(Photo
by
ROBYN
BECK/AFP
via
Getty
Images)
Southern
California
continues
to
be
ravaged
by
life-threatening
wildfires,
and
Biglaw
firms
across
the
region
are
banding
together
to
support
fellow
attorneys
and
staff
members
who
have
lost
everything,
as
well
as
members
of
their
local
communities
and
first
responders.
At
this
time,
more
than
12,000
homes
have
been
destroyed,
nearly
200,000
people
have
been
displaced,
and
the
death
toll
related
to
the
fires
has
risen
to
24.
Firms
within
the
Santa
Monica
evacuation
zone
have
closed
their
doors
—
including
Cooley,
Cozen
O’Connor,
Goodwin
Procter,
and
Orrick.
Michael
Heller,
executive
chairman
of
Cozen
O’Connor,
noted
in
a
statement
that
“several
…
colleagues
have
lost
their
homes,”
and
that
the
firm
is
“trying
to
work
out
the
best
ways
we
can
help
them.”
Firms
located
in
downtown
Los
Angeles,
Century
City,
and
eastern
Santa
Monica
have
remained
open
—
including
Latham
&
Watkins,
Paul
Hastings,
Sheppard
Mullin,
Sidley
Austin,
Morgan
Lewis
&
Bockius,
Manatt
Phelps
&
Phillips,
Greenberg
Traurig,
and
Gordon
Rees
—
allowing
for
remote
work
due
to
poor
air
quality.
According
to
The
Recorder,
Paul
Hastings
is
making
its
downtown
Los
Angeles
office
available
those
who
have
been
displaced
by
the
fires
and
suppling
essential
items.
The
firm
is
also
covering
expenses
for
evacuees,
and
offering
expanded
benefits,
including
childcare
coverage.
On
top
of
that,
a
spokesperson
says
that
firm
employees
in
Orange
County
and
San
Diego
have
“generously
offered
to
welcome
impacted
families
and/or
pets
into
their
homes
during
this
time
of
immediate
need.”
Munger
Tolles
has
provided
a
resource
list
to
employees,
as
well
as
family-sized
meals.
Other
firms
are
doing
the
best
they
can
to
assist
their
communities
during
this
unprecedented
natural
disaster.
From
The
Recorder:
Greenberg
Traurig
instructed
employees
to
limit
non-critical
travel
to
avoid
contributing
to
congestion
on
the
roadways,
a
spokesperson
said,
adding
that
the
firm
activated
an
employee
emergency
fund
to
assist
displaced
employees
and
began
soliciting
donations
for
local
organizations.
“We
are
collecting
and
delivering
children’s
clothes,
shoes,
toys,
books,
diapers,
and
other
supplies
to
assist
local
relief
efforts,”
the
spokesperson
said.
“In
addition,
the
firm
is
providing
meals
and
other
assistance
to
support
our
emergency
responders
who
continue
to
serve
our
community
heroically.”Jeff
Bjork,
the
managing
partner
of
Latham’s
Los
Angeles
offices,
expressed
the
firm’s
profound
gratitude
to
the
“brave
firefighters
and
emergency
responders
tirelessly
working
to
contain
the
fires,”
Bjork
said.
“We
are
humbled
by
the
incredible
resilience
being
shown
by
our
Los
Angeles
colleagues
in
the
face
of
such
destruction,
as
well
as
the
outpouring
of
compassion
and
support
from
the
Latham
community
worldwide.”
What
is
your
law
firm
doing
to
assist
those
in
need?
You
can
text
(646-820-8477)
or email
and
let
us
know.
We
here
at
Above
the
Law
extend
our
thoughts
to
all
law
firm
attorneys
and
staff
members
affected
by
the
raging
wildfires
in
California.
Please
be
safe.
Many
LA
County
Law
Firms
Remain
Open,
Mobilize
to
Support
Affected
Employees
Amid
Historic
Firestorm
[The
Recorder]
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
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