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province's one billionth barrel of oil. Next up, the Hebron oil field. Last summer, the province signed a formal agreement with the Hebron consortium to develop this field, which is estimated to contain more than 581 million barrels of recoverable reserves. Then there is the mining sector, which includes nickel, iron ore, copper, and zinc. In 2008, mineral shipments totalled $4.7 billion, an increase of 22.2 per cent over the previous year, and employment in the sector totalled 4,000 person years. What is good for the Newfoundland economy is good for the practice of law in St. John's. "We still do many of the same things, but they seem to be bigger," says Dan Boone, regional managing partner for Newfoundland with Stewart McKelvey. "From a legal work perspective," notes Thistle, "what is different here is the extent to which the economy is driven by these [natural resources] sectors. They're just bloody huge." The development of specialized legal services is now an accepted part of the legal landscape, particu- larly for younger lawyers. The change has become a constant. "In my practice, the level of work has stayed constant since I was called, and I have not noticed any decrease in civil litigation, real estate, or family other than the normal ebbs and flows of private practice," says Cheryl Mullett, a seven-year associate with Curtis Dawe, a primarily civil litigation firm. "I have noticed, an increase in asso- ciates moving out of private practice and into the pri- vate sector or government in-house positions. For example, of the lawyers that were called to the bar with me, there are only a few of us left in "When the sea rises, everyone in the boat floats. That's definitely the case here. Everyone is doing very well." — SANDY MACDONALD, COX & PALMER With increased growth, comes a demand for more legal services, and the presence of more lawyers doing business in the oldest European settlement in North America. "We're seeing more specialization. . . . Before, most lawyers in St. John's were generalists whether they were in a large firm or a small firm," says Boone. "When I first started, there were lawyers who did criminal work, lawyers who did family work, and lawyers who did everything else. Now there is almost enough work in every area [of specialization]." private practice." This may reflect much healthier gov- ernment coffers and a need for more lawyers in the public sector. The private bar is also enjoying fatter paycheques. "Hourly rates are starting to move up," says MacDonald. It is, he notes, "a reflection of the new prosperity." Another reflection of the prosper- ous legal terrain: the presence of more lawyers doing business in the capital city. "We see a lot of lawyers from out of town," says Boone. "It shows we've arrived." With that arrival comes a more varied list of essential services. "The work you have to do requires more time acting as an intermediary between companies and the local legal regime," says Thistle. For example, companies often arrive in St. John's unfamiliar with such important issues as mechanics lien requirements. "It can shift your econo- mies pretty quickly." These new enterprises also have a need for services that at one time might not have been on the roster of services provided by most lawyers. "There is definitely growth in new specializa- tion areas such as intellectual property, resource law, and even family law," says Boone. "We are starting to see more and more people who define themselves this way." That definition defies the image of the Newfoundlander popularized across Canada. "There's great legal talent in Newfoundland by national and inter- national [standards]," says MacDonald. "The stereotype of the Newfoundlander McKellar. The first choice for structured settlements. No controversy. The McKellar Structured Settlement™ VANCOUVER 1-800-465-7878 42 JULY 2009 www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com Untitled-6 1 EDMONTON 780-420-0897 GUELPH 1-800-265-8381 HALIFAX 1-800-565-0695 USA 1-800-265-2789 www.mckellar.com 9/9/08 9:27:12 AM