He said Legal Aid was able to bypass the Verizon circuit by connecting its computer services directly to its data center, restoring email, Internet access and computer files.
"We're certainly pleased to be back in our office and [regrouping] our central staff, but we're concerned about the continuing lack of telephone services," Banks said.
Legal Aid said Verizon notified the group that it would attempt to restore phone service over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.
After the storm, the group's 400 lawyers and staff who are based at Water Street moved into Legal Aid's other locations and offices at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
Harris Beach returned to its 100 Wall St. office on Jan. 7, said COO William Kedley. The office switched to an Internet-based phone system as part of its return, he said.
Harris Beach returned just before its temporary arrangement at 1290 Avenue of the Americas expired, Kedley said.
Cahill Gordon & Reindel moved back to 80 Pine St. on Jan. 7 with fully functional services, said spokeswoman Lynn Tellefsen, who called the transition smooth. The firm's New York lawyers, numbering about 300, were working from 1271 Avenue of the Americas after Sandy hit.
As for Fragomen's office at 7 Hanover Square, Patrick said on Jan. 18 that electricity continues to be a problem.There was a recent power outage, which would have presented a "serious problem" if the firm was there, and the building's owner was prohibiting anyone from entering over the weekend, Patrick said.
"I think Guardian's point of view is that the systems are not 100 percent," Patrick said. "You can't run a business if you're not confident you're going to have consistency and dependability on the systems you run."
Fragomen occupies the 10th, 11th, and 12th floors and part of the 8th floor at 7 Hanover Square.
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