By Raúl Villarreal-Garza
“Let’s meet next Tuesday. I will be traveling and will be coming back to the office next Monday.”
This was a common message we delivered to our clients prior to the pandemic we are currently facing. From one day to the next, we suddenly stopped having in-person meetings and traveling. Our homes became our offices.
Those of us who practice in the international arena are more than accustomed to international travel. Our lingo includes “Global Entry,” “CBX,” “TSA Pre,” “passport control,” “airport lounge,” and so on. However, earlier this year, a new coronavirus that causes the disease known as COVID-19 changed so many things, including the daily use of these words. These words that once were so embedded in our routines are practically gone. The terms “home office” and “Zoom meetings” have arrived to replace the travel jargon.
COVID-19 is undoubtedly a game changer for the practice of law, including international law. This disease seems to be staying here for the long run, and has already changed the way many of us are practicing.
We know we cannot travel, meet, and network the way we used to. Social distancing policies around the world prevent us from shaking hands, which used to be the universal symbol of reaching an agreement. So, what is next?It is as simple as the old saying: “Adapt or die.” These are the two options applicable to many attorneys, including international attorneys. If we cannot substitute the old fashioned travel routines and the in-person “meet and greet” habits with effective technology, our practice will eventually die.
Instead of hopping on a plane to visit clients overseas, we now conduct teleconferences from our own homes. The suit and tie that was already being phased out — especially in California — seems like a distant memory a few months into the pandemic.
The good news is that everyone around the world is in the same situation as us attorneys. For the most part, clients cannot travel either, and are also adapting to the new realities brought by the coronavirus.
Tech-savvy attorneys and those attorneys willing and able to adapt to new technologies will be the winners in this novel environment. Fortunately, software developers around the world have made technology accessible and user-friendly. Personally, I found figuring out Zoom to be easier than figuring out how to change the time display in my microwave.
The correct use of these technologies, however, is key. We are now having virtual first-time meetings and therefore, making electronic “first impressions.” If we are experiencing difficulties using our new conferencing systems, that could create negative first and lasting impressions from our potential clients, which could distract from our core legal abilities.
COVID-19 has redefined how international lawyers live their lives and practice law. We lawyers, usually averse to change, will have to learn to live with these changes and will likely go on with our lives. History has shown what happens if we do not adapt.
Raúl Villarreal-Garza is an international tax partner at Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch, LLP.