Life skills and career tips for Canada's lawyers in training
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50903
+ Practising bankruptcy and insolvency SAM RAPPOS, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Toronto PROS: • I have a practice incorporating both corporate law and liti- gation, as insolvency matters typically involve both areas. Additionally, as time is oſt en of the essence in insolvency matters, the practice area provides the opportunity to fo- cus on the portion of each area that I enjoy the most, with- out having to focus on the less enjoyable and tedious fac- ets. I have always described the practice area as corporate law without due diligence reviews, and litigation/oral and written advocacy without endless document discovery. • We oſt en represent clients who may have diverse inter- ests and goals on any one insolvency matter. We may act for a debtor company attempting to restructure its aff airs while holding off its creditors on one fi le, work- ing for an accounting fi rm that is appointed by the court to act in the best interests of all creditors on a second fi le, and working for a secured creditor trying to recover as much as possible on the loans it made on a third fi le. As each fi le provides an opportunity to act for diff erent parties and look at matters from diff erent perspectives, the practice area is rarely monotonous. • Th e practice of insolvency and restructuring law is a com- plex and specialized area that is constantly changing, and there is a relatively small and collegial bar and judiciary + Practising in Vancouver that practise in this area. As a result, the practice is intellectu- ally stimulating and challenging, and there is an opportunity to frequently work with the same colleagues and judges on a number of matters. - CONS: • It is an intense practice area, as matters oſt en move at breakneck speed. It has been analogized to working in an emergency room setting. As a result, there may be unpredictable hours and little notice of new matters that may fall on your desk. • Th ere is a fair amount of continuing legal education, busi- ness development, writing, and networking required to have a successful practice. As a result, it may not be the optimal area for individuals who do not enjoy such activities. • Depending on the size of the fi rm and the insolvency and restructuring group that one practises in, it may be nec- essary, in positive economic periods where insolvency matters are few in number, to supplement an insolvency and restructuring law practice with other practice areas. CHRISTIAN PETERSEN, Bull Housser & Tupper LLP PROS: • Vancouver is big enough to give you access to complex mat- ters, complex issues, but it still has a west coast feel to it. • Th ere is still a relative informality amongst the downtown bar, a sense of collegiality that I'm not sure would exist in some of the more major centres in North America. • Th e outdoors, the weather, which everybody focuses on is certainly a draw for many, to be honest it is not as big a thing for me. Th ere is a focus from downtown fi rms to get people outside as well, there is a focus on sports teams, in- tramural between fi rms. Client activities will usually focus on getting near the water, up to Whistler, down to Semi- amu Bay, or getting to the golf course and that is some- thing that can be done year-round. • From a litigator's perspective, some of the most interesting cases in the country seem to come out of B.C. Our court of appeal is an interesting and active one. We are pleased with our representation in Ottawa, Chief Justice Beverley McLaughlin is a former lawyer from our fi rm. Th ere is a recognition if you are into litigation there is interesting liti- gation to be had in B.C., beyond just commercial litigation. - CONS: • We don't have an exchange here, so if you are looking for a cutting-edge securities prac- tice, Vancouver is not the place. We are also absent a strong manufacturing base, which does change the nature of many practices. B.C. tends to be more of a resource-based legal practice. • Although our pay is very competitive, the cost of living in Vancouver is probably the highest in the country, certainly the cost of housing. So you are looking at salaries that are probably, at least in the fi rst few years, 20-per-cent less than Toronto and you are dealing with some living costs that are probably 20-per-cent greater. You do pay a price not to shovel snow. • A personal beef of mine is Vancouver, with the excep- tion of the Pacifi c Rim, is relatively isolated from other parts of the world. So if you want to get to the Eastern seaboard, if you want to get to Europe, you've got a long fl ight ahead of you. C ANADIAN Lawyer 4STUDENTS SEPTEMBER 2009 33