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6 ¦ MARCH 23, 2020 NEWS

¦ From PANDEMIC on PAGE 1 weeks to a few months, it will probably not affect us.
But other lawyers feel confident. If it goes longer, it will affect everyone.”
“We are a contingency-fee law firm, and we are In Coral Gables, Florida, attorney Jacqueline
used to having cases that go on for years without Calderin, founding and managing partner of
a fee coming in,” said Peter Dreyer, a partner with Agentis Law, said her nine-lawyer firm has a major
Stamford’s Silver Golub & Teitell. “Right now, in the advantage as its employees prepared to work from
short-term, we haven’t had to plan, or thought about home, beginning Monday. First, Agentis’ key prac-
planning, with regard to finances.” tice area is one that some economists predict will
Silver Golub handles personal injury, medi- rise in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
cal malpractice and products liability litigation. “We expect a ton of bankruptcy work,” Calderin
It employs 18 attorneys with a total staff of 38, said. “We have seen some filings, and expect a flurry
but announced Monday that its Stamford office of small-business filings because of the climate we
would have a skeleton staff of about five people, are in now.”
including one attorney at all times. It closed the
firm to outside visitors, banned in-person meet- Second, the attorney said the firm put important
ings in the office, and canceled all depositions this protocols in place after a prior disaster, Hurricane
week, unless its lawyers can take part via video Irma, which wreaked havoc in South Florida in Sep-
conference. tember 2017.

Dreyer said the firm will evaluate each week “We learned from that hurricane that we were
whether to return to the office. having a lot of trouble being connected to laptops,”
Calderin said. “We just did not have a robust way of
“As things get pushed back and canceled, we will connecting remotely to the network. Since the hur-
analyze the finances then,” he said. “If it goes a few ricane, we have upgraded our service. It was a big

capital expenditure in service and technology.”
The two factors have combined to reassure Calde-
rin of Agentis’ prospects. The firm will continue to
pay its 19 employees full pay and benefits during the
Keeping up duration of its work-from-home period, and Calde-
with changing rin said morale was high.
laws is a
full-time job, “We are actually extending an offer now to a new
and you’ve already associate,” the attorney said Monday. “We expect to
got one. stay busy, as our firm handles more and more bank-

ruptcy cases in the fallout from the virus.”
Meanwhile attorneys at Billings, Barrett & Bow-
man prioritized reaching out to clients. They
anticipate no business slowdown as the firm’s em-
www.ogletree.com ployees telecommute.
“Our clients do want to see us,” partner Peter
Bowman said. “I think they all understand that this
is a very significant public health issue, and we want
STAMFORD OFFICE to be responsible to the community.”
¦
281 Tresser Boulevard

Suite 602 Robert Storace covers legal trends, lawsuits and

Stamford, CT 06901

203.969.3100 analysis for the Connecticut Law Tribune. Follow

him on Twitter @RobertSCTLaw or reach him at

203-437-5950.

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