Law and Disorder: Pandemic Brings Wave of Cuts, New Cases to Law Firms
Brooks Smith, a partner in the Richmond office of Troutman Pepper, was quoted in a Virginia Business article titled, “ Pandemic Brings Wave of Cuts, New Cases to Law Firms.”
The pandemic slowed the merger between Atlanta-based Troutman Sanders LLP and Philadelphia-based Pepper Hamilton LLP. And while the situation didn’t result in mandatory furloughs, 33 people in Troutman Sanders’ 250-person Richmond office took voluntary leave in May, says Brooks Smith, managing partner for the Richmond office of the merged Troutman Pepper, said. Almost all furloughed staff members were expected back at work by the end of August.
There also have been temporary salary reductions, tiered so that there was less impact on lower paying positions, Smith says. “The firm has done incredibly well during the pandemic, but legal is sometimes a lagging indicator, so it’s sound fiscal management,” he adds.
The merger of the two firms was pushed back from April to July 1, due to the pandemic. The combined 1,100-lawyer firm is based in Atlanta and has offices in Virginia Beach and Richmond.
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Troutman Pepper set up a COVID-19 resource center that is generating business for its attorneys not only in litigation, but in tax, real estate, construction cybersecurity and government regulation, Smith says.
“We may well see COVID-specific but also COVID-related work across all practice,” he says. “I’m an environmental lawyer and I saw a lot of work at the beginning of the pandemic. People were bringing new products to market. We have a strong employment practice and those folks are very busy.”
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Troutman Pepper also “has a great system of technology,” Smith says. “We didn’t miss a beat going remote.” The system includes protected platforms that ensure that client information is not compromised, he adds.