Life skills and career tips for Canada's lawyers in training
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50901
THE Practising oil & gas law ROSALIE MCGRATH, Ottenheimer Baker, St. John's, N.L. + PROS: - • Th e number of lawyers practising in Canadian off shore oil and gas law is relatively small and this presents a great opportunity for lawyers to meet and interact with colleagues practising in this area. • In Newfoundland and Labrador, oil and gas has become an extremely important part of our economy. It is exciting and rewarding to play a role in the development of this im- portant resource. • Given the importance of oil and gas to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, great legal resources have been developed by industry participants, government, and the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Off shore Petro- leum Board that are readily accessible to participants. CONS: • Since the number of lawyers practising in the area of off - shore oil and gas law in Canada is relatively small, it can prove diffi cult to fi nd lawyers who are in a position to act for a client when your own fi rm is in a confl ict of interest. • Most large off shore exploration and production compa- nies operate on a global basis and, given this geographic challenge, it can be challenging to co-ordinate negotiations with all parties. Travel and time away from family is fre- quently required. • In Newfoundland and Labrador, off shore oil exploration, development, and production are primarily governed by the Canada-Newfoundland Atlantic Accord and the legis- lation that implemented the accord. Th e unique nature of this body of law poses challenges when looking for com- parisons of law in other jurisdictions. Practising in London, Ont. GLENN JONES, Miller Thomson LLP + PROS: • Th e smaller size of the law fi rms in London mean there are fewer junior lawyers in each fi rm, and accordingly greater involvement for students or young lawyers in the carriage of fi les than there would be, for example, in Toronto. • As a result, students and junior lawyers fi nd themselves in court much earlier in their careers, and much more fre- quently, and the smaller size of the offi ces provides greater access to senior lawyers and therefore a unique learning experience. • From a quality of work standpoint, London is not only the 10th largest city in Canada, but also a major educational, health, insurance, and manufacturing centre, and the re- gional fi nancial hub for southwestern Ontario, and accord- ingly the variety and complexity of the legal work is at least equal to that of other major centres. • From a quality of life standpoint, I can point out the ob- vious, and that is that the cost of living is much more rea- sonable, there is an admirable educa- tional, cultural, and sports milieu, a much shorter commute to the offi ce, and overall a much better work-life balance. - CONS: • From my standpoint, the major disadvantage to practising law in London is that, as you become more senior in the practice, the most complex fi les, particularly those involv- ing the public markets, tend to be focused in Toronto. • Th e level of compensation at all levels of practice is sub- stantially less than Toronto, which is accompanied by the proportionately lower cost of living. • Th e opportunities for continuing education tend to be far more varied in Toronto. C ANADIAN Lawyer 4STUDENTS SPRING 2011 31 PROS CONS &