This message arrives with your May issue of the Docket. By now, many of us have found ourselves dealing with the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic that has swept our global community. If you’re like me, you’ve probably invoked your organization’s crisis management and business continuity plans — which likely involves working from home during some form of social distancing — and are still figuring things out.
As we strive to provide our clients with the support and guidance they have come to so value, especially during times of crisis, in-house legal teams have a lot on our collective plates. As part of our business continuity plans, we are being called upon to advise on fast-changing issues related to employee relations, rapidly evolving regulatory requirements, contractual issues such as force majeure, and even upticks in dispute resolution matters and insolvency. While many of these issues cross our desks on a typical day, the added volume and general uncertainty faced as we attempt to go about business as usual in extremely unusual circumstances amplify the challenges associated with our day-to-day. This is where the breadth and depth of ACC’s resources — and extensive global network — come to the forefront.
ACC has curated many resources to assist you in dealing with the above issues and more. A few resources of note include recent webcasts “APAC: Force Majeure and Business Interruption in the Time of COVID-19” and “Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak: What In-house Counsel Need to Know”. In addition, frequently updated articles on ACCDocket.com focus on everything from working from home to monetizing litigation claims for budget constraints due to COVID-19.
During times of unprecedented hardships and challenges, humanity tends to show great courage and resilience.
These resources and others are highlighted within the ACC COVID-19 Resource Center, and ACC continues to produce quality online programming that not only helps you support the business, but also helps you to take care of you. I recommend checking out recent webinars on wellness and mindfulness, as well as those focused on business preparedness and response.
Further, I encourage you to engage with local and global peers in order to benefit from their insights and experiences. More importantly, this contact can offer simple comfort as we rely on the support of our fellow in-house counsel as we all experience similar issues and challenges. One place to do just that is within ACC’s COVID-19 Online Forum, as well as connecting with your local chapters, many of which are providing online programming related to the pandemic and more.
Like other organizations, ACC has had to cancel in-person events. That said, in addition to the webcasts and resources identified above, our staff is working diligently to bring you virtual meeting experiences — perhaps you attended some of this programing during the new member experience shared during Xchange20? If so, I’d love to hear about your experiences, as well as your ideas for how we can continue to bring you quality programming, no matter where you are!
During times of unprecedented hardships and challenges, humanity tends to show great courage and resilience. We are in this together, and as we continue to get back to normal (whatever that may be) in both our personal and professional lives, our networks are our lifelines. ACC is one of those networks, and I am happy to be connected to each and every one of you. We are doing our part to provide you with some tools to make this time a bit easier, and we appreciate all that you contribute to our community.
Best wishes to all of you. Take care, stay in touch, and please stay safe and healthy.
