For more than three decades, the law firm of Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco LLP (”PPID”) has lived by a core value to take care of our clients, and provide the most professional legal service possible. This core value guides us as we face the difficult challenge of responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19), which the World Health Organization declared a pandemic.
As this situation continues to evolve, PPID is focused on ensuring the health and safety of our employees and their families. At the same time, we remain committed to delivering the same level of service our clients expect and deserve. Please know that we care about your families and their health as much as our own, and we will do all we can to assist you going forward. We also aim to support our community with cutting-edge thought leadership throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Please know that we are vigilantly monitoring the COVID-19 situation around the clock and are taking every precaution to protect our clients and the PPID family.
PPID’s Business Continuity Plan
We maintain a business continuity plan designed to minimize significant business interruptions and facilitate uninterrupted service. Precautionary actions include ongoing briefing on health recommendations and safety measures; banning non-essential travel; amplified cleaning and sanitization; and enabling remote work options to encourage self-quarantine and social distancing. Our firm’s website (WWW.PPID.COM) will contain pertinent information to keep all clients informed of our actions as well as contact information for personnel in remote work situations.
PPID’s Health Policy
We are taking every precaution possible to protect everyone’s well-being at PPID, as well as the health of our clients.
With these thoughts in mind, if you are a client, prospective client, staff member, tenant, or anyone visiting our premises – WE ASK THAT YOU NOT come to our office if you:
- Have been in any of the following countries within the last 14 days: China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Iran, Spain.
- Reside or have had close contact with anyone who has been in one of the countries listed above within the last 14 days.
- Have been directed to quarantine, isolate or self-monitor at home.
- Have been diagnosed with, or have had close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19.
- Have flu-like symptoms.
MOREOVER, WE ARE NOT PERMITTING WALK-IN CLIENTS TO APPEAR AT ANY OF OUR OFFICE LOCATIONS.
Instead, we request that you call or email our office so that we can make alternative communication arrangements with you. We are fully equipped to video conference, Skype, Zoom, email, or converse with you by telephone or otherwise as an alternative to meeting in-person.
Note too that we have set up a Drop Box at our NYC location. If you have any documents to provide to us in an emergency, please leave them in our drop box NYC location AND PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL US TO CONFIRM THAT YOU DROPPED THESE DOCUMENTS AT OUR OFFICE.
We have also set up an emergency phone number for you to call if the need arises. We also are monitoring our emails 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. If you contact us, we will respond to you as soon as possible.
If you need to make a payment, you can contact our office to arrange a credit card payment, or a wire transfer directly, or you can mail a check or money order.
Working Remotely with PPID
PPID has invested heavily in a cloud-based management platform. This secure cloud-based system allows both clients and PPID professionals the same processing abilities at home as in the workplace, regardless of the nature of a client’s particular legal needs. Every one of our departments is equipped to process its caseload remotely. In addition, every PPID professional has access to state-of-the-art video conferencing tools to enable close collaborations in a remote environment.
We are actively following the latest reports and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) to help us develop our policies. We have also updated our Business Continuity Plan and are ready to fully implement the work-from-home mandate as needed or modify that plan to another alternative.
Relevant Information
- USCIS Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). As of March 18, USCIS has suspended routine in-person services until at least April 1. USCIS staff will continue to perform duties that do not involve contact with the public.
- U.S. Department of State – The latest information for U.S. citizens and permanent residents overseas, including recent changes for inbound travelers from Europe and other affected areas.
- Centers for Disease Control – Guidance for travelers returning from high-risk countries, information on travel within the United States, and country-specific travel health advisories.
- Frequently Asked Questions for Travelers – Recommendations on postponing or canceling travel, screening and quarantine procedures on arrival, and exposure risks/prevention strategies during travel.
- World Health Organization – Rolling updates on current outbreak of coronavirus and more information for non-U.S. travelers.
- Airline Change and Cancellation Policies – Comprehensive list of fee waiver policies for all major airlines, organized
PPID’s Commitment to Uninterrupted Service
Our legal professionals are committed to providing compassionate client service during this time of uncertainty. Employers, employees, and business partners affected by immigration issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic should immediately seek support and guidance from their PPID representative. We also assure you that our firm’s commitment and ability to provide exceptional services remains the same.
We appreciate your understanding as we navigate this unprecedented situation, and wish you, your family, colleagues and friends wellness and safety.
Please do not hesitate to contact us directly for any further questions.
Sincerely,
Conrad E. Pollack
Managing Partner
Latest News from PPID
- [3/25/2020] Unemployment Benefits Are Not A Public Benefit Regardless of Coronavirus COVID-19. Read Spanish version >> Click Here.
