Canadian Lawyer

www.canadianlawyermag.com 51 approach to integrating technology by focusing on delivering high-quality legal work as lawyers embrace innovation without losing sight of their purpose. "Ultimately, while the way information is accessed and delivered may evolve, the essence of being a great lawyer remains the same," he asserts. Pallett Valo's Russo says technology, particularly AI, is becoming a major force in the legal profession. The firm invests heavily in technology to continue deliv- ering excellence and staying competitive in Ontario's legal services market. It has a dedicated tech committee to identify and implement innovations. "Technology alone isn't enough; the real key to long-term success is investing in people," he adds. To support its lawyers, the firm has a clear path-to-partnership program and values knowledge retention and mentorship, particularly as senior partners retire. Rather than losing decades of experience, the firm creates roles for retiring partners to stay involved through mentoring or working in a reduced capacity. To maintain its strong market position, Fogler, Rubinoff 's approach consistently rein- forces its key principles. Its lawyers and staff are expected to provide great service efficiently, ensuring work is completed within a client's cost bracket without sacrificing quality. "Clients are increasingly budget- conscious, and many come to the firm after leaving other firms where costs spiralled out of control, or they didn't feel they were getting real value," Roblin says. "Overstaffing and lack of direct communication are common complaints, and our firm differenti- ates itself by focusing on practical solutions, accessibility, and value-driven service." After 20 years at its current Queen Street headquarters in Toronto, Blaney McMurtry is positioning itself for continued excellence with a move to its new base at Scotia Plaza in fall 2026. "There's a lot of excitement at the firm right now," Wolfson says. The decision was guided by an exten- sive workplace study, which generated a 129-page report filled with valuable insights. An impressive 94 percent of staff participated in the survey and interviews, providing direct input into the firm's future workspace design. Blaney McMurtry is incorporating staff feedback to create a space that aligns with how they work best. For Wolfson, the move will bring the firm back into the heart of the action and position it for the future. As Loopstra Nixon continues to expand, its leadership team analyzes real-time data on the health of its practice and the quality of its growth, instilling confidence to take more calculated risks and growth-oriented decisions based on immediate feedback. "Our leadership team looks at reports daily and weekly, measuring client retention and lawyer productivity," Ritchie says. "We also maintain strong dialogue throughout the organization and regularly check in with our clients." On the technology front, the firm has emerged as a skilled adopter. But Ritchie stresses that it doesn't need or want to be a technological innovator. "It's not our core business. Right now, we're experimenting with AI to see how we can adopt it as it becomes more relevant and practical," he says. All of the firm's systems are virtual and cloud-based, and the team uses collabora- tion technologies such as chat and shared documents, which weren't in place five years ago. "Many law firms make the mistake of thinking they must innovate and create new technology to gain a competitive advan- tage," Ritchie says. "That has led to wasted time and energy. We focus on adopting and adapting technology wisely, not trying to be the innovators ourselves." McKenzie Lake's Villeneuve empha- sizes that one of his firm's strengths is that it's a community of professionals working toward a common goal. The firm remains committed to hiring and retaining people who align with its client-first approach and ensuring each addition is made thoughtfully. "If we decide to expand, we won't just hire five random people. Instead, we' ll guide them through our process to ensure we're doing it the right way while main- taining a strong connection with our clients," says Villeneuve. He also emphasizes the importance of ongoing engagement across Ontario. "It's one thing for us to think a certain approach will improve us, but it's another to get constant feedback from the people we're trying to help," he adds. "By staying in touch with our clients and the communities where they live and work, we can continue moving forward in the right way." "One of our strengths is the team we've built: this village and community of people. We need to make sure we keep focusing on that" Matthew Villeneuve, McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP

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