Canadian Lawyer InHouse

SEPTEMBER 2015 18 INHOUSE SEPTEMBER 2015 18 INHOUSE tries to fi nd effi ciencies for its customers while providing quality legal guidance. "At EDC, we have a full-service legal depart- ment. We provide transactional services as well as advisory services," says Josée Gravel, vice president and general counsel with EDC. "We have a mission, which is to enable business while at the same time wearing a guardianship hat." Achieving that goal demands innovation and con- tinuous improvement, she says. In 2014, EDC legal's major initiative was to implement effi ciencies for "ease of doing business." The department implemented its "Effi ciency Initia- tive" for corporate clients requiring a variety of fi nanc- ing and insurance instruments, by creating tracking tools, an on-line international legal information hub, and loan documentation templates with a negotiation guide. The initiative increased productivity and reduced outside legal fees for its customers. The Innovatio judging panel was particularly impressed with how the EDC legal team created sustainable tools that interact with end customers, demonstrating effectiveness when a Crown corporation "thinks and acts like a business" to facilitate deal making. This initiative included the following tools: RELATIONSHIP LAWYERS AND TRACKING TOOLS The team encourages "quick questions" from its clients, wher- ever they are around the world. Each of its client groups, re- gional offi ces, and foreign representatives has an assigned re- lationship lawyer who can be contacted directly for guidance. If a matter requires substantive work, the client submits an electronic work request for same-day allocation based on capac- ity/expertise, and each closed request generates a quick survey to measure our service delivery. ONLINE LEGAL MARKET INFORMATION HUB The team reviewed its foreign counsel opinions and added legal market information to EDC's Market Info Hub on- line. It provides instant access to legal/regulatory informa- tion in a user-friendly format for lending and insurance transactions, and a user can fi nd out if a country is subject to sanctions laws, whether EDC can lend or provide in- surance products in that jurisdiction, and whether there are withholding taxes, etc. "The feedback from the business team has been tremendous in terms of being able to give timely information to the cus- tomer," says Miguel Simard, assistant general counsel. NEW AND IMPROVED PRODUCTS Various products including Trade Protect, a credit insurance option available exclusively online, supported by its e-Law practice group and insurance practice group. E xport Development Canada's legal department is a hive of collaboration, with lawyers working closely together in teams in an open concept space that encourages exchange of ideas and innovation. EDC provides fi nancing and insurance prod- ucts in support of Canadian exports and Cana- dian investments abroad. The EDC Legal Services Group that sup- ports EDC is a group of lawyers, clerks, and administrators, directly engaged in transac- tions involving parties all over the world as well as compliance matters. The transactions the team works on include cross-border loans (secured and unsecured), accounts receiv- able insurance, structured project fi nancing transactions, political risk insurance poli- cies, and more. The EDC legal practice involves corpo- rate law, fi nance, insurance and bonding, securities law, Crown law, and legal com- pliance. Given the variety of work and high volume of transactions, EDC legal COLIN ROWE Innovating for the client 1st row (L TO R): Scott Rothwell, senior legal counsel Christa Lemon, ATIP manager Nancy Lafl eur, senior legal counsel & assistant secretary Christine Barnett, legal administrator Hélène Belzile, assistant secretary & senior legal counsel Cara McNulty, senior legal counsel 2nd row (L TO R): Anthony Abraham, assistant general counsel Ben Bisson, law clerk Barbara Symianick, legal counsel 3rd row (L TO R): Leila Shahparaki, senior legal counsel Josée Gravel, Vice President, general counsel Joanne Paquette, principal legal counsel 4th row (L TO R): Erick Desrosiers, legal counsel Caroline Melia, senior legal counsel Sandra Marsat, legal counsel Top row: Miguel Simard, assistant general counsel CATEGORY: Law Department Management DEPARTMENT SIZE: Large COMPANY: Export Development Canada

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