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Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/1110625
w w w . c a n a d i a n l a w y e r m a g . c o m M A Y 2 0 1 9 33 T O P 1 0 P E R S O N A L I N J U R Y B O U T I Q U E S W hile all 90 firms included on Canadian Lawyer's 2019 Top Personal Injury Boutiques survey have a track record of winning cases for their clients, achieving a top spot takes more than that. Whether it is advancing the law to better secure results for injured people in the future or providing holistic advocacy where client relationships last past the conclusion of the file, the winners who spoke with Canadian Lawyer talked about goals that go beyond successful judgments and financial compensation. "Well, everybody comes to see us after they've had one of the worst days of their lives," says James Cuming, a partner at Cuming & Gillespie, a winning firm from Calgary. "Our focus is on recovery for the client, whether that be hiring a private occupational therapist to help them out or finding the prop- er treating physicians and specialists for them, as opposed to just trying to maximize their claim. We want them to get better," he says. Cuming has been with Cuming & Gillespie since 1995. The six-lawyer boutique firm deals with serious injury, medical negligence, class actions and other tort claims for plaintiffs. Cuming says the firm's business model involves taking on more serious injuries and having fewer clients, as well as building a reputation through word of mouth rather than marketing. "We've created a brand that's been very successful for us on the basis of doing a good job and creating a good referral network, as opposed to just advertising on every bus stop and bus and billboard," he says. A serious injury will take years to fully recover from and often irreversibly alters a person's life. Many in the personal injury bar have implemented into their operations an active involvement in the lives and recovery of their clients. Brenda Agnew was a client at Gluckstein Personal Injury Lawyers PC after her son suffered a brain injury at birth resulting in severe cerebral palsy and hearing loss. The firm then hired her as a client liaison to work with families who've experienced birth trauma. MORE THAN A PAYOUT Lawyers at the helm of the top personal injury boutiques take a holistic approach to advocating for injured clients By Aidan Macnab