I can’t say that Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory was a favorite childhood movie of mine. When I was younger, I found the movie to be weird and scary (in some parts) but would nonetheless watch it when it aired on television from time to time. However, you do not have to like something in order for it to make an impression on you and in the intervening years since childhood, I have come to appreciate the film on a number of levels.
As we’ve been thinking about how to build Abridge Law and create a next generation law firm, my thoughts keep coming back to the characters from the Willy Wonka movie. I do not know why (we are attorneys, not psychologists).
For many law firms, the perfect client is a combination of Augustus Gloop and Veruca Salt. Augustus was that insatiable little fellow excessively consuming chocolate, sticking his face into the chocolate river to slurp up chocolate without much regard for the risks to his health or personal safety. Veruca Salt was that sassy little girl who wanted the best of everything, wanted it now and wanted it regardless of cost. A combination of those two personalities makes the ideal client for most law firms ““ the client who is in constant need of attention and service (perhaps even excessively so) with little regard to cost.
But what about the Charlie Buckets of the world? The guys and girls who work hard, who want and enjoy quality, but are more modest in their consumption given their more limited financial means. Well, just like in the movie where much of Willy Wonka’s time and attention was consumed by responding to the situations created by Augustus Gloop and Veruca Salt, the Charlie Buckets usually take a back seat to the more demanding (and more lucrative) clients and receive far less attention.
To us at Abridge Law, part of the mission of being a next generation law firm is to create platforms and processes that the Charlie Buckets of the world can afford while feeling like they are getting the same quality and attention as the Augustus Gloops and Veruca Salts. It requires the inventiveness and creativity of a Willy Wonka. It also requires commitment to Grandpa Joe’s notion of equal treatment for all. Finally, it needs the Charlie Buckets to take a chance on finding that hard-to-find ticket to the wondrous place that is the chocolate factory.
To the Charlie Buckets of the world, consider this post to be your golden ticket. Our (virtual) doors are open to you and we hope that you will be delighted by what you find inside.