CHARLESTON – More than 55 law firms based in West Virginia took out federal Payroll Protection Plan loans totaling as much as $58.5 million.
According to information released July 6 by the Department of the Treasury and the Small Business Administration, five West Virginia law firms received loans of at least $2 million each. Each of those loans could have been up to $5 million each. The information released by the SBA does not provide specific amounts, rather just a range for each of the approximately 660,000 loans.
Bailey & Glasser, Bowles Rice, Flaherty Sensabaugh & Bonasso, Jackson Kelly and Spilman Thomas & Battle each received loans in the $2-5 million range.
Three firms – Jan Dils Attorneys At Law, Pullin Fowler Flangan Brown & Poe and Robinson & McElwee – each received loans of $1-2 million. Legal Aid of West Virginia also received a loan of $1-2 million, according to SBA reports.
“I don’t know what people want us to do,” Dils told The West Virginia Record. “I have 123 employees eligible under that program. I wanted to ensure my clients were well taken care of because the courts shut down for a period of time. And, the federal system has decreased the number of hearings. There are no in-person hearings. I only get paid if a client wins.
“We’re not having hearings, but my client’s cases continue. The clients still are having major surgeries and others things going on in their lives. We have to move forward with their cases. I was just being responsible so that my employees and our clients are taken care of. That’s why I applied.”
Dils’ firm primarily handles Social Security and disability cases. She says those cases are “very labor intensive.”
“Our clients are still needing help, calling in,” she said. “That hasn’t slowed down at all. I have a great team, and I didn’t want them to have any hardship. It was a difficult decision to apply for the loan, but it was the right decision.”
Tyler Dinsmore, managing member of Flaherty Sensabaugh & Bonasso, also said his firm’s decision to apply for the loan was based on client protection.
“Our guiding principles at Flaherty are and have always been to earnestly protect our clients' interests while providing a supportive environment for our 120 West Virginian employees,” he told The Record. “As primarily a litigation firm, the closing of the West Virginia court system was a particular challenge.
“The Payroll Protection Plan was designed to provide employers a loan so that they could continue paying employees during the economic turmoil caused by COVID-19. Like many other qualifying West Virginia law firms and small businesses, we applied for and received a PPP loan and, in turn, have kept all staff fully employed during this crisis.”
Flaherty said the firm didn’t have to reduce any salaries or hours, and he said it didn’t have to institute any furloughs.
“We are proud of our firm's efforts and are grateful that we have been able to serve our clients and keep our family-friendly culture together during these difficult and uncertain times,” he said.
A representative for Jackson Kelly said the firm was looking out for its employees.
“Jackson Kelly PLLC applied for and received a PPP loan to ensure that our employees would be protected across our national footprint from the impacts of COVID-19,” Kelley Goes, the firm’s.chief business development officer, told The Record. “Avoiding furloughs and layoffs takes care of both our employees and our clients.”
At least 14 West Virginia law firms received PPP loans ranging from $350,000 to $1 million. Those are Bailes Craig Yon & Sellards, Bailey & Slotnick, Bordas & Bordas, Calwell Luce & diTrapano, Farmer Cline & Campbell, Goodwin & Goodwin, Hendrickson & Long, Jenkins Fenstermaker, Kay Casto & Chaney, Lewis Glasser, MacCorkle Lavender, Shuman McCuskey Slicer, The Masters Law Firm and Thomas Combs & Spann.
In addition, at least 33 West Virginia law firms received loans from $150,000 to $350,000. Those are Bailey Javins & Carter, Berthold Law Firm, Brewster Morhous, Burke Schutlzel Harmon Jenkinson, Campbell Woods, Cassidy Cogan Shapell & Voegelin, Colombo Law, Crawford Law Group, Farrell White & Legg, Fitzsimmons Law Firm, Flynn Max Miller & Miller, Frankovitch Anetakis Simon DeCapio & Pearl, Gianola Barnum Bechtel & Jecklin, Gold Khourey & Truak, Greene Ketchum Bailey & Tweel, Hartley Law Group, Herndon Morton Herndon & Yaeger, Kesner & Kesner, Lanham O’Dell & Co., Mountain State Justice Inc., Nagy & Majestro, Nichols & Skinner, Phillips Gardill, Karsen & Altmeyer, Preston & Salango, Raber Law Offices, Shaffer & Shaffer, Taylor Law Office, The Bell Law Firm, The Miley Legal Group, Tiano O’Dell, Warner Law Offices, Wooton Davis Hussell & Johnson and Wyant & Buck.