PILMMA Roundtable Discussion: Reopening Your Firm Safely, with Ken Hardison, Thomas Pivnicny, Tiana Hardison, and Alan Crone

Ken Hardison has fought for people’s rights as a trusted personal injury lawyer for over 35 years. His ethics, integrity, and passion for his clients helped to build one of North Carolina’s most successful firms, Hardison & Cochran, and a successful Social Security disability firm, Carolina Disability Lawyers, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Now, as owner and publisher of the law firm management website, Law Practice Advisor, and founder and president of PILMMA, Ken devotes his time to helping attorneys build their own preeminent law practices with proven marketing strategies and management resources. Ken has been recognized as one of the top 100 Trial Lawyers in North Carolina and is a member of the exclusive Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Systematic Marketing is his tenth book. Ken has authored 5 books on marketing and managing law firms. He is a sought-after speaker throughout the country on marketing and managing law firms.

Thomas Pivnicny’s bio: Thomas Pivnicny concentrates his practice in the areas of Workers’ Compensation, Personal Injury, and Car Accidents. Thomas is one of our most experienced lawyers in Pennsylvania.

During law school and before joining the firm, Thomas completed clerkships with three different judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, including Judge Denis P. Cohen, Judge Glynnis D. Hill, and Judge Marlene F. Lachman.

In his free time, Thomas enjoys spending the day with his wife, son, daughter, and their two cats, as well as exercising, playing the guitar, and snowboarding.

Tiana Hardison’s Bio: Tiana Hinnant Hardison has practiced law for 29 years, with an emphasis on personal injury and disability law, and now balances her time and energies between practicing law and working with PILMMA. You may contact Tiana at tianamhinnant@gmail.com.

Alan Crone’s Bio: Alan Crone’s personal role model is St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, who taught that, because God can be found in our everyday work, all work is important. That’s why he listens so carefully to his clients and takes their concerns to heart.

Founder of the Crone Law Firm, he is their Team Leader. Whether he’s helping achieve a business dream or seeking compensation for someone who’s been treated unfairly, he draws from a deep well of compassion and experience. He’s a master at devising winning strategies and innovative tactics.

Episode Overview: In this special audio replay from a PILMMA webinar held on June 16, 2020, where Ken Hardison and his panelists shared best practices for reopening law offices during the global pandemic.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• Thomas discusses steps his firm has taken to adapt to the changing realities of life under pandemic and working remotely
• How Thomas and his team are working to maintain social distancing guidelines, sanitize the office, and limit in-person exposure to others where possible
• What steps Thomas’s firm is prepared to take to shut down and professionally sterilize the office should an employee become sick
• How interactions with clients and potential clients are changing at Thomas’s firm’s offices during social distancing
• Tiana discusses the importance of being cognizant of your state and local health guidelines for reopening
• Tiana shares the four “P’s”: people, place, plan, and process, and she explains why these need to be kept in mind when preparing to reopen your office
• Why Tiana believes a hybrid solution of working in person and working remotely may be the best option for many firms.
• Alan discusses key liability concerns that business leaders and, in particular, law firm practice owners need to know
• Why Alan believes that legal compliance isn’t just necessary to protect yourself but is also good business
• How laws granting employees leave are still in place but have also been added to with two new kinds of leaves created by the CARES Act
• Why Alan recommends consulting with an employment lawyer in your area with regards to your responsibility as an employer

Resources:

• OSHA COVID-19 Guidance Resource: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf
• Thomas Pivnicny’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/thomaspivnicny
• Tiana Hardison’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tiana-hinnant-3923a853/
• Alan Crone’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alancronememphislawyer/

Additional Resources:

• PILMMA Super Summit: www.pilmma.org/pilmma-super-summit-2020/
• PILMMA’s free Coronavirus Survival Kit: www.pilmma.org/free-resources/
• Strategic Attorney Coach: https://www.pilmma.org/strategic-attorney-coach/
• PILMMA Join Page: www.pilmma.org/marketing-lawyers-law-firm-management/