Faegre Drinker temporarily closes all its offices after visitor tests positive for COVID-19
Image from Shutterstock.
Updated: Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath said Wednesday it has reopened nearly all of its 22 offices after closing them Tuesday amid coronavirus concerns.
The law firm said it decided to close its offices and evaluate the situation after a person who attended a March 3 event at the firm’s Washington, D.C., office at 1500 K Street later tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
The firm later learned an additional visitor to its Washington, D.C., office on March 2 also subsequently was diagnosed with COVID-19, according to a Faegre Drinker statement provided to the ABA Journal on Wednesday.
The firm is not aware of any Faegre Drinker lawyers or staff who have tested positive for COVID-19, but the law firm decided to close all its offices as a precautionary measure, the statement said. The firm’s Washington, D.C., offices remained closed Wednesday.
The firm said it closed the offices as a precautionary measure.
“Because the scope of each guest’s contact with firm colleagues was not readily known, and because our attorneys, consultants and professionals have been traveling cross-office to support firm integration efforts, we chose to exercise caution while our leadership team evaluated the situation,” the statement said.
Lawyers were working remotely during the closings and continue to do so in Washington, D.C.
Faegre Drinker said it “took the precautionary measure of engaging a specialized service to clean and disinfect each office prior to our colleagues returning.”
Law.com had reports here and here.
Other law firms are also responding to coronavirus concerns. Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan closed its New York office this week after a partner tested positive for COVID-19. A lawyer at Lewis and Garbuz in Manhattan also has tested positive for the virus.
Story updated on March 11 to report that most offices have reopened.
