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PRAIRIE GOLD Canadian Lawyer susses out the top 10 regional law firms in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. By Robert Todd I t's not easy being a full-service regional firm in Saskatchewan and Manitoba these days. When not turning clients away because you're just too busy, you've got to field calls from national firms looking to link up and establish a presence in some of Canada's most lively economic zones. And the firms featured in Canadian Lawyer's list of top 10 Prairie law firms are sure to be on the top of anyone's list of targets, whether for legal services or a law firm merger. So you can just imagine how swamped they are. "The only way we've had to adapt is by stepping up the pace," says Gordon Kuski, chairman of McDougall Gauley LLP, which has offices in Saskatoon and Regina. "We certainly have had significant demands put on our ability to handle what's been demanded of us." National firms have certainly shown an interest in breaking into the Saskatchewan market, punctuated by Miller Thomson LLP's December 2010 merger with the 24-lawyer firm Balfour Moss LLP, a firm founded in 1895. Kuski says his firm has resisted overtures — both formal and informal — to link up with other large national firms. "We have very good connections with a lot of the major firms, including the national firms in the major centres," remarks Kuski. "Whether or not becoming a member of one national firm would be attractive remains to be seen." Glen Peters, managing partner of Fillmore Riley LLP in Winnipeg, notes that Manitoba has been inundated in recent years with mega- projects, such as a new international airport, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and a new football stadium. It's been up to lawyers at firms like Fillmore Riley to move those initiatives forward. "In our market there's always been a strong small business base, but the main difference in the last few years is the mega-projects," says Peters. How we did it Canadian Lawyer asked lawyers, in-house counsel, and clients from across Canada to vote on Saskatchewan and Manitoba's top full-service, regional firms. They were asked to rank their top 10 firms from a preliminary list, with a chance to nominate a firm that was not included on the list. Respondents' rankings were based on firms' regional service coverage, client base, notable mandates, service excellence, and legal expertise. To be con- sidered in the vote, firms were required to have offices primar- ily in the provinces of Saskatchewan or Manitoba, and offer a wide range of legal services. The final rankings were determined through a points system, in which firms were rewarded on a slid- ing scale for the number of first- to 10th-place votes received. w w w . CANADIAN Lawyermag.com OCTO BER 2011 35 "Many individuals have been in great demand in the last period of time." Of course, there will be those who say the booms Saskatchewan and Manitoba are experiencing are sure to turn to bust at some point. Lawyers on the ground level of the upswing would disagree. "We truly do think that the worm has turned — this is a long-term reality," says Don Wilson, Regina managing partner for MacPherson Leslie & Tyerman LLP. "There is a great opportunity for law firms that focus on the Prairies and Western Canada, and the type of legal services that are required there." Read on to see the firms that are likely to remain front and centre as the region continues to develop.