COVID-19 Archives

How 2021 Shaped the Legal Industry

2021 brought its share of challenges and successes to the legal industry. The reopening of businesses and economic growth created a need for more legal consultations. The rise in legal cases created a higher demand for skilled legal staffers, which are currently in short supply. Here’s how 2021 shaped the legal industry. Increases in Litigation, M&A, ESG Law Many industries, including legal, slowed down in 2020 due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. As businesses started reopening, the legal industry has seen higher demand for services in litigation, mergers & acquisitions (M&A), and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) law. Many litigation cases were put on hold during the pandemic, creating a backlog of cases being dealt with now. There has also been a rise of corporate legal issues directly related to the COVID-19 crisis. These legal issues include: Commercial and contract disputes Data security Fraud, bribery, or corruption Bankruptcy Interruptions of businesses due to COVID-19 There is an increased need for legal services when the economy is doing well, especially for businesses going through M&As. Many companies stay competitive by acquiring new revenue streams or mergers with other companies. They may want to develop their supply chain further or scale their business efficiently after experiencing problems during the pandemic. Many businesses are incorporating ESG interests during their decision-making process. ESG covers environmental and social concerns and the ethical standards governing the rights and responsibilities of a company. Businesses are looking for ESG experts to ensure they comply with policies and prepare their ESG disclosures. Reporting ESG helps companies boost their reputation and build trust in their industry and consumers. Hiring Challenges The pandemic created new problems and shortages across many industries, and the legal field was no exception. Many law firms furloughed workers or downsized their firms during the start of the pandemic. Now, as restrictions ease, firms are beginning to grow again as business picks back up. Law firms need to hire more staff but are facing challenges because skilled legal workers are in short supply. Shortages of legal workers developed during the pandemic due to layoffs and workers choosing to stay at home. Other legal workers left the industry entirely, feeling overwhelmed or unprepared by the increasing responsibilities of their job. Currently, 58% of the legal industry is experiencing the strain of not having enough skilled workers. Increases in corporate litigation, M&A, and ESG cases have also contributed to the shortage. More lawyers with the skills or experience are needed to meet current demand. The hiring process has also changed as a result of the pandemic. Many interviews are conducted virtually instead of in person. Lawyers are applying for positions across many regions and may be more selective about where they choose to work since they are in high demand. Health and Safety Concerns The health and safety concerns of lawyers brought on by the pandemic have changed how lawyers and law firms conduct business. More firms and lawyers work remotely and even conduct meetings, court cases, and arbitration hearings virtually. Law firms were able to succeed through the pandemic while working virtually, and many firms have opted to remain virtual or use a hybrid work method. Law firms have had to adjust how their workplaces operate to comply with changing OSHA standards to protect the wellbeing of their staffers. Law firms are responsible for upholding policies on wearing masks, vaccine requirements, and guidance for in-person work to keep all employees safe. Incorporation of AI Technology With more staff working remotely, firms have incorporated newer technology to assist with their work. AI-based technology helps lawyers handle clients and their cases and directly handle administrative and processing tasks. AI technology helps lawyers with cases related to intellectual property, cybersecurity, and the misuse of AI. This technology also provides better communication with clients by translating dense legal terminology, answering client questions, and translating documents into other languages. Lawyers and other legal staff use AI technology to save time. AI can process thousands of documents quickly and search for specific content or organize files by type. It helps improve the speed and quality of a firm’s legal services. How Collier Legal Search Helps While 2021 has brought its share of challenges, there has also been steady growth in the industry. Higher caseloads mean greater demands on legal staff. Law firms can take advantage of current opportunities by using a legal staffing recruitment service to help find additional legal staff for their busy teams. Consider hiring through a legal recruiting company such as Collier Legal Search. Collier Legal Search team provides professional legal placements for our clients. Our experienced staff will do the legwork to find qualified legal recruits, whether you need staff attorneys, legal administrators, or general counsel. We can help you find a temporary or permanent placement to fit your needs. Visit our website to learn more about the services we offer.

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Leading Productivity Strategies For Law Firms

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The final months of 2020 will likely look very different at law firms and legal departments across the nation. Having many productivity strategies can help you end the year strong as your firm wraps up 2020 and prepares for the coming year. In a typical year, the final months are consumed with a whirlwind of projects, associate evaluations, promotions, client activities, personal and professional holiday obligations, and planning for the following year. But 2020 has been nothing like any other year in memory. Nearly nine months have passed since the coronavirus pandemic set in, and workers everywhere have gotten used to social distancing, meeting virtually, and working remotely. Year-end activities will now require law firm managers to plan with pandemic modifications in mind and be creative with new productivity strategies. Combat COVID Fatigue Whether it’s COVID-related, holiday vacation, or some other reason, the reality is that many law firms and legal departments are operating with scaled-down staff. A significant percentage of workers are juggling their workload with home-schooling, health concerns, and other uncertainties. As we approach the end of the year, people are also dealing with holiday-related stress, as well as COVID fatigue. Bringing in contract or temporary workers during these final months can help prevent burnout, take over work from absent employees, finish up projects, or lend expertise on complex issues. Expand Your Services Every firm has been in the undesirable position of turning away business because of a lack of expertise. Instead of referring these clients to competitors, consider assembling a remote team of temporary and contract attorneys to augment your existing team or practice group. As one of your productivity strategies, use outside resources to handle these matters can create a much-needed revenue stream in these uncertain times. Rethink Remote Working Traditionally, the legal sector has been resistant in its attitude towards remote working. Partners like to see heads bent over desks, billing hours. There are also issues of data sensitivity, cybersecurity, and client-lawyer confidentiality. Despite these concerns, the pandemic forced law firms to accept remote working. To their surprise, most firms are reporting good results with no loss of productivity or quality. By adopting long-term remote working practices and by creating new productivity strategies, law firms can increase their profits. A permanent remote-work policy can give a firm a competitive edge in hiring. Most candidates prefer to work for law firms with some remote work flexibility. Full-Service Legal Staffing You Can Depend On Collier Legal Search is a full-service legal staffing company. We specialize in placing well-credentialed partners, associates, and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations. Our experience, connections, and unique approach to building our candidate database deliver consistent results that clients can depend on. We are committed to the success of our clients and our candidates. Find out what we can do for you. Contact us at 832-239-5218.

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GAINING MOMENTUM INTO Q3

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Summer has arrived and the end of Q2 approaches. People are slowly returning to newly reopened workplaces. Law firms are no exception. While safety protocols have changed to embrace social/work distancing, strategic business planning has some of our clients gaining real momentum into Q3. These last few weeks, we have had meaningful conversations with known law firm leaders. We have sought their opinions and predictions on emerging, stronghold practice areas in the coming months. Certainly, bankruptcy and employment law practices are continuing to strengthen. Accordingly, we have been effectively recruiting legal personnel in these areas of practice. At the same time, we have listened to what practice leaders believe will be significant focus areas in Q3, Q4, and 2021: litigation (both commercial and insurance-driven), wealth preservation & tax management, and finance (secured transactions) are practices gaining serious momentum. Preparation being essential for production, this strange era has given our Collier Legal Search team an unprecedented opportunity to become more consultative, more informed than ever before. Throughout this crisis and as always, our goal remains the same: to be a valuable resource for our clients. As to our existing needs, CLS consistently aspires to react swiftly in an effort to meet our client expectations regardless of the practice area. At the same time, we strive to be extremely proactive, aligning our recruiting and placement services to predicted growth areas. HOW TO STRIKE THE BALANCE OF TIME VS. CONSERVATISM Balancing time against conservatism is perhaps more important today than ever before. By posting open positions online, some of our clients have sought to save on recruiter fees hoping to take advantage of what is perceived to be a surplus of available manpower. This is one of those situations where we might say, “be careful what you wish for.” As a result, these same clients face a time-sucking “Mount Everest” of applicant paperwork to review. Many applicants have little to no skills required in the position. On a rare occasion, the right hire is identified in the stockpile. More often though, the right applicant is still employed and very likely he/she has never seen the online job opening. The question is whether it is the best use of your time to sort through the hoard of the resumes in hopes of finding the right hire? Or, is your time better used elsewhere? At Collier Legal Search, we are sensitive to the community’s call for conservatism. Our clients only owe a fee if they hire one of our applicants. In many circumstances, our fees are deeply discounted. As importantly, we are sensitive to the value of time. Our service ensures that your time is always protected to optimize production. Stay productive entering Q3. Let us take on the project of building your winning team. To learn about how we have continued to build our applicant pool during this crisis, please contact Kay Egger at 832-239-5218.

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Managing a Remote Legal Team

Blogs, bussines, Candidates, Companies, Employers / collierlegal

The world economy has come to a near standstill in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are some tips on managing a remote legal team through coronavirus. Businesses and schools are shuttered. Companies in every industry face challenges on all fronts including managing a remote legal team through coronavirus. Law firms are no exception. Some firms anticipate a slowdown in business, while others are swamped with a surge of clients who need legal advice at this critical time. With the stay-at-home order, many firm partners are suddenly in charge of a remote workforce with little preparation. Here are some considerations when dealing with an unexpected remote legal team: Set Realistic Expectations The current situation is unprecedented, and nobody knows what the new normal will be. Courts are operating on different schedules, client priorities have changed, and deadlines have been pushed back indefinitely. Health concerns and other unusual circumstances can also make it difficult for employees to carry out their usual tasks. In light of the current situation, the management team should identify and focus on the critical near-term objectives of the firm. Evaluate the Firm’s Technology During and after the pandemic, technology may dictate the ultimate survival of a business. Firms that have not embraced technology may have difficulty connecting staff members to clients or critical projects. Many firms already have a VPN (Virtual Private Network). However, if the entire firm is working remotely on the VPN, there may not be enough capacity to handle the new load. Work with your IT department on required licenses and procedures, as well as security considerations. Recognize Obstacles Unlike a well-planned work-from-home schedule, the Coronavirus has thrown households into lockdown with little preparation. Working parents may be sharing computers, office space, and bandwidth with kids who are now home-schooling. Managers should identify specific issues that need to be addressed during this crisis. Does the employee have a dedicated laptop for work? If not, can the firm provide laptops or wifi hotspots? Can tasks be completed at different hours to accommodate childcare and home-schooling conflicts? Keep Communication Lines Open Communicate company updates and policies promptly, clearly, and in a calm manner. Utilize as many platforms as possible to relay new messages to everyone in the firm—update company websites, blogs, and outgoing communication to inform clients of how their casework will be handled. To touch base with employees, managers can utilize a variety of video conferencing platforms. Be Mindful of Mental Health Even under the best circumstances, attorneys have high levels of depression, alcoholism, and addiction. Financial worries, stress, and extended isolation may exacerbate underlying problems. If your firm doesn’t have an EAP, the American Bar Association has a resource page available for managing a remote legal team: Collier Legal Search is a full-service legal staffing company. We place well-credentialed partners, associates, and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations. Our experience, connections, and unique approach to building our candidate database deliver consistent results. We are committed to the success of our clients and our candidates. Let us know if we can assist in finding a legal remote workforce. Contact us at 832-239-5253.

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Managing Through COVID-19 for Legal Candidates

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Our Collier Legal Search team is continuing to support for help managing through COVID-19 crisis. The lingering effects have been economically devastating, including within the legal marketplace. While some of our CLS friends have been successfully working remotely, many have not been as fortunate. Some have been laid off; some have been furloughed. Many fear layoffs in the future. Plainly stated, this is an ominous time. We encourage you to overcome fear by preparedness: actions can be taken now to optimize your employability. Communicate consistently with your legal recruiter. Schedule a recurring, weekly phone call from you to your legal recruiter. Not only does your phone call remind him/her that you desire to remain on the top of a placement “list,” but also consistent communications further mutual rapport and trust. Update your resume. Ensure your legal recruiter has the most updated version of your resume. Include salary/pay history and references. Recognize the trends and be open-minded. Often in an economic downturn, “hiring freezes” take hold. Consider that even if companies/law firms are consequently unable to directly-hire a new employee, they often have available budgetary dollars for temporary and temp-to-hire labor. We understand many of you ultimately seek full-time employment; onboarding as a temporary laborer can be the means to get that permanent position. Consider salary conservatism. You likely know that many of our customers/law firms have cut salaries across the board, up to 50%! When sharing your salary/pay history with your legal recruiter, you may discuss the idea of requesting lower pay in your next position. Such a consideration demonstrates your knowledge of economics, your empathy, and, most importantly, it proves your leap of faith in the future. Ask your legal recruiter more about the companies/law firms where he/she is presenting you and whether this may be an appropriate consideration. Ask your legal recruiter how this is handled and communicated to the company/law firm where he/she is presenting you. Push your comfort zone. We have yet to learn how the legal employment landscape will change, given the C-19 crisis. Perhaps many will continue to work remotely. Perhaps some will perform multiple functions for the first time. Be flexible; let your legal recruiter know you are willing and able to wear many hats. Don’t wait another day to begin these steps! Remain steadfast in your efforts to be proactive. Following these steps will ensure you are doing what you need to do to remain at the top of your legal recruiter’s placement list! At Collier Legal Search, we have been working nonstop throughout this crisis and are helping firms with managing through COVID-19 so they can be prepared for the busy times ahead. We always strive to keep your best interests in mind and offer our consultation to you 24/7. Stay connected with us for opportunities as they come available. Additionally, if you have a friend or family member in need of professional employment guidance, contact us and we will do our best to help. In the meantime, please remain healthy and safe at home. Very truly yours, Kay Kurtin Egger, Attorney, and Co-Founder of Collier Legal Search, LLC kay@collierlegal.com

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COVID-19 Special Announcement

Blogs / collierlegal

To Our Valued Clients and Business Partners: Collier Legal Search continues to stay informed of the events surrounding the global outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and monitor the impact. Our first priority is the health and safety of our employees, clients, and business partners. We are prepared to continue our operations throughout the duration of this public health situation. We will be fully operational remotely in the event our office must close. During this time, our staff will continue to be able to assist you with existing or new hiring needs. Our goal is to adapt while maintaining best practices and solutions. Our leadership will also be available to respond to your hiring needs and to take proactive steps as necessary and appropriate. We will continue to provide updates and further information through email updates or on our website at collierlegal.com. We will monitor the Pandemic closely and keep you all updated. In the interim, if we can be of assistance, please contact Kay Egger at (832) 239-5218 (Office) or email kay@collierlegal.com. We are grateful for your continued loyalty and confidence in Collier Legal Search. Wishing you and yours both safety and good health in these challenging times! Kellie Collier & Kay Egger Stay up today on COVID-19 Updates and Announcements through these sources: World Health Organization Center for Disease Control (CDC)

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