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44 N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 4 w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m and it's often about an identification of a problem in a particular geography and that this person is the right person to go to. The firm is also important — then we know they have presence in the indus- try or region and that they have bench strength, or we have a relationship with them in another city." With RBC's RFP approach for any spend over $75,000, it changes the dynam- ic. "So if we're spending $75,000 I'm not in a position to say this lawyer is the lawyer I'd like to handle the case — I have to have at least three and in some jurisdictions it can be tough to come up with three where you can say all three are good," he says. diVeRSiTY It seems many in-house counsel are still lagging behind their peers in larger orga- nizations when it comes to attitudes about whether inclusion of women and minori- ties should be a determining factor in the legal teams they deal with. According to the survey results, 77 per cent of corporate counsel said they are not asking law firms they do business with to provide a diverse roster of lawyers as part of an overall diversity strategy; 15 per cent said they are asking, and seven per cent said they are thinking about it. "Yes, there's no question that, as an industry, we are just embarking on this important journey towards diversity," says Simon Fish, general counsel and executive diversity champion of BMO Financial Group. "But I'm very confident What type of billing arrangement do you have with your primary law firm/external service provider? If you use alternative fee arrangements what percentage of the work you send out falls under an AFA? 0 - 25 per cent 62.34% 0 - 25 per cent 62.34% 50 - 75 per cent 7.79% 50 - 75 per cent 7.79% 75 per cent + 7.79% 25 - 50 per cent 22.08% 25 - 50 per cent 22.08% combination of billable hours plus flat fees 30.53% billable hours 47.35% Alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) 7.08% other 6.19% rFP process on large projects 4.42% Flat fees 4.42% Powered by Poor due diligence can cost you, your firm and your client. Join firms from across the country that have been calling on our expert, professional researchers for their due diligence searches for nearly 20 years. It's what we do. Every day. Contact us today for your latest due diligence search. infoaction.ca infoaction@vpl.ca 604.331.3612 Toll-free: 1.844.255.3612 Get it wrong and you won't just look silly. Expert research. Delivered. Doo diligence Untitled-8 1 14-06-17 2:33 PM 75 per cent + 7.79%

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