Canadian Lawyer

20 www.canadianlawyermag.com FEATURE 5-STAR WORKPLACES 2021 The importance of mentoring One of the most important topics that comes up, especially with younger lawyers or recent graduates coming on board, is the level of mentoring that a firm provides. John Russo, the managing partner at Mississauga-based Pallett Valo LLP, says, "they want to under- stand where they will fit into the organization; they want to know the mentoring opportuni- ties." He adds that "I don't want them to come off as being aggressive or pushy. I just think they want to get a sense of how we're going to help them progress in their career." Russo's colleague, Anne Kennedy, partner of risk and practice management at Pallett Valo, agrees: "Young lawyers are looking for expertise and mentorship; they're looking to develop." Kennedy adds that her firm has a formal mentoring program where they pair senior counsel with a recruit. Generally, they are not in the same practice area, she says, "so if they are in litigation, say, we'll maybe team them up with someone in real estate." The idea is to develop "cross-departmental expe- rience." In addition, Kennedy says that in the pre-COVID days, there was a lawyers' dinner once a month, where they brought food in, and everyone had a more informal chance to get together and know each other. The hope is that as COVID-19 numbers drop and more people are vaccinated, there will be a steady return to such practices, Kennedy says. She adds that she did a feed- back survey on the mentor program "because I was worried that it had kind of fallen by the wayside during COVID." To her surprise and pleasure, she says, "I found out it was doing just fine." Mentors and mentees have found creative ways to get together, like going for walks outdoors or picking up a coffee together. "People made it work, despite the pandemic, and that is a good thing." The proof that Pallett Valo has the makings of a five-star firm are comments in the Canadian Lawyer survey that reflect a happy workplace culture, such as: "Very strong workplace culture. Welcoming to all lawyers with ample opportunity to engage with each other, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strong feeling of belonging and working together on common objectives and ensuring we pull together to meet client needs." Being well compensated — in more ways than salary Dale Orlando, a principal partner at McLeish Orlando LLP in Toronto, says there are no doubts that young lawyers joining a firm want to be well paid. And the small law firm, with 11 lawyers, is proud of the fact that it pays its second-and third-year lawyers "on a part with "Silence is not a good thing, as it means employees are likely disengaged." Robin Lockhorst, McLeod Law LLP WHAT WORKPLACE ATTRIBUTES ARE MOST IMPORTANT IN AN EMPLOYER MEETING THE NEEDS OF EMPLOYEES Parental leave: 3.63 Time off for volunteering: 3.54 Files distributed blind, based on availability and skill: 3.50 Sabbaticals: 3.39 Pro bono opportunities: 3.17 Strong management: 4.57 Dental coverage: 4.50 Bonus/incentive program: 4.49 Medical coverage: 4.48 Firm's reputation: 4.47 Top 5 Bottom 5 (1 least important, 5 most important)

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