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Legal Community Forges Ahead Amid Storm-Related ChallengesDespite widespread flooding, power outages, transit shutdowns and a shortage of basic necessities both at work and at home, the East Coast legal community persevered in the face of Hurricane Sandy's wrath, working to meet client needs while also reaching out to help colleagues. Now, the community's attention turns to the restoration of damaged offices and to the larger recovery challenges.2012-11-14 12:00:00 AM
Despite widespread flooding, power outages, transit shutdowns and a shortage of basic necessities both at work and at home, the East Coast legal community persevered in the face of Hurricane Sandy's wrath, working to meet client needs while also reaching out to help colleagues. Now, the community's attention turns to the restoration of damaged offices and to the larger recovery challenges.
In Sandy's Wake, Empty Dewey Office Offers Fragomen a Lifeline The Am Law Daily (paid access) November 14, 2012 Left scrambling for alternate space after Hurricane Sandy-related flooding forced the closure of its Manhattan headquarters, Fragomen has temporarily taken refuge in bankrupt Dewey & LeBoeuf's former home. While several other Manhattan firms continue to make do in temporary spaces, Sullivan & Cromwell returned this week to its main office at a building in which the firm owns a 60 percent stake.
Law Students Making Up Lost Days as Hurricane Sandy's Impact Lingers New York Law Journal November 13, 2012 To assist people who have difficult or impossible commutes in the wake of superstorm Sandy, 11 law schools in the New York metropolitan area have opened their doors to students and faculty from other schools. In addition to raising money for hurricane relief, some schools are recording classes and posting them online in what New York Law School's dean called an "unprecedented" effort.
Law Technology News November 12, 2012 As the revival of Annie opens on Broadway, complete with the musical's signature refrain, "the sun'll come out tomorrow," the East Coast shakes off the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and industry veterans play musical chairs across the country, writes LTN's Monica Bay. Meanwhile, to help Northeast firms still coping with outages and damage, LTN's parent company, ALM, has announced a relief program.
ALM Announces Relief Initiative for Law Firms Affected by Superstorm Sandy ALM November 9, 2012 ALM has announced an initiative to help law firms in the Northeast that suffered major damages from Hurricane Sandy. The program consists of three commitments from ALM, effective immediately: (1) A donation to the American Red Cross to assist with relief efforts in the region; (2) the free replacement of Law Journal Press (LJP) and other books damaged as a result of the storm and flooding; and (3) a project through which three eligible law firms whose business has been significantly impacted by the storm will receive relief aid.
Assistance Fund Activated for 'Court Family' Affected by Hurricane Sandy New York Law Journal November 9, 2012 With more than 100 of their colleagues struggling to pick up the pieces of their lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the "family" of New York's court employees has once again banded together to create a special fund to assist victims. "In the wake of a disaster, the court family comes together," said Ronald Younkins, chief of operations for the state court system.
Solos, Small Firms Face Unique Challenges in the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy New York Law Journal November 6, 2012 Hurricane Sandy was tough on many law firms, but it was especially hard on solo practitioners and small firms lacking support services. "As a solo practitioner, we're handicapped to begin with," said an attorney who alluded to juggling some 75 cases at any one time. "Any handicap on top of the ones we're already laboring under, it can tip the balance very easily."
Its Programs Dispersed, Legal Assistance Group Increases Efforts for Storm Victims New York Law Journal November 6, 2012 The New York Legal Assistance Group is ramping up its efforts to help storm victims despite being displaced from its flood-damaged lower Manhattan offices. The civil legal services provider has begun setting up temporary clinics at disaster relief centers throughout New York and has deployed a mobile legal help center that will be making stops in the hardest-hit parts of the region.
Some Firms Continue to Confront Storm Effects New York Law Journal November 6, 2012 While some firms in lower Manhattan opened their doors Monday for the first time in a week, others continued to work from alternate locations due to building damage. Sullivan & Cromwell Chairman Joseph Shenker said about 40 people stayed at the firm's 125 Broad St. location during the storm and that an office worker rescued a government transportation official who was almost swept away by rising waters outside.
Law Schools Pitch In to Provide Hurricane Relief The National Law Journal November 5, 2012 All of the law schools in New York and New Jersey had returned to class as of November 5, but it wasn't entirely business as usual. At a number of institutions, students and faculty were doing what they could to assist people who had been suffered losses during Hurricane Sandy.
Tech Circuit: Hurricane Sandy Edition Law Technology News November 5, 2012 Law Technology News checked in with people across the East Coast on Friday to measure any post-Sandy attitude shifts regarding technology survival practices. The legal community's experience with Sandy offers proof positive that working remotely works -- IF you have electricity.
Bar Groups Mobilize as Legal Community Straggles Back to Work New York Law Journal November 2, 2012 Reminiscent of the mobilization that followed the 9/11 attacks, bar groups are recruiting volunteer attorneys to provide legal help to people affected by Superstorm Sandy. In the meantime, lawyers and law firm staff in New York are coping with transit snarls, five-hour bus rides, unheated offices, erratic phone and Internet service, and hampered access to case files. One associate tried to participate in a conference call from a pay phone on the street, while another bicycled from Brooklyn to Manhattan for his first day on the job. "People are trying to scratch their way in" if they can, said one law firm partner.
Government and Corporate Lawyers Looked to Past to Prepare for Storm The Connecticut Law Tribune November 2, 2012 While many private sector attorneys shuttered their offices as Sandy hit, attorneys who work for utilities or government offices were in some cases literally at the center of the storm, offering counsel to public officials, taking part in conference calls to coordinate relief efforts and even hitting the roads to help look for downed wires. For many people, disaster planning revved up months ago, in the form of lessons learned from tropical storm Irene and the October 2011 snowstorm.
Corporate Counsel November 2, 2012 As municipalities, companies and individuals continue to function in recovery mode in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, what better time is there for in-house counsel to take stock of what went well before and after Sandy's arrival, and what needs improvement before the next time?
Sandy Forces Pa. Closings, but Doesn't Stop Legal Machine The Legal Intelligencer November 1, 2012 In some respects, Hurricane Sandy was no match for the technology and continuity plans firms and courts have in place, and, in some instances, the sheer will of attorneys to close a deal. But what Sandy did take was time, causing backlogs in cases and potential prison overcrowding, Pennsylvania's chief justice said.
Storm's Aftermath Calls for Patience, Determination New York Law Journal November 1, 2012 As New York state courts began to shake off the pummeling of Hurricane Sandy and reopen, defendants lined up outside the courthouse while attorneys were on their cell phones or in courtrooms trying to determine whether their cases would be proceeding. "This is crazy, but you can't be upset because it's not normal," said a solo practitioner.
One Lawyer's Sandy Saga Runs Through the Supreme Court The Am Law Daily October 31, 2012 Orrick's Joshua Rosenkranz was in Washington, D.C., last week getting ready to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday. He could have stayed in the nation's capital over the weekend, but two things lured him home to New York City for the weekend: date night with his wife on Friday and his annual duties as the family's Halloween costume maker. And then Hurricane Sandy intervened.
Back-to-Business Drill Begins for Post-Sandy Legal Sector The National Law Journal October 31, 2012 The legal sector began a slow return to normal on October 31, two days after Hurricane Sandy blasted the Northeast. Off-site work remained a good choice for many, but some attorneys in New Jersey, where 2.3 million residents were still without power, welcomed the chance to go into the office. "Most of us don't have any power, and some of us don't have water," said one. "For some people, it's a good thing we have a gym with a hot shower."
In Sandy's Wake, Law Firms Find Ways to Serve Clients New York Law Journal October 31, 2012 In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, attorneys faced conditions Tuesday that could keep many away from their offices for the entire week. But that didn't stop them from working. As power flickered off on block after block of Manhattan and many neighborhoods flooded, at least one law firm partner reported hunkering down at home in the suburbs, "working by a fire and keeping in touch with my BlackBerry."
Derechos and Hurricane Sandy Make Compelling Cloud Arguments Law Technology News October 31, 2012 Natural disasters are making an excellent argument for moving to the cloud, write consultants Sharon Nelson and John Simek. Data centers offer the glorious "five 9s" -- 99.999 percent uptime for electricity and Internet connectivity.
Law Firms, Courts and Schools Struggling to Cope The National Law Journal October 30, 2012 East Coast legal communities were mopping up Tuesday as they coped with the aftereffects of "superstorm" Sandy. While most firms and courts were bouncing back in Boston, courts in four other states remained closed, and businesses in lower Manhattan and parts of New Jersey were especially hard hit by floodwaters and related damage. Said one attorney who was working remotely, "We all have deadlines and are coping as well as we can."
Lawyers, Courts Grapple With Work During Storm New York Law Journal October 30, 2012 Law firms and the courts scrambled Tuesday morning to keep employees safe and to maintain some semblance of normal operations as waters began to lap over Manhattan sea walls, and fears grew of much worse to come. The howling winds were a reminder that it was uncertain how long power would be available.
As D.C. Recovers From Storm, Lawyers Take Advantage of 'Teleworking' The National Law Journal October 30, 2012 With Hurricane Sandy still making its way out of the Washington region on Tuesday, many U.S. government lawyers stayed home for a second day and worked remotely. Of course, teleworking is only possible with electricity. As of 1:30 p.m., according to The Washington Post, 115,681 electric utility customers were still without power in the Washington area.
Survival Tips for Sandy From Katrina Experts Law Technology News October 30, 2012 Law Technology News asked New Orleans-based Janine Sylvas, who won LTN's 2006 IT Director of the Year Award for her quick actions during Hurricane Katrina, and Tom O'Connor, director of professional services at Avansic Inc., for their advice on how to ride out hurricanes with your professional and personal well-being intact. Check out their tips.
As Sandy Hits, Washington Courts and Agencies -- Except Supreme Court -- Close The National Law Journal October 29, 2012 The U.S. Supreme Court remained open Monday morning for arguments, even as the rest of the District of Columbia and much of the region shut down in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy. Arguments at a packed Supreme Court began on time with all justices in attendance. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. made no reference to the storm brewing outside. However, the court announced Monday that arguments scheduled for Tuesday would be postponed to November 1.
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