Canadian Lawyer

34 M A r C h 2 0 1 5 w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m longstanding ties to the city, an absence of national players, and what its members de- scribe as a collegiality, even among competi- tors for legal business. "It is a relatively small community," says James Ferguson, chairman of the executive board at Aikins MacAulay & orvaldson LLP. "If you are unreason- able, that reputation gets spread around a lot quicker." As well, the problems that law school graduates are facing in finding articles and permanent jobs in Ontario and other prov- inces, has for the most part, not been an issue in Winnipeg. e legal community is well represented at city hall, with for- mer Pitblado partner and well-known privacy lawyer Brian Bow- man, being elected mayor of Winnipeg last November. Running in his first election campaign, Bowman steadily rose in the polls and on election night, ended up with nearly twice as many votes as the runner-up, long-time NDP politician Judy Wasylycia-Leis. Hecht says Pitblado was sad to lose Bowman as a lawyer, but believes the city as a whole will benefit from his enthusiasm and passion for Winnipeg. "He really believes in access and transparency." Just two months into his term, Bowman, who is of Métis heritage, was widely praised for his response to a recent Ma- clean's cover story that suggested Winnipeg's treatment of its aboriginal people was the worst in the country. In an emo- tional news conference, flanked by a number of community leaders, Bow- man promised to "shine a light" on the city's problems and not shy away from tackling the issue. Fineblit says the legal profession, in- cluding the law society, is attempting to do its part for disadvantaged communi- ties, with ongoing initiatives to improve access to justice. One example is the Family Law Access Centre, which pro- vides assistance to individuals who may not be eligible for legal aid but still have a relatively low income. "is program is so important," says Fineblit. "It provides access to people who have serious legal issues." At the other end of the legal profession, even if business is going well, there are still challenges for the larger firms in Winnipeg. e global economy and competition for a smaller client base than in other parts of the country, means each firm is seeking to distin- guish its services. e competition may be more amiable yet carv- ing out a new niche or building on existing strengths is always at the forefront of their operations. One strategy that nearly every large firm is engaged in is to ex- pand its presence in smaller communities around the province, either through technology or affiliations with local lawyers. Nearly 90 per cent of lawyers licensed to practise in Manitoba and who Winnipeg city report It Is a relatIvely small communIty. If you are unreasonable, that reputatIon gets spread around a lot quIcker. JAMeS FerguSon, Aikins MacAulay & Thorvaldson LLP 2015 HillSokalski_CL_Mar_15.indd 1 2015-02-10 2:12 PM

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