Greg Raab, Director of Consulting Operations for Adjusters International, was recently interviewed by Legal Management magazine regarding business recovery in the wake of a major disaster. In response to questions about how a law firm can be prepared ahead of time for a major catastrophe, Raab stresses the importance of having a comprehensive inventory of assets completed, having pre-disaster contracts in place with emergency response companies, and having a implementable recovery plan in place.

"Most companies think, 'I have an idea of what my assets are, based on my accounting software,' but have proof that insurance companies can see — here are photos of our desks, filing cabinets, ergonomic chairs and IT equipment," Raab says. He also suggests creating a claims-management team and singular point person before disaster strikes. "When multiple sources are contacting the insurance company, [the firm is] not in control of how timely the information it’s getting is or how the company is interpreting it." ...

Additionally, your firm's public relations professionals should play a key role in the wake of a disaster, according to Raab. "It's going to be very important to let your clients know immediately that you're still there, still doing everything you're contractually obligated to do for them,” he says. “You don't want clients to think about looking to do business elsewhere because you've got too much stuff going on."

The entirety of the article "Disaster Planning in the Digital Age" is available to subscribers of Legal Management magazine. Legal Management is published by the Association of Legal Administrators.

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