Meredith Connell Offices To Remain Open For Duration

National law firm Meredith Connell has announced that its Auckland and Wellington offices in Graham and Willis streets will remain open for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis.

Chief Executive Kylie Mooney says the firm anticipates an increase in demand for some legal services among its private- and public-sector clients as a result of the crisis and is planning accordingly.

In addition, Meredith Connell is the Office of the Crown Solicitor at Auckland, which Ms Mooney says places an additional responsibility on the firm to maintain its services for the duration of the crisis, including to assist in the preservation of public health and public order.

“Meredith Connell’s objective for the weeks and months ahead is to provide our clients, the Crown and the community with an uninterrupted and unchanged service as they grapple with their business-as-usual and additional legal needs in these difficult times,” she said.

“This includes all our services from commercial law and major transactions, to employment dispute resolution and regulatory compliance, to criminal prosecution and securing the proceeds of crimes for the state.”

On Wednesday, the firm trialled its Remote Working Plan (RWP) which saw 100% of its lawyers working the full day on client matters either at home, in court or elsewhere with no IT or other interruptions, and with no clients being aware of the arrangements.

“Given the overwhelming success of our trial, we’ve decided today to indefinitely implement our RWP from Monday 23 March,” Ms Mooney announced.

Under its RWP, the firm expects around 70% of its team to work remotely each day with around 30% working in its offices with approval from management, ensuring very significant social distancing. As well as other precautions that have been well advertising by government and in the media, MC’s entire premises will be deep cleaned at least weekly.

In addition, MC has advised its clients of a wide range of support services to be made available to them to support their own Business Continuity Plans, plus the availability of its own premises on request for clients to store essential legal documents and conduct essential business.

“Meredith Connell’s first priority in the weeks and months ahead is, as always, the health and welfare of our team,” Ms Mooney said. “Very close behind is to provide an uninterrupted and unchanged service to our clients and the Crown, which is the best way we can ensure that they and we come through this situation unscathed and in the strongest possible position once it is over, however long that takes.”

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