Law360 interviewed seven intellectual property law firms to discuss how they were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the adjustments they made to their operations.
Finnegan managing partner Anand Sharma noted that because the firm has several offices in Asia, management had a preview of what was to come in the United States. While Finnegan announced that the firm would be switching to remote work on March 13, management had already started preparing well in advance. Anand said, “I often think about the process improvements that are going to come out of this experience. It's almost as if COVID-19 has caused a rising tide across the firm. There may have been some attorneys or staff members that were very adept at technology and all the different ways to use it, and now I'd say most, if not all, of us are there."
Finnegan chair Mark Sweet discussed how the firm accommodated employees—particularly parents and caregivers—by providing flexibility and establishing caregiver hours. He said, “With associates and staff, it was the childcare that was really causing people a lot of stress and anxiety. That flexibility was something that people were looking for."
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