Here's a look 10 articles ranked by web traffic that riveted readers, sparked conversation and stirred controversy over the past year.

In November, we reported that Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is experimenting with an open-floor office plan in Menlo Park. For now, every lawyer who wants an office will still get one, but over the coming year, willing attorneys may be assigned to communal desks or hotelling spaces. For years experts have predicted that law firms would do away with private offices for every lawyer. Though some firms have taken baby steps in that direction, there is still resistance. Said Ham Southworth, a Palo Alto-based executive vice president at real estate broker CBRE Group: “Everybody has been kind of looking at this, and they've been kind of waiting for somebody to make a move. And now that Orrick is doing it, there's a high likelihood someone else will as well.”