OTLA Sidebar September 2020

19 • SIDEBAR • September 2020 Letter from Partnership Committee S ince March of this year, the world and our daily lives and practices have changed in ways we could not have foreseen. For many OTLA members, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching and we know the practice of plaintiff’s law in Oregon is changing by the day in reaction. For OTLA, the implications of a pandemic are also expansive. With no in-person events or CLEs and with cases unable to go to trial in a timely manner, the financial impact of COVID-19 will be seen across the board but especially in the investment of our Annual Partners. Now, more than ever, our Partners are relying on OTLA members to use their services. Many of you know and work with our Partners frequently and have developed personal friendships with the representatives and busi- ness owners. Our Partners are an integral part of OTLA, not only because of the financial contributions they make to our budget but also because of the important services they provide to keep our firms running efficiently and without hiccups. From banks and settlement planners to depositions, court reporting, work-from-home software and more, our Annual Partners have made a commitment to the mis- sion and the members of OTLA because they care deeply about our clients and about access to justice in Oregon. With this in mind, we are asking that OTLA members also make a commitment to utilize the services of our Annual Partners this com- ing year. Without them, this association could not provide all of the services we do as an organization. One-tenth of our yearly budget comes from Annual Partners, and an even greater value comes in the form of their exemplary services. When you have the option of using an OTLA Partner over a competitor, we hope you will consider working with those vendors and companies who have made a serious commitment to our firms and clients. We are also always looking to expand our network of dedicated An- nual Partners. If you and your colleagues work with a particular vendor or service provider, we ask you to consider recommending An- nual Partnership to them. For many, this is a question they’ve never been asked. Our Partnership Committee relies on the input of OTLA members like you to seek out new prospective Partners, especially in underserved areas of business. If you like the work a particular process service does, get a member of the Partnership Committee and OTLA staff involved. Make the contact. It is so easy to do simple outreach now which will have a significant positive impact on the organization for months and years to come. In our experience, once a Partner experiences the loyalty and dedica- tion of our membership, they’re here to stay. We can all benefit from a more diverse and committed group of Annual Partners. We can all benefit from a more diverse and committed group of Annual Partners. Our current Partner listing can be found on page 14. Thank you for using our Annual Partners in the past and the future. If you have suggestions for vendors to recruit, please contact one of us or Development Director Nora Fogarty at (503) 223-5587 ext. 104 or nora@oregontriallawyers.org . Wishing you all good health and smooth sailing in these trying times, Melissa Bobadilla , Ronn Elzinga , Ryan Jennings and Greg Zeuthen OTLA Partnership Committee