Canadian Lawyer

22 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8 w w w . c a n a d i a n l a w y e r m a g . c o m part of the culture of resistance in law firms to adopt the busi- ness model that sees a CEO at the top of the organization. At some point, the firm goes beyond simply being a bunch of lawyers working in close quarters, referring work back and forth and eating what they kill, but rather a business that requires a degree of business administration and manage- ment, he says. Furlong sees the traditional mode of installing a lawyer as a managing partner for a term and then expecting them to return to their practice as flawed. By way of example, he points to the corporate world where CEOs, department chairs and division heads are not interim positions. There instead needs to be an understanding that law firms are complex businesses that are difficult to manage and lead and that the challenges need to be addressed by a team of dedicated professionals leading it. But having a lawyer in the top role lends legitimacy and credibility, which can increase their ability to get the buy-in required from the lawyers, says Loretta Bouwmeester, man- aging partner of the Calgary office for Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP, who also serves as chairwoman of the CBA's Alber- ta Law Firm Management & Leadership (South). "Because managing lawyers could be like herding cats, with Type A personalities, I think that the benefit of having a lawyer in a management role that is still able to bill some of their time is the legitimacy and credibility that comes with that for the team they lead," she says. Bouwmeester started her firm's Calgary office and continues to manage it as the managing partner while carrying her man- agement-side workplace law practice, which is the firm's sole focus. But there is no term attached to her role and she expects to soon have an office manager take over many of the day-to- day tasks of the office that includes six lawyers and four staff. Through the CBA leadership group, Bouwmeester has explored many of the approaches around financial issues, man- aging privacy and team support. And in the Calgary market, which experienced a dramatic downturn in 2014, there was emphasis on being nimble and it emphasized the importance of limiting the number of non-billing professionals not deemed essential. Achieving the proper balance is important in ensur- ing the firm can remain forward looking while also responding quickly to changes, she adds. "You do no one any favours if you have too many people or too few people. Too busy is just as toxic as not busy enough," says Bouwmeester. "Being able to identify the right size for your team is a talent." Back in Halifax, Bugden says she can continue her rela- tionship with many of her corporate clients in her full-time role as CEO. That allows her to keep the door open to picking up her corporate law practice again once her management term comes to an end. "I think corporate law does allow a little more of a transition . . . because of the relationships ser- vicing many people over many years." L A W O F F I C E M A N A G E M E N T Containing contact information for more than 66,000 judges and legal professionals, more than 27,500 law offices, government departments, and law related offices, canadianlawlist.com attracts more than 325,000 page views a month and 110,000 unique visitors! Book your enhanced listing today! Contact Colleen Austin at 416.649.9327 or colleen.austin@tr.com www.canadianlawlist.com Enhance your presence on Canada's largest legal directory AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN PRINT Untitled-13 1 2018-08-15 2:33 PM

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