Canadian Lawyer

referral work resulting from conflicts. Another strength of the Access group is in the teaming that occurs — the financial pressure of driving a group forward is shared equally and not on the shoulders of one managing partner. "No one is the boss and everyone is the boss," he says. That same teaming approach is directed towards clients. "One of the significant things we do is client empowerment — we try not to be the ones taking control of the file. We don't say come back in a few weeks, hand them a bill for $50,000, and say here is the answer," says Dougan. "We engage them in the problem and then try to find a creative solution, with the client helping as much as they want." This might include doing work such as sourcing documents the firm might need. By involving the client, Dougan says, there is also the benefit of the client realizing how a mediated solution can often be a better and faster outcome. ICBC injury lawyer Wes Mussio of Mussio Law Group uses the term "group" for a distinct reason. Responding by e-mail, from outside B.C., he wrote: "My firm chose the name to give clients be pre-empted by allowing the RCMP to strike parts of the claim," said Klein Lyons' Jason Murray. "The gist of the class action is that women in the RCMP were subject to gender-based discrimination, gender bullying, and genderbased harassment and that the RCMP failed to fulfill its duty to the women in the force to provide a work environment that was free of gender-based harassment, bullying, and discrimination." The firms have now heard from 282 women across Canada that worked for or are still working for the RCMP. Approximately 100 are currently employed with the force. Murray says this is the first known class action suit of its kind against the RCMP, although individual women have brought suit against the RCMP. "Some have been settled, some went to trial, and others are currently being litigated," he says, adding the RCMP and the two levels of government have not been open to mediating the class action claim to date. Gropper, who didn't rule on the validity of any of the arguments, set out a schedule for both sides to file arguments for a five-day class action hearing to be held in April or May 2014. — JS Case & Matter Management the impression this is a firm and not a one-man show. The word 'group' infers an organized legal team. I am the sole partner of the law firm but there are three other lawyers working there plus three paralegals and four legal assistants. That make us a group." — Jean Sorensen jean_sorensen@telus.net Trust Accounting Fulfill trust account requirements easily. Calendaring & Contact Management Time & Expense Entry Mobility PCLaw | Be more productive. ® From billing and accounting to trust and program that has always met finances organized and in control with PCLaw — a comprehensive collection of powerful yet easy-to-use tools in one single source. Learn more at www.pclaw.ca/productive the needs of our Partners as our firm has grown. I would highly recommend this program to any firm both small and large." Clayton Straughan, Mackesy Smye LLP LexisNexis and the Knowledge Burst logo are registered trademarks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used under licence. PCLaw is a registered trademark of LexisNexis Practice Management Systems Inc. © 2013 LexisNexis Canada Inc. All rights reserved. www.CANADIAN ntitled-3 1 "PCLaw is a capable and reliable matter management, keep your law firm's L a w ye r m a g . c o m august 2013 13 13-05-13 11:41 AM

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