Matthew R. Plummer, Esq.
Managing Partner
Staying optimistic while navigating the ever-changing legal landscape for our clients in this new normal
The landscape of businesses, nonprofits and governments permanently changed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While our community and clients faced unparalleled challenges, we are proud of the resilience and strength with which these challenges were surmounted.
Within the Firm, our attorneys and staff worked long hours to stay up-to-date with ever-changing industry regulations and serve our clients with dedication and compassion. I am grateful for their commitment as well as the tireless efforts of all those who worked to keep our community safe, informed and growing.
- The pandemic has encouraged clients of all ages to consider the best ways to prepare for the future of their families and businesses. Our ESTATE PLANNING AND BUSINESS SUCCESSION teams have been hard at work connecting with clients in-person, over the phone and through new video conferencing technology, including virtual will signings.
- The housing market has boomed as people take advantage of working remotely in paradise. So far this year, our REAL ESTATE department has closed more than double the number of transactions from the year prior, lending their expertise to the buyers and sellers involved and assisting with creative financing and occupancy solutions.
- The past few years have seen several major tax law and financial changes, with further changes expected from pandemic recovery and tax re-structuring proposals. Our TAX LAW attorneys continue to stay apprised of these potential changes to better serve our clients.
- In our HEALTH CARE practice, we are assisting clients to meet the changing patient and physician interface and regulatory issues involved in providing telehealth and telemedicine services more widely.
- With courthouses limiting in-person proceedings, our LITIGATION department has seamlessly adapted to the new virtual platforms, enabling our attorneys to gather information, elicit witness testimony, and even conduct jury trials without delay.
- Our LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT practice has been hard at work educating employers on compliance with changing federal laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, which provide critical protections to our citizens during the pandemic.
- The LAND USE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT department continues to guide both clients and municipalities as Sarasota and Manatee counties continue their unprecedented growth.
While the pandemic has unfortunately required us all to take a step back from many in-person events, Blalock Walters has remained committed to the tenets of philanthropy and community service upon which we were founded. We were pleased to support the new, inventive programming put on by our local nonprofits to continue their crucial work. Our Firm participated in a wide range of these new avenues for philanthropy, from sponsoring the Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Essay Awards to attendance at virtual galas to continuing volunteerism. We are, and will continue to remain, committed to giving back to the communities in which we live and serve.
The Firm is looking with optimism towards the end of the year as we continue to help our clients navigate the changing waters and return to our shared “new normal.”
-Matthew Plummer
