Beirut lawyers are evaluating their volatile working conditions by the hour in war-torn Lebanon amid the escalating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
Chedid Law Offices, Dentons’ associated firm in Beirut, is operating with nine people in various locations. Some are still office-based while others work from home due to safety concerns, anxious to avoid the roads, threats of possible attacks, and other dangers. Schools are closed so some lawyers are also juggling family as well as their practice.
Elias Chedid, managing partner of Chedid Law Offices, told Law.com International that lawyers are avoiding face-to-face meetings as moving from one part of Beirut to another can be risky.
“I hope Lebanon’s government has a plan; the UN has a plan,” Chedid said, adding that the firm is now assessing the situation and making decisions every hour, a change from the daily assessments they were conducting just two months ago.
“Remote work has become quite common, but today, the situation is so unpredictable that we have to make decisions hourly, not just daily,” Chedid said.
In Beirut, where most law firms are located, Israel is heavily bombing not only the southern suburbs of the city, which are considered Hezbollah’s stronghold—where Hezbollah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah was killed last Friday—but also the Cola neighborhood in the center of the city.
“Each day, we have to safeguard our work materials. So, part of the team works from home while others come into the office when it’s safe. My policy is to avoid unnecessary travel; it’s too risky,” Chedid said.
Beyond the legal operations, firms must consider the psychological impact on their teams, as bombings are heard throughout the capital and Israeli drones continuously fly over Beirut. With lawyers working under stressful and frightening conditions, they need to take regular breaks from their work and the news to cope with the situation, he added.
‘If You Give Up, You Stop Living’
The mass displacement from southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut is escalating, where protests and violence can erupt at any moment.
Chedid described working under the situation as frightening, “We advise taking breaks—stepping away from work when needed. Rest is crucial, whether it’s taking a nap or doing something else. Then you can return to work more refreshed, whether that’s the next hour or the following day.” Best accident lawyer near me , Best Bankruptcy lawyers near me , Best Birth Injury lawyers near me , Bus Accident Lawyers Near Me |
“You have to accept the situation and keep moving forward,” Chedid added. “If you give up, you stop living.”
While it is still too early to assess the impact of the war on the firm’s business, he believes there will be repercussions after the rollercoaster of violence. “I can’t say for certain. I didn’t see any changes for two weeks, but we might see repercussions in the coming months. What’s happening is significant, and it is frightening. We’re continuing as much as we can because people have needs to meet.” Best Car accident lawyer near me , Best Child custody lawyers near me , Child support lawyers near me , Best Copyright lawyers near me | Best Divorce lawyers near me , Best Criminal Defense Lawyers Near Me
Other law firms are also operating in Lebanon including Squire Patton Boggs which has two partners and one associates in Beirut, according to its website. The firm could not be reached for comment in Beirut or at its offices in the UAE and Washington.