No Buzz Zone
A law practice in Mineola, N.Y. is drawing a lot of attention from many, including lawyers and others, for its ban on the use of BlackBerry-style devices at “major meetings.”
A partner with the law firm, Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone LLP, told Newsday that while the firm expects clients’ e-mails and calls to be answered promptly, it also needs its staff to be focused on major issues during meetings.
The firm’s “no-device” policy has been in place for six months and, according to partner Ira R. Halperin, came about because the communications devices’ buzzes and vibrations were increasingly interfering with meetings. But the firm's addicts of the wireless devices should take heart -- the BlackBerry ban, according to Halperin, does not apply to meetings of routine matters.