COVID-19 HAS ARRIVED IN FORCE
However, our reaction to this pandemic should not be to panic. Rather, everyone needs to have a measured and thoughtful response, based on the facts and our concerns for personal safety.
Admittedly, we have concerns about COVID-19 as this outbreak grows. I, too, am doing my best to keep everyone healthy and safe in our offices, while also minimizing disruptions to our operations. This post is to provide our clients with information on how our law firm is handling the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on our clients.
MONITORING & ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM
At the outset, we want our clients to know that we are monitoring this situation carefully.
Already, we have prepared a Response Plan and a Work-from-Home Technology Policy for our firm that outlines the technology we have required each of our employees to implement and test. This will ensure that our firm is ready when and if we need to move aggressively into isolation. While I do not anticipate closing our offices in the immediate future, we will do so if and when the circumstances arise or the government tells us that closing is appropriate.
In the meantime, there is no evidence of widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the United States. Without sustained human-to-human transmission, most American workers are not at significant risk of infection.
While reading various sources can be helpful, the most trusted, up-to-date information can be found at the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization’s websites. I am regularly reviewing such information, as well as information on the outbreak posted by (i) the United States Department of Labor, (ii) the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration and (iii) the Maryland State Government. You should review these sites as well for to keep abreast of this pandemic.
CHANGES IN OUR BUSINESS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
To minimize any disruption to the services we provide our clients, our firm has put in place a COVID-19 Response Plan. This Response Plan outlines an operational model for our firm’s business over the next few weeks and months.
Invisible Changes
Some of our changes are “invisible,” which clients will not notice. For instance, we have increased training on our VOIP phone system to permit us to efficiently manage and transfer inbound calls between employees working remotely from home. We have also deployed software and training to permit our employees to work from home, while still being able to fully access files, emails and even file pleadings with the courts.
No Further In-Person Client Meetings for the Indefinite Future
Critically for our clients, however, we will no longer have in-person client meetings at our office or otherwise. We did not make this choice lightly. As many of you know, face-to-face client meetings, document review and strategy sessions are an important part of our team collaboration with our clients. Nevertheless, this decision was made to protect the health of our employees and our clients, in accordance with CDC recommendations.
Teleconferencing to Collaborate with Clients
To continue our ability to provide the level of personal service to which our clients are accustomed, our firm has deployed video conference call technology across several online platforms. This allows our attorneys to have remote “face-to-face” meetings with our clients. It also will allow us to ultimately conduct depositions and other “in-person” business required by our clients’ needs. We have developed instructional guidance to our attorneys that will be used as we start video conferencing with our clients. Your patience during this roll-out is certainly appreciated.
Document Collection
We still anticipate collecting documents from our clients at our office. However, clients will only be permitted to drop off those documents, without further or prolonged contact. Once the documents have been scanned, we will contact you to pick them up. As many of you already know, by scanning documents we are able to collaborate with our clients, experts and other attorneys on your case. This collaboration will not change although any in-person review of your documents will not occur for the foreseeable future.
We are hopeful that some of our clients will also scan and share records online through dropbox, google drive or one drive. Already, our firm shares its files with clients through those platforms depending on the client’s needs.
WHAT WE KNOW TODAY ABOUT COVID-19
Here is some important information you should keep in mind as of today:
- Infected people can spread COVID-19 through their respiratory secretions, especially when they cough or sneeze.
- According to the CDC, spread from person-to-person is most likely among close contacts of people in distances of less than 6 feet, through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how the flu spreads.
- These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
- It’s currently unknown if a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, although it may be possible.
- People are thought to be most contagious when they are symptomatic. Symptoms usually show up between 2 and 14 days.
- This is going to get worse before it gets better. Because there is no current vaccine, the COVID-19 outbreak may be an extended event. Each of us needs to be prepared.
STEPS WE MUST ALL TAKE TO MINIMIZE RISKS
- Stay Home if Sick. If you are sick, stay home. If you have a fever, cough or other symptoms of respiratory illness, stay home for at least 24 hours. You likely have to stay at home for up to 2 weeks given what we know about the illness.
- Stay Home if in Contact with Sick Person. If you believe that you have come in contact with someone who is sick, please stay home.
- Working from Home. All businesses should be ready to move to a work from home scenario quickly, preparing in advance by understanding, deploying and testing the required technology.
- Social Distancing. To reduce the risk of spread of the illness and “flatten the curve”, it is important to minimize contact with as many other people as possible. To do this, please use the following guidance:
- Work from Home if Possible
- BAN ON Large Groups. You should not participate in any networking events, seminars or otherwise until further notice. You may take seminars on-line.
- BAN on Using Other’s Workspaces. You should not use other employees’ workspaces including computers, keyboards and phones.
- Buying Lunches If possible, please arrange to order lunches in advance to avoid mingling in crowds at restaurants. Do not go to malls or other busy lunch locations.
- BAN On Interns in Office. To limit the number of direct contacts in our office, our internships are currently cancelled pending further guidance.
- Personal. While I cannot dictate how you live, I would recommend that you limit exposure to large groups of people, including at restaurants, bars, etc. I would also strongly discourage travel of any form or visitors from out of state
- Wash your Hands Keeping hands clean is the best way to stay healthy. Wash with soap and water. Many illnesses are spread by failing to wash hands with soap.
- Cough and Sneeze Etiquette Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Put your used tissue in a waste basket. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
- BAN ON Touching Your Face It can get you and others sick.
- Work-Place Cleaning Routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace, such as workstations, countertops, and doorknobs, with disinfectants. We have obtained supplies for you to wipe down your desk area, phone and keyboard. We have instructed staff to regularly wipe down the common areas including coffee machine and door handles.
- Get the Flu Vaccine. Every Year.