Interview: Hala Sandridge

What’s to come?

The full impact from the pandemic on businesses, and bankruptcies, has yet to materialize

Hala Sandridge

Shareholder – Buchanan Ingersoll Rooney PC

Which particular practice areas gained relevance during the pandemic? Certain areas are hotter than others. Bankruptcy has obviously seen increased demand but, interestingly, not as extensive as we thought it would be by now. The general consensus is that what’s going to happen is still to come. In fact, I just read about two large mall operators filing for Chapter 11. Our bankruptcy group is preparing for an influx.

Corporate is keeping busy, and there are select opportunities for growth in certain industries. Transactions in the hospitality sector are down.

Litigation is strong, and our firm’s internal numbers show it. That might seem counter-intuitive: with courts closed to most trials, one would assume the litigators have reduced workloads. However, in litigation, there’s more pre-trial than trial. You try the case for two weeks, but you work it up for two years.

Employment lawyers have been very busy. Our clients are just overwhelmed with employment issues. Our clients have so many questions about COVID’s impact on their employee base, about rules and regulations that are constantly changing. We have assisted many clients with layoffs and furloughs. Experience shows that in a down economy, employment claims go up.

Our healthcare practice is extremely busy, but our healthcare clients have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 rules and regulations. For many months, elective surgeries were severely limited, depriving our healthcare clients of necessary revenue. While the limitations have been lifted, the stress of COVID-19 on the financial welfare of our healthcare clients has not.

What does the job market look like for newly graduated lawyers in South Florida? It’s strong. Litigation is one of the areas where young people have a lot of opportunity when they graduate from law school. It’s a natural area that accommodates young lawyers, and it is hot right now, and it’s going to get even hotter.

How are you addressing diversity? It’s about the right person — not so much where they are from — and a focus on diversity encompasses a lot of different things, including people from different areas of the state. I’m a Gator, so I can say this: I don’t want a law firm filled with just Gator lawyers. That’s a lot of people with the same experience, from the same place and background, who know the same people. To me, diversity includes different people, from different places and locations in life.