Managing partner Grant Walsh was interviewed about what an outbreak of the coronavirus might mean for U.S. law firms and how Culhane Meadows’ cloud-based structure equips its attorneys to provide seamless and uninterrupted client services in the face of fear and uncertainty among brick and mortar firms.

Here are some excerpts from the article:

Two days before the Chinese New Year holiday, a case of coronavirus was reported in the vast office complex that houses Squire Patton Boggs LLP’s Shanghai practice. The firm’s office shut down. Then, by government order, its attorneys couldn’t return for weeks.

With a rash of new outbreaks in U.S. coastal cities, the first domestic cases of coronavirus without an apparent link to foreign travel, and the stock market dropping last week to 2008 recession levels, law firms stateside are preparing for the worst.

After Squire’s Shanghai landlord closed its building, their attorneys were eager to return to work.

But it was also helpful to have the technology that allowed attorneys to work from home while the office was shut down. And the Building’s temporary closure may provide a cautionary tale for U.S. BigLaw offices.

Such scenarios might put “virtual” law firms at an advantage, according to Grant Walsh, co-founder and managing partner of cloud-based firm Culhane Meadows PLLC. 

“Whether it’s the coronavirus or ice storms that shut down major cities, all of our attorneys are accustomed to telecommuting each day with our secure online platform, our video conferencing and document sharing technologies,” Walsh said in an email. “This unique structure allows us to go about business as usual.”

Read the entire article HERE (subscription to Law360 may be required for viewing).