The most widely read magazine for Canadian lawyers
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The second half of 2010 saw a rash of law fi rms joining forces. What does that signal for the coming year and the future of legal practice in Canada? BY ROBERT TODD I n the course of five weeks last fall, four of Canada's top 20 national law firms underwent significant facelifts by way of mergers. It began with a pair of firms joining forces to enhance the scale of their operations, continued with a firm linking up with a global powerhouse to expand its international presence, and ended with a fourth firm swallowing up a regional player to gain a foothold in one of Canada's fastest-growing provin- cial economies. It will take years to determine the value of these moves by McMillan LLP and Lang Michener LLP, Ogilvy Renault LLP, and Miller Thomson LLP respectively. What is evident in the short term is that law firms are feeling pressure to solidify their posi- tion in the market as their global counterparts descend on Canada. Ogilvy Renault's Nov. 15, 2010 deal with Norton Rose Group called the profession to attention unlike any previous law firm merger. Never before had a Canadian firm essentially folded into the operations of a global behemoth. Sure, some downplayed the significance of the deal, saying that by becoming Norton Rose OR — which officially happens June 1 — Ogilvy was simply taking advantage of a global franchising opportunity, as Norton's global offices use the Swiss Verein structure and do not share profits. Ogilvy and Norton Rose have countered that their organizational structure has worked for global accounting firms, which are as strong as ever. They say the most important thing is that their operations will otherwise be fully integrated, and work will be shared accordingly. Regardless, Ogilvy's clients will have at their service a firm with over 2,500 lawyers in 38 offices worldwide. Ogilvy will add to the group its 232 partners in six offices as well as, according to Legal Business magazine, an estimated annual turnover of about $318 million. Andrew Kent, McMillan LLP www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com FEBRUA R Y 2011 27 UTURE JOHN HYRNIUK