Rising COVID-19 case counts across the country means that law firms and legal departments likely won't be abandoning their remote working postures any time soon. But as collaboration tools continue to remain a central part of the new legal ecosystem, both firm practices and corporate teams may have to walk a fine line with regards to how they communicate internally—and with one another.

The biggest challenges may be with regards to law firm cybersecurity. Kermit Wallace, chief information officer at Day Pitney, indicated that when the pandemic first hit last spring, the firm was encouraging its attorneys to use its preferred collaboration platform—complete with passcodes and other safety measures—for client interactions.

But it quickly found that clients had their own idea of what collaboration tools offered the best functionality and security. If a client wanted to schedule a WebEx meeting, the firm generally had to be willing to comply.