Russell Alexander, a divorce lawyer and founder of Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers with offices in Ontario, Canada was enjoying a family vacation in Florida last March when the coronavirus pandemic began. By the time they got home a week later, the U.S.-Canada border was closed, schools and businesses were on lockdown, and everyone from his law firm was working remotely full-time.

During the 16 months since, Alexander says he and his coworkers learned a lot about working from home, using new technology and staying safe during a worldwide pandemic. Perhaps most importantly, they avoided layoffs, and no one on staff has gotten sick.