A recent roundtable of law firm leaders featured a discussion on the most challenging aspects of the COVID crisis. Moderator Christine Azar is a director at Burford and a leading litigator. Participants include Jason Leckerman, Litigation Chair at Ballard Spahr, Jason Peltz, managing partner at Barlit Beck, and Frank Ryan, Global Co-Chair and Co-CEO of DLA Piper.
An LFJ Conversation with Jonathan Stroud
A recent roundtable of law firm leaders featured a discussion on the most challenging aspects of the COVID crisis. Moderator Christine Azar is a director at Burford and a leading litigator. Participants include Jason Leckerman, Litigation Chair at Ballard Spahr, Jason Peltz, managing partner at Barlit Beck, and Frank Ryan, Global Co-Chair and Co-CEO of DLA Piper.
Burford Capital details the main points of the discussion, along with forecasts for the future of Litigation Finance. Frank Ryan began by explaining that first and foremost, safety is everyone’s most pressing issue. Beyond that, responding quickly and effectively for sophisticated clients is more important than ever.
Jason Peltz asserted that an unrelenting uncertainty combined with the already tenuous world of high-stakes commercial litigation has engendered a nearly untenable amount of doubt, frustration, and fear. Jason Leckerman agreed and explained that addressing and improving legal tech has made a profound difference in the ability of firms to meet their goals.
Participants were not exactly optimistic about a return to normalcy. At the same time, all three expressed pride in the way their firms have adapted and risen to difficult circumstances.
Jason Peltz affirmed that client success is indistinguishable from firm success. Firms that evolve, adapt and work together as a team have seen the most impressive results during the pandemic. Frank Ryan is impressed by how quick and agile his team has become, which is a necessary part of staying competitive in this new climate.
Jason Leckerman detailed the difficulty in addressing delays, anticipating upcoming challenges, and maximizing the value of existing assets. Ongoing, proactive communication with clients is essential—along with creativity and flexibility in developing cost and fee arrangements. Being able to offer clients value in a climate with some predictability and appropriate risk-sharing is a vital part of successfully meeting client needs in the time of COVID.
