Canadian Lawyer

20 M A Y 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 s soon as the weather becomes accommodating, Patrick Brown rides his bike 30 kilometres to his downtown Toronto office, part of it often in the company of two or three colleagues. When they arrive at McLeish Orlando LLP at Queen and Yonge, they park their bikes in a secure facility within their firm's build- ing — facilities that are available to all the firm's employees, who also receive a bike club membership. "We also have an infor- mal policy that you don't have to have office clothes when you come in," says Brown, a personal injury lawyer. Active events, such as baseball and volleyball tournaments, often provide the backdrop of firm-wide gatherings as part of an overall approach identifying that health and wellness are key to overall productiv- ity and outlook. To encourage ongoing fitness, the firm often issues challenges, dividing the 65 people in the firm into three teams. Points are awarded to each indi- vidual every time they participate in 45 minutes of activity (10 points to Gryffin- dor!). The team accumulating the most points and goes the longest is declared the winner. In addition, the lawyers are given gym memberships. "We honestly have the sincere belief that it should be promoted," says Brown, adding the informal approach has worked well and even earned the firm Toronto's small business bike friendly award. As the importance of health and well- ness increases in the legal profession — with many lawyers openly speaking out about mental health issues — there has been a concerted effort on prevention programming in recent years, as part of the firm's culture, an extension of a benefits package, through a designated program, and even within the profes- sion itself. McInnes Cooper, which has more than 200 lawyers in seven offices in the Atlantic provinces, launched a new initiative for its lawyers and staff last year. It partnered with I Promise Perfor- mance Inc. to launch Wellness Matters, a program designed to give lawyers and staff access to wellness solutions at work and at home. The initiative is based on the premise that when people feel well, they are more engaged, improving per- formance and productivity. "The program takes a holistic approach to health and wellness through challenges and missions, online resourc- es, and lunch-and-learn sessions on a variety of topics, including mental health, physical fitness, and nutrition," says Andrea Nauf, the firm's managing director of professional resources. "As a community of people, we want to focus By Marg. Bruineman JEREMY BRUNEEL An apple a day... Both mental and physical health-and-wellness programs are becoming more widespread in the profession. A L AW O F F I C E M A N A G E M E N T

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