Johnson Pope Firm Update March 23, 2020

Dear Clients, Colleagues and Friends,

A week ago I wrote to you that our firm would remain open with a backup plan in place to have the entire firm work remotely, in order to assure uninterrupted service to our clients.  During the past week we have worked hard to test our contingency plans.  We have purchased and programmed additional computer equipment, and we have conducted remote test runs with all of our employees and practice groups.  We feel confident that we are ready to shift the entire firm to continue operations in a remote configuration, if and when necessary.  

The latest information we are receiving from our local and state governmental contacts leads us to believe we will very shortly be placed under at least a partial, mandatory closure order.  We are operating under this assumption.  Local closure orders from South Florida allow many businesses, including law firms,  to be partially open and staffed with a limited number of essential employees.  Orders out of California and New York are more strict and mandate total office closures.  Whatever is decided for the Tampa Bay area, our offices in Tampa, Clearwater and St. Petersburg will comply and be fully operational.   

You will still be able to call our offices and to be connected to your attorney or other firm personnel.  If you contact us by e-mail, please be sure to include a phone number for continued contact.   As is often the case, a discussion about your legal problems generally involves something beyond just a “yes” or “no” answer.  If you have a simple question, we may be able to give you a simple answer.  However, if either you or your attorney believe a fuller discussion is necessary,  we will call you in order to talk further and to give you the individually tailored advice you have come to expect.  We strive to continue to give you advice tailored to your specific problem.  We will also continue to perform the entire gambit of legal services from contract to closing; initiating and proceeding with litigation; giving labor and employment advice and handling employment disputes; counseling and handling bankruptcy cases; and giving tax advice and drafting estate planning documents.  In short, we will continue to work on any and all of your legal matters, not just those related to COVID-19.

As to COVID-19 issues, we will continue to publish and disseminate timely articles, bulletins and memos, and to hold webinars, on the latest coronavirus legal issues, which seem to arise on an hourly basis.  We believe timely, accurate information is necessary for all of our clients as we all endeavor to navigate these very challenging times.

While you take all necessary measures to keep yourselves, your families and your employees safe, please rest assured we will still be here to handle all of your legal needs.

On behalf of our entire firm, best wishes to each and all of you,

Guy M. Burns, Managing Partner