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appropriate legal protections," he says. This could involve licensing agreements or ensuring the prop- er steps have been taken to get a patent, he says, which is also true in conventional energy projects. "Renewable energy projects aren't much different from other sophisticated energy projects in that regard," Greenfield says. The advantage of having a multidisciplinary team is you have a larger number of knowledgeable and specialized people on a team, rather than one or two generalists, he says. "You're getting deeper and narrower knowledge from more lawyers," he says. The stage at which the different specialities are brought into the process ultimately depends on the needs of the client, says Stuber. "We try and identify or have peo- ple on our team who are used to deal- ing with these issues, rather than just finding any particular tax lawyer or real estate lawyer, who often . . . do a whole host of other things other than working on energy projects," he says. "It's often a matter of managing the process and keeping it in context of what the client is looking for . . . project development and financing, and I think we always keep both in mind because you have to have an appreciation of what lenders are willing to accept in terms of the risk that is left with the project," he says. As renewable energy is a growing area, says Stuber, one issue is getting lawyers in other sectors to focus and learn about the energy sector, as opposed to more general work that they might otherwise engage in. Issues for the senior lawyer in charge of a multidisciplinary team, says Greenfield, include identifying who you need and trying to synthesize and co-ordinate information and steps in the transaction and making sure you're getting the right contri- butions from the right people. The feedback from clients on "You're getting deeper and narrower knowledge from more lawyers." — DON GREENFIELD, BENNETT JONES LLP Law Specialistson Your Team! We help you help your clients. Call us. Get Our Environmental Environmental Specialists*on Your Team! Our team of environmental lawyers includes 5 Environmental Law Specialists* this approach has been very posi- tive, says Stuber, in terms of hav- ing the right people available on a timely basis, as opposed to bring- ing in the expertise more general- ly or not based on how it fits into an energy project. Clients also find it more efficient, as there is a small core team to call on more quickly. IH www.willmsshier.com * Certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada Juli Abouchar 416 862 4836 Doug Petrie 416 862 4835 John Willms 416 862 4821 Donna Shier 416 862 4822 Marc McAree 416 862 4820 ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & RESOURCES LAW C ANADIAN Lawyer INHOUSE JUNE 2008 21 Canadian Lawyer #MS07-25 – 7" x 4-7/8"