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LAW OFFICE MANAGEMENT It's in a firm's best interest to begin early the process of transitioning clients of soon-to-be-retiring partners, but it has to be done without stepping on anyone's toes. BY KEV IN MARRON LAST CALL A s an avid golfer and the founder of a small suburban law firm, Ed Fleury well understands that the fairway is a good place to cultivate rela- tionships with builders and other com- mercial real estate clients. If your clients are your friends and they are satisfied that you are providing a good service at the right price, he says, "they're re- luctant to go away from you, because it Approaching gets embarrassing for them." But Fleury has reached a point in his career where a golf game may some- times take precedence over an Ontario Municipal Board hearing. So how can he explain this to his long-term clients, hand them off to younger lawyers, and still maintain their loyalty to his firm? This is a challenge now faced by almost any law firm, large or small, at a time when last call is approaching for a huge segment of the bar. "It's something that all firms are look- ing at seriously now. It's a big issue," says Ross Ellison, a senior partner at Davis LLP in Vancouver. Larger firms have the advantage of being able to serve clients with a team www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com OC T OBER 2008 19 ILLUSTRATION: JACQUI OAKLEY