Case Study
Business Smart: Brooks Pierce

Location: Greensboro, Wilmington, and Raleigh

Number of employees: 197

When Shannon DeGennaro started her job at North Carolina law firm Brooks Pierce, she was pregnant. Shannon worried how her colleagues would receive her pregnancy because she knew she’d need to take parental leave after being at Brooks Pierce for only a few months. 

Shannon quickly learned she didn’t need to worry.

“My concerns were unfounded,” says Shannon, the firm’s director for recruiting and professional development. “Everyone exuded excitement and support when they learned that I was expecting. I quickly learned that Brooks Pierce supports families and their needs, even when the timing of those needs is not the most convenient. That commitment to families is something I value greatly.”

Founded in 1897, Brooks Pierce is a law firm focused on “providing excellent legal services to businesses and business owners,” said Managing Partner Reid Phillips.

Reid says that for Brooks Pierce, being family-friendly is just “the right thing to do.” 

“We have always supported our employees in the nurturing of their families because we all have families, and we know how important it is to be there when someone is sick, needs to be picked up from school, or needs extra care for any reason,” he says.

Shannon and Elliot DeGennaro

Shannon gave birth to her son in July of 2021 – about three months after her first day. She says she cherished the uninterrupted time she was able to spend with her son during his first few months of life. 

“It gave me the ability to lay a foundation for us going forward,” Shannon says.  

Shannon also uses Brooks Pierce’s hybrid work policy to work some days in the office and some days from home. 

“While I value the days that I spend in the office with my colleagues, I am also grateful to have days where I have no commute and can spend those extra precious hours with my son before and after work,” she says. 

Sometimes, Shannon can even check in on her son during lunchtime. She calls this “a treat that would not be possible if I were required to be in the office full-time.”

Beyond being the right thing to do, Reid says Brooks Pierce’s family-friendly policies help the firm retain talent. Shannon herself has been with the firm for three years.

“We hire only the best, and then we invest a great deal in the education and advancement of every one of them. So it follows that we want to retain those same great people and not lose them to other firms,” he says. “Our family-friendly benefits – though not the reason why we have them – give us a competitive edge in retention.”

Embracing a culture that includes open doors and opportunities for feedback helps maintain that family-friendly ethos, Reid shared. 

“Leadership is taught to do more listening than talking. That, in turn, extends to everyone in the organization. So you can walk into the office of anyone in the organization to share an idea or ask for help. As a result, we receive the good, honest feedback that helps us shape and build our supportive workplace culture,” he says.

Shannon says above all, she appreciates the respect that Brooks Pierce shows for employees who are also caregivers – which encompasses more than just working parents.

“We are all at one or more times in our lives and to greater or lesser degrees called on to be caregivers,” Shannon says. “Respect for parenting and caregiving is respect for people. And, as a recruiting and development professional, I know that in any business people are paramount. Having a happy workforce creates a stickiness that breeds success for employers. It is as simple as that.”

Learn more about becoming a Family Forward NC Certified Employer here.

Sample Benefits

  • Paid parental leave of up to 16 weeks total, depending on role
  • An Employee Assistance Program
  • Remote work and flexible scheduling options
  • Resources to help employees find childcare