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REGIONAL WRAP-UP est in Prince Edward Island reflects both a growing economy and the rigours of being a regional firm. One of the most active on the Is- Legal business bustling on P.E.i. C anada's smallest province is pro- viding bigger opportunities to law firms. This increased inter- land last year was Cox & Palmer, which expanded its office in Montague and opened a new office in Alberton. "Being accessible to our clients is very important to Cox & Palmer, and location plays a big part in delivering quality client service," says Mary-Lynn Kane, managing partner of Cox & Palmer's P.E.I. offices. The firm, which has more than 180 lawyers in Atlantic Canada, first joined forces with the Alfred K. Fraser Law Of- fice, doubling the number of lawyers Cox & Palmer had in Montague (from one to two) and adding three staff people to the mix. Next up came another acquisition, this time of the law office of J. Allan Shaw in Alberton. ATLANTIC CANADA McInnes Cooper, which grew by 11 per cent last year with the addition of 39 law- yers in every Atlantic province but P.E.I., will increase its presence on the Island this year, says managing partner Bernie Miller. "We are currently seven lawyers in Charlottetown and intend to grow in 2008." In part, that growth is spurred by the Island economy and new and emerg- ing business sectors. For McInnes Coo- per, one of those sectors is energy, spe- cifically wind power. P.E.I. is a national leader in this area. But economic growth — and that of law firms — goes beyond any one in- dustry. There are three main areas to be serviced by larger law firms in P.E.I., says Miller. First, there is demand by regional and national clients, such as banks, retail- ers, developers, and insurance compa- nies that have a presence in the province. Small- and medium-sized businesses also require ongoing legal services — and this requirement can be significant. "For example, every farm is a substantial business operation with legal needs to be serviced," notes Miller. Finally, there is regulatory and government-related work. P.E.I., for instance, is home to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commis- sion, which, among other things, regu- lates all land-holding in the province. The good news for law firms with a presence on P.E.I. is expected to con- tinue. According to The Conference Board of Canada, the services sector will www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com FEBRU AR Y 2008 13