COVID-19 Update – March 25, 2020
This will serve to update our March 20 announcement in terms of steps we are taking to preserve the health and welfare of our staff, lawyers and clients, to ensure that we continue to provide a high level of client service and that we support, to the extent possible, the economic security of our staff.
At Sullivan Mahoney LLP, we have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic for months. The situation is changing daily, and sometimes hourly.
On March 23, for example, the Provincial Government announced the closure of all non-essential businesses effective at 11:59 pm on March 24, 2020. Later that evening, we learned that law firms have been deemed essential, and that we are permitted by law to remain open.
“Remaining open” in light of the COVID–19 pandemic, however, has taken on an entirely different meaning than it has in the past.
In our March 20 update, we spelled out in detail the steps we have taken to achieve our stated goals of health and welfare, client service and economic security for our staff. Rather than repeat all of those steps here, we invite you to visit our website to review the measures already implemented.
We do want to remind clients, however, of the following:
In St. Catharines:
- Effective Monday, March 23, 2020, the doors to our St. Catharines office at 40 Queen Street will be locked throughout the day.
- No clients will be seen in our 40 Queen Street location;
- We will post a notice on the door at 40 Queen advising clients of the process explained below, and providing instructions for deliveries;
- Non-essential client meetings will be conducted by telephone, skype or other electronic means;
- Essential client meetings, which will consist mainly of those requiring client signatures on documents, will be held by appointment only at our newly leased space located at 40 King Street, St. Catharines (street level). This is in the same building as our 40 Queen Street office, but on the King Street side of the building;
- In a case where the client is exhibiting cold or flu like symptoms essential client meetings will be postponed, or dealt with through electronic signing processes as permitted by the Law Society of Ontario;
In Niagara Falls:
- The office door is locked throughout the day;
- Our lawyers will conduct only essential client meetings in the office, and by appointment only;
- Non-essential client meetings will be conducted by telephone, skype or other electronic means;
- In a case where the client is exhibiting cold or flu like symptoms, essential client meetings will be postponed, or dealt with through electronic signing processes as permitted by the Law Society of Ontario;
As of today, March 25, we are close to our goal of having fewer than 10 staff working out of our St. Catharines office. And in view of the business closure direction from the government relating to non-essential businesses, we are taking steps to ensure that, if required, we can close our office completely and have all staff and lawyers work from home. While we believe that a government-ordered closure of law offices may be unlikely, we intend to be ready if it happens.
We are committed to our clients, our staff and the community as a whole, and we believe that the measures we have implemented and continue to implement serve all three.
We will provide further updates as the situation changes.
If there are questions, or if you require any assistance navigating through COVID-19 issues, please do not hesitate to contact your Sullivan Mahoney lawyer, or myself.
Woody McKaig
Managing Partner, Sullivan Mahoney LLP
COVID-19 Update – March 20, 2020
At Sullivan Mahoney LLP, we have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic for months. The situation is changing daily, and sometimes hourly, but in the past few weeks, we have identified our three main priorities, all of the utmost importance. We have focused our efforts on actively working toward achieving them.
Our main priority is to protect the health and welfare of our loyal and dedicated staff and of our many valued clients. At the same time, we feel it is important that we take steps to protect our community at large by doing our part to “flatten the curve”.
We also want to continue to provide our clients with the high level of quality service to which they have become accustomed. Our firm was founded in 1953 by Phil Sullivan and Hugh Mahoney. We have represented many of our clients for decades, and others for a period of weeks or months. We feel strongly that we owe it to all of our clients, old and new, to transition seamlessly to the “new normal”, so that we can continue to provide quality service, even in these difficult times.
A third priority, which dovetails with the first two, is to support, to the extent possible, the economic security of our staff. They have been loyal and dedicated to us for years, and it is now our turn to show them the same dedication and loyalty.
This is what we are doing in St. Catharines:
- Effective Monday, March 23, 2020, the doors to our St. Catharines office at 40 Queen Street will be locked throughout the day.
- No clients will be seen in our 40 Queen Street location;
- We will post a notice on the door at 40 Queen advising clients of the process explained below, and providing instructions for deliveries;
- Non-essential client meetings will be conducted by telephone, skype or other electronic means;
- Essential client meetings, which will consist mainly of those requiring client signatures on documents, will be held by appointment only at our newly leased space located at 40 King Street, St. Catharines (street level). This is in the same building as our 40 Queen Street office, but on the King Street side of the building;
- In a case where the client is exhibiting cold or flu like symptoms essential client meetings will be postponed, or dealt with through electronic signing processes as permitted by the Law Society of Ontario;
- We are setting up most of our 55 staff members to work remotely, that is, from home. Our IT staff are working through the logistical issues as they arise, and by Monday, March 23, we expect to have a skeleton staff of fewer than 10 staff members reporting to work at 40 Queen Street;
- Our lawyers will work either remotely, or in the office, or some combination of the two.
- For the benefit of staff and lawyers who will be working in the office, we have instituted internal health and safety protocols designed to stop the spread of any infectious diseases or other illnesses among our lawyers and staff. These are set out in detail below.
And here is what we are doing in Niagara Falls:
- The office door is locked throughout the day;
- Our lawyers will conduct only essential client meetings in the office, and by appointment only;
- Non-essential client meetings will be conducted by telephone, skype or other electronic means;
- In a case where the client is exhibiting cold or flu like symptoms, essential client meetings will be postponed, or dealt with through electronic signing processes as permitted by the Law Society of Ontario;
- There will be three staff, and one part time staff member working regular hours;
- Our lawyers will work either remotely, or in the office, or some combination of the two.
- For the benefit of staff and lawyers who will be working in the office, we have instituted internal health and safety protocols designed to stop the spread of any infectious diseases or other illnesses among our lawyers and staff. These are set out in detail below.
The health and safety protocols include instructions to staff and lawyers as follows:
- Cover coughs and sneezes;
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth;
- Regular hand washing with soap and water for 20 seconds and/or use of alcohol-based sanitizer. Sanitizer dispensers are placed throughout the office;
- Use of disinfectant wipes to wipe down office items that are used regularly (i.e. phones, door handles, etc.). These again have been placed throughout the office;
- Use of disinfectant wipes to wipe down meeting areas following any meeting with external clients or internal staff. Our goal is to keep our shared spaces clean and sanitized;
- Advise of any upcoming travel plans including destination, and dates of travel. If travel is outside of Canada, a 14-day quarantine period will be imposed;
- Any lawyer or staff member who is feeling ill or exhibiting cold/flu like symptoms is required to remain home and continue to monitor symptoms before returning to work;
- Should any lawyer or staff member contract COVID-19, or come in contact with someone with COVID-19, the lawyer or staff member is required to notify us so that we can consult with health care professionals as to appropriate steps to ensure the health and safety of all in the workplace.
We are committed to our clients, our staff and the community as a whole, and we believe that the measures we have taken serve all three.
We will provide further updates if our situation changes.
If there are questions, or if you require any assistance navigating through COVID -19 issues, please do not hesitate to contact your Sullivan Mahoney lawyer, or myself.
Woody McKaig
Managing Partner, Sullivan Mahoney LLP