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16 ¦ SEPTEMBER 7, 2020 NEWS

¦ From BRING YOUR on PAGE 15
RJH Consulting legal practice development con-
sultant Beth Slate, who works with boutique and
midsize firms, found many of her clients didn’t have
a BYOD or mobile device management plan before
or after COVID-19 forced law firms to transition to
a remote workforce.
“Their policies have not gotten better with CO-
VID,” Slate said. “In fact, when they were sending
people home back in March, there were a lot of firms
[that] didn’t provide [employees] software, hardware
or phones. It was pretty sad.”
“Because so many firms in the U.S. are small law
firms, I would say it’s a huge security risk right now,” Indeed, the Big Law firms Legaltech News spoke
Slate added. to said their previously implemented BYOD policies
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman employment were faring well during the sudden transition to re-
law senior counsel Laura Latham noted the sudden mote work. But while no policy modifications were
pivot to remote work also placed BYOD policies low needed, a new emphasis on cybersecurity was added
on many companies’ priorities. to the new environment.
“The work from home push came on so fast at the “We had a robust BYOD [program] that we had in
start of the pandemic that many companies were place prior to COVID,” noted Taft Stettinius & Hollister
struggling just to get equipment chief information officer Andrea
to employees so that they could Markstrom. “So the good news is
continue to perform,” Latham we’ve not had to adjust, but what
wrote in an email. “Now, after six changed for us was the adoption
months of the pandemic, more As lawyers deserted their of the technology. It dramatically
companies are moving to rein in offices to avoid COVID-19 increased for us. It also positioned
lax BYOD practices with telework spread, many small and us to slightly change how we deliv-
agreements and clear rules on er training so they would be up to
what BYOD is appropriate, and midsize firms didn’t speed to know how to successfully
what protections are essential.” implement a BYOD policy for and safely utilize technology.”
their new remote workforce.
To be sure, Slate said some of That could be a disaster for Stroock & Stroock & Lavan CIO
the boutique and midsize firms Neeraj Rajpal added that lawyers
data security.

she works with have issued BYOD and staffers need to be more aware
policies—albeit loosely drafted. of cybersecurity best practices as
“It’s such a new concept that firms provide them flexibility to
I don’t think it’s standard language or expectation, leverage remote access to sensitive client data.
because to be honest this isn’t your standard work “You’re just reminding people we are seeing phish-
from home situation,” Slate noted. ing attacks in the industry, bad actors trying to get
She added, “From the clients that are trying to stay into your data,” Rajpal said. “You have to be more
on top of it, they’re handing out computers, log-in vigilant. Even on your personal devices—not neces-
[passwords] and software. They’re getting them set sarily the firm laptop—just be careful.”
up at home and sending out some type of policy ¦

statement about how you should work but honestly Victoria Hudgins covers national and internation-
I don’t think it’s a lot of thought put into it. In bigger al cyber regulations and legal tech innovations
firms, it’s probably a different world.” and developments for LegalTech News.

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