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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

HYBRID HARDSHIPS - The pandemic was incredibly trying and difficult for the legal industry in many ways. Still, it taught us all something valuable about law firms. In the face of crushing adversity, so many of them were able to reach down deep and discover new levels of resiliency and adaptability they never knew they were capable of… Anyway, that's all over now. As Law.com's Andrew Maloney reports, a new survey has found that, 21 months into the pandemic, law firms are struggling mightily with the concept of hybrid work. Some lawyers are in the office, others are out of the office—it's bedlam! Getting phased office returns right is still the most pressing challenge facing law firms heading into 2022, according to the latest Citi Hildebrandt Client Advisory, published Dec. 9. The report also found some firm leaders believe the current norm of part-time, in-person work is presenting more hurdles than that initial wave of the pandemic that sent most everyone home 100% of the time. "Many firms tell us that implementing a hybrid model is proving to be more challenging than operating a fully remote model," the report said.

DOES NOT COMPUTE - Pop quiz, hotshot: Macs are completely impenetrable to cyber criminals—true or false? If you answered "true," please apologize to your IT department immediately. As Law.com's Victoria Hudgins reports, a recent survey by the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) found that some lawyers are still hanging onto outdated beliefs regarding software—beliefs that could put their firms' cybersecurity at risk. And it's not just the Mac fallacy. Tech consultants said too many firms remain vulnerable to people-driven cyber threats like phishing scams and hacked passwords. "Unfortunately, firms continue to refuse to put time and resources toward training and educating everyone in the firm, from managing partner all the way down to the receptionist, on how to avoid these scams," said Burney Consultants founder Brett Burney. "Or they're not requiring individuals at firms to use password management software, so their accounts are getting compromised."

FLOATING DEBT - Carnival was slapped with a breach-of-contract lawsuit Monday in New York Southern District Court. The suit, filed by Brown Gavalas & Fromm LLP on behalf of American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association, seeks recovery of unpaid marine insurance premiums from Carnival. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendant. The case is 1:21-cv-10641, American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association, Inc. v. Carnival PLC. Stay up on the latest deals and litigation with the new Law.com Radar.  

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