks this is something sorely lacking in the profession. The firm’s anti-dress-code dress code and their openly feminist beliefs aren’t the only things that make them unique. Jodie has also created a salary compensation structure that takes into account things like sick days, health insurance and life insurance and the structure has an automatic pay increase every year that is a couple of percentages above inflation. Jodie recognizes how awkward (although important) the pay-raise conversation can be and this structure eliminates the need for it.
As much as Jodie and her team can change within the walls of their office, they can’t change the way that courts work. Despite that reality, Jodie keeps an open dialogue about ways that everyone can maintain a healthy work-life balance. The number one way that the firm addresses this issue is by talking about it and the second way is by referring out work or delaying acceptance of files until they’re in a better position to take them on. Jodie has also added structural supports into the firm including a two-week paid mandatory holiday every winter. The fantastic and supportive office culture that Jodie has created is also a major benefit for everyone at Primeau Law. When Jodie returned to work shortly after delivering her baby, her staff worked with her hand in hand to make the feat possible.
There is a common misunderstanding that Jodie only hires women. She is happy to work with people who identify with any gender identity, as long as they share the same ethos as the firm. When people email Jodie to tell her that her firm is sexist because to this point, they have only hired women, Jodie kindly reminds them that all of the other firms in Deep River have only hired women as well. The difference? The women at Jodie’s firm are running the show.
The top practical advice Jodie likes to pass on to lawyers considering starting their own practice is to find a business coach. Lawyers are trained in the law and not in running a business. A coach with a worldview that aligns with yours can help you determine the life that you want to have and work backwards from there. Another piece of advice Jody has is to pay yourself and your staff before making any other decisions about what to do with your profits. Finally, keep an open, honest and trusting dialogue with everyone you work with. If you’re going to spend time away from your family and friends, it better be quality time with people you enjoy working with.
What changed for Jodie between the time she was working for someone else and the time she created something for herself? Instead of finding reasons she couldn’t do something, she started thinking of ways that she could. When making a big decision, whether that be to start a firm, have a baby or in Jodie’s case – both at the same time, there will always be reasons not to do it. If you decide to make a change and maintain a positive outlook, you’ll likely find a path to fulfillment and success.