Articles

Trimble: COVID shows firms need to engage in succession planning

As the pandemic forced attorneys to work from remote locations, they have seen how well they could do it. They and their spouses have had a glimpse of a different, slower lifestyle, and it has appealed to them. For many, retirement, which was previously just a distant concept, has grown more realistic. At a minimum, a significant number of my lawyer friends have decided to work fewer hours, and they are confident that they are ready to slow down.

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Crabtree: A healthy dose of humility never hurt anyone

The last thing Indiana Lawyer readers need is a new attorney giving them tips, best practices and pitfalls to avoid. So as a new attorney, I will instead tell a story about humility — something that any person can (and should) experience at any time in their life. I received a large dose of it after I was sworn in as an attorney.

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Boldt: Go with the flowchart to show the course for estate plans

A helpful tool to simplify complex scenarios for clients is the use of visual aids or flowcharts to demonstrate key portions of a will or trust. Particularly in a trust instrument, a diagram of how assets flow is often very helpful to clients and helps them understand things simply.

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178 Hoosier law firms received PPP money

Indiana law firms are included among the thousands of Hoosier businesses and nonprofits that have received money through the federal Paycheck Protection Program according to data released Monday by the U.S. Small Business Administration. We have the recipients in a searchable database.

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Blaiklock and Whybrew: COVID-19 and force majeure in the manufacturing context

The global COVID-19 pandemic ground the world economy to a virtual halt in many sectors, including manufacturing. Many manufacturing lines slowed to a crawl or stopped completely. Travel became practically impossible, if not prohibited by various government orders. Despite that, supply contracts remain in place. What impact COVID-19 has on the legal relationships between customers and manufacturers will depend primarily on the presence — and nature — of force majeure clauses in the governing documents.

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Trimble: Sound advice from a nationally known lawyer coach

For my column this edition I have the pleasure of introducing a friend, Cordell Parvin, who is one of America’s premier lawyer career coaches. In late February, just before the pandemic, I sat down with Cordell to get his take on a number of questions that had been simmering in my mind. I share that exchange with you now.

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Fontan: First-year attorneys can flatten the learning curve

I cannot pretend to completely understand all the challenges new Indiana lawyers will face given the uncertainty of COVID-19. Despite this unprecedented set of circumstances, however, there are many lessons that are applicable not only in times of videoconferencing and home offices, but in future years of practice.

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