COVID-19 Has Changed the Litigation Landscape and Will Lead to Cost Savings to Litigants

May, 29th, 2020

Categories: Articles, Blog Tags: CAFC, IPR, litigation, patent, PTAB, startup, testimony, trademark, TTAB, USPTO, whipgroup

By Christopher J. Stankus

COVID-19 has brought numerous changes to the legal industry’s approach to working remotely. Some changes have been ordered by the courts, while others have been instituted by practitioners. Some of these measures will be temporary while others are likely here to stay. Ultimately, how law firms adapt and respond to these changes can result in considerable cost savings to litigants.

Many courts have temporarily approved the use of video and teleconferencing for certain proceedings. Some courts may permanently embrace this technology for short proceedings, such as scheduling or status conferences, or certain motions. This provides an immediate cost savings as counsel no longer are required to travel across the country or state to attend a 15 minute hearing.

Just like many businesses, law firms have been reducing expenses to preserve flexibility and ensure financial strength. The legal landscape has changed and the industry as a whole is reducing overhead. For example, law firms that traditionally rented large office spaces are now drawing from the remote work experience to reduce their footprints. Decreased real estate expenses contribute to enhanced financial performance and can be passed directly to clients.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to up-end business as usual, WHIPgroup has embraced a plan to move forward, promote sustainability, and continue to service its clients. This experience has proven business can continue without traveling and conducting every meeting in person, or without having everyone in the office at the same time. WHIPgroup prides itself as being a leader in the technology space. We have deployed tools to increase capacity and improve efficiencies for our litigation team to scale litigations up and down depending on the needs of the case. We have also integrated many tools to promote remote work and team collaboration, including new back-office and litigation management software, and to conduct depositions and court proceedings remotely.

WHIPgroup is excited about the new legal landscape and the opportunity to develop innovative solutions that will provide cost savings to our clients. WHIPgroup’s IP and commercial litigation practice aggressively protects our clients in Federal Courts and administrative bodies. WHIPgroup’s attorneys excel in Federal Court cases on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants, having successfully litigated numerous cases through trial, obtained favorable settlements, and won appeals at the Federal Circuit.

 

WHIPgroup is leading counsel for U.S. and international technology companies. We specialize in patent and trademark law and commercial litigation.

© 2020 Whitmyer IP Group, Stamford, Connecticut.