I believe we will emerge even more focused on you and your needs. We also believe that we are more than just an insurance company. We are a partner with you and the legal community.
As I sit at my desk writing this report in our empty offices (our entire staff is working remotely), I cannot help but focus on the current challenges facing the world, our policyholders and Lawyers Mutual, rather than doing what I’m supposed to do and look back at 2019. (Your top-notch management team will recap our 2019 year in their reports.)
In addition to the devastating effects on the physical health of hundreds of thousands, the current global health crisis is causing us all to miss once-in-a-lifetime events. For example, my son – a senior in high school – will not have a senior prom nor (likely) a graduation ceremony. Some of you are missing birthdays, children’s sporting events, weddings and perhaps the most important thing of all, spending precious time with family and friends. Moments like these should be celebrated. They are meant to create lasting memories. We cannot get these missed moments back. Sadly, they will be lost forever. I firmly believe that missing these moments will cause us to emerge from this crisis with a greater sense of clarity about what is truly important and what really matters.
There is no doubt that this crisis will have lasting effects on Lawyers Mutual. It has highlighted how prepared, nimble and adaptive Lawyers Mutual’s employees are. We went from an in-office environment to a fully functional remote environment in the matter of a few days thanks to our business continuity plan, crack IT team and incredibly focused, flexible and adaptable staff. We believe that these characteristics will also help us survive future threats, not just this pandemic. I believe we are more prepared and resilient to future uncertainty. (Our financial strength will be an important factor in surviving future crises as well, although I hope we never have to face another one like this.)
Most importantly, we understand that this crisis could have significant and lasting effects on many of you and your practices. We’ve always taken great pride in being an insured-focused company that provides maximum value to our policyholders. These things will not change. If anything, I believe we will emerge even more focused on you and your needs. We also believe that we are more than just an insurance company. We are a partner with you and the legal community. I say this because I want you to let us know what we can do to help. We are here because of and for you. Everyone at Lawyers Mutual stands ready.