The coronavirus pandemic has, like an earthquake, shaken up the world as we know it. Jolted by the crisis in the spring, the entire legal system is continuing to adjust to the new reality that is likely to last for many more months or even years. After a nearly complete shutdown of many court systems, the courts’ accelerated adoption of technology, once practically unthinkable, has been remarkable. Some see the crisis as fundamentally remaking aspects of the legal industry, believing that many changes will never fully revert to pre-pandemic patterns.

For counsel who manage complex litigation, the pandemic has rapidly expanded the complexities. Technologies that may have been viewed with trepidation are taking center stage as interactions with colleagues, clients, other law firms, service providers and even the courts have become virtual. Nimble counsel must provide solutions to novel challenges as timelines falter and they must respond virtually to discovery, court hearings, and trials.