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NEWS JUNE 15, 2020 ¦ 21

Eying September, Most Firms
Won’t Be Reopening for Months

By Robert Storace

Big Law in Connecticut is faced with a big deci-
sion: when to open its doors.
Some of have started to reopen, while others
are waiting until summer or later, based on guidance
from the office of Gov. Ned Lamont, the federal gov-
ernment, including the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, and their peer law firms.

Here is a timeline of reopening dates from five of
the state’s largest law firms, outlining their plans to
reopen, either partially or at full capacity.

• McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, Shutterstock

ranked No. 191 on the Am Law 200 with about 251 ue working from home full-time during the initial
attorneys in 13 offices, partially reopened its Con- transition, while rotating schedules for those return-
necticut offices in Hartford and Southport in late ing to work would allow Murtha Cullina to comply
May, but is awaiting government guidance to re- with state guidelines on limiting offices to 50% ca-
sume normal operations. pacity or less.
“From our perspective, June 20 is the day we will Murtha Cullina has about 100 attorneys in six of-
have more guidelines from the state on full capacity,” fices, including three offices in Connecticut.
Suzanne Baldasare, the firm’s New England manag-
ing partner, said. • Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey is
Baldasare said staff safety is the top priority, amid gearing to reopen June 8, managing partner Rick
strict guidelines for employees, including restricting Street said.
social and business gatherings to no more than five The firm employs about 80 attorneys in Waterbury,
people in a room. New Haven and Stamford, where it is scheduled to
“The attorneys are still encouraged to work re- partially reopen June 8. Visitors and staff must wear
mote, because they can,” she said. “It will be great masks, and the offices won’t operate at more than
when we can get back to the new normal.” 45% occupancy on any given day.
“There was a lot of careful consideration of what
• Murtha Cullina managing partner Jennifer Del- the partners wanted,” Street said. “Our primary con-
Monico said that firm’s attorneys had been working cern, though, is the safety and health of our people.
from home for more than two months, until it gave We weren’t comfortable with reopening in May, but
the go-ahead for lawyers to return to the office on a we are comfortable opening now.”
limited basis, beginning May 26.
DelMonico said about a third of the firm’s at- • Shipman & Goodwin said it plans to continue
torneys would be working on a rotating basis with its telework model with a phased return to the office,
several safety precautions in place. She said about a commencing in early July.
third of the firm’s attorneys and staff would contin-
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