John Bain Featured in Law360 “Coping With A Pandemic” Q&A
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Akin Gump real estate partner John Bain spoke with Law360 as part of the article series “Coping With A Pandemic.” The articles include comments from lawyers across the business and legal community.
Among the topics that Bain discusses:
What challenges has the pandemic created in your specific area of work? “Virtually every participant in the real estate space is working to understand the likely impact on pending transactions, ongoing existing arrangements (e.g., leases), and long-term asset performance. … Routine tasks such as recording documents and forming new entities are challenging due to county recording office closures and personnel ramp-downs at secretary of state offices. … Fortunately, I’ve found that professionals are responding creatively to these challenges and getting the remaining healthy deals across the finish line.”
What is the most creative or productive response to the crisis you've witnessed so far? “I have been incredibly impressed by how well our team has adapted to working from home. We have stayed in constant contact to ensure that we maintain a high level of client service. But the most creative responses I have seen generally relate to keeping our spirits high and generating a sense of connectedness. This has involved everything from sharing our work-from-home pictures and adventures to setting up virtual office happy hours.”
