Marks Gray, one of Jacksonville’s oldest and most respected law firms practicing business law, announces it has launched a comprehensive business advisory team that combines all legal counsel and services that businesses need arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. The practice is the first business-focused team of its kind in the region and can serve clients across Florida.
Businesses face a myriad of legal issues because of COVID-19. These could include HR issues, insurance claims, landlord/tenant issues, real estate transactions, sales of a business or a business division, investment and financial issues along with help navigating the PPP forgiveness program. The legal cases often include all facets of the issues businesses face and are not limited only to the spread of COVID-19.
Marks Gray attorneys are helping business clients navigate the new normal related to court case timelines. When courts reopen for in-person hearings and trials, attorneys warn the backlogs of both criminal and civil trials will extend the traditional business litigation timeline with no finite trajectory for conclusion. While lawsuits and disputes are disruptive to business, business owners and executives can expect legitimate business legal issues to take longer than expected in normal times. Additionally, businesses might see more clear-cut cases, that would normally cause protracted litigation, resolved early in the process to avoid unnecessary costs.
“This integrated team is designed to offer all the legal services businesses need in one place,” said Frederick H Kent, III, firm president. “Many businesses, small and large, need a comprehensive approach to the issues caused by this pandemic.”
The integrated practice team combines hundreds of years of experience in legal defense claims against businesses along with practical guidance for businesses navigating the course of business in the pandemic. A dozen Marks Gray attorneys comprise the comprehensive business defense team.
This comprehensive business defense team includes business-focused areas of practice including estate planning, litigation, employment and labor law, insurance defenses and claims, intellectual property, medical and professional liability, business immigration, real estate, bankruptcy and creditors rights and business interruption.
“This team will be prepared to answer any question and defend or pursue any claim a business owner might have relating to the COVID-19 virus,” said Nick Pulignano, Marks Gray business counsel and shareholder. “Businesses will have the ability to make one call in order to navigate new and unusual issues and claims that confront them because of the virus.”