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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

PAID IN FULL? –  About a dozen Am Law 200 firms, performing above expectations in the midst of the pandemic, have now restored—at least partially—their compensation for partners, lawyers and staff. Just yesterday, in fact, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman; K&L Gates; and Crowell & Moring all announced positive pay changes. But, as Christine Simmons and Dan Packel report, full pay restorations may still not be in the cards for the remainder of 2020. Why not? "There's still uncertainty around what the rest of the year and going forward will look like, uncertainty around the pandemic, global economy and politics, and all of those can have an impact on law firms' business," said Marcie Borgal Shunk, president and founder of legal consulting firm The Tilt Institute. "Many law firms have seen some slowdown in demand and billable hours and the pace of collections."

DON'T EVEN TRY IT – Virtual trials! The wave of the future! Right? Well, maybe not. For the moment, at least, it appears the majority of lawyers are not exactly pumped about the idea of taking their chances in the courtroom of Zoom. On Wednesday, what was to be Texas' first virtual civil jury trial had to be postponed when no lawyers consented to their cases being tried remotely. So it's probably not all that surprising, as Angela Morris reports, that of the nearly 2,800 lawyers who responded to a recent online survey by the Texas Office of Court Administration that asked if they'd be open to a virtual jury trial, 57% gave a hard no and 24% gave a soft maybe. If my calculations are correct, that means only 19% flat-out said yes. Meanwhile, if New York is any indication, attempts to hold in-person jury trials while observing social distancing guidelines are not exactly going swimmingly either. BAD TRIPS – Pandemic-related business interruption claims may not be the only ones insurers are swatting away like mosquitoes around your inflatable staycation pool. Allianz Global Assistance and Jefferson Insurance were hit with a class action yesterday in New York Southern District Court seeking coverage for consumers who purchased trip insurance and subsequently canceled travel plans because of COVID-19. The defendants in Saag v. AGA Service Company are accused of systematically denying coverage under an 'epidemic exclusion'. The complaint was filed by Tadler Law and Methvin, Terrell, Yancey, Stephens & Miller. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendants. Read the full complaint and stay up to date on major litigation nationwide with Law.com's Legal Radar.

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