Canadian Lawyer

business objectives of the firm and law- yers are on the same page and track, and that expectations are clear and mea- sured with set compensation incentives in some cases. In addition to an annual perfor- mance review, where lawyers meet with practice leaders to discuss their objec- tives and business plan, McCarthys is currently in the process of adding a mid-year round of discussions and review, another vehicle to create a cul- ture of "trust and accountability and open and frank dialogue." As for client transitioning and law- yers using client relationships as bar- gaining chips to stay on longer, Bonifer- ro says large mainstay clients have been insisting that the firm work together with them on teams including lawyers of different levels that "mirror their organizations in terms of having peer- to-peer relationships at all levels, so the transition because of retirement of an aging partner is really about the success of the team during the career." That being said, "There are unique circumstances where there is a skill set and or a client relationship that is critical to the strategic plan of the firm where we extend people's relationship with us." Daniel Gallivan, the Halifax-based chief operating officer of Cox & Palmer LLP, says the firm also has "clear expec- tations" for its older lawyers transition- ing clients "and that has worked well for us." The law firm gives lawyers greater latitude than many, with a mandatory retirement at 70, and the possibility of staying on after that as counsel for five years, a situation that means fewer lawyers from the firm are looking for other legal and financial options in their later years. Retirement policy or not, older lawyers who have forged new careers say the move away from the pressure cooker of a big firm often leads to revi- talization and release. "At the end of the day it was an opportunity for me to put my hand on the tiller and say, 'hey, I can actually go and craft something that is more in line with my style, my values, and culture,' and where we can release the pressure valve of rates a bit for interesting clients who just couldn't take the rates of a big firm," says Jim Titerle, who founded Miller Titerle LLP in Vancouver two years ago after more than 30 years heading up the national environment and climate change group at McCarthys. Now 60, he had seven years left before mandatory retirement at a "fab- ulous firm, great people, great work, great support," but he had wondered about striking out on his own and "if I did not do it now, when? For most of us, it is a very big step to walk away from what we've known for many years — the big paycheque, the organization, just fear of falling. To take the step is not easy. It is probably the same as any decision in life. The moment you take the step, you look back and say 'that was easy' and there is a whole world out there of people who need legal services." SPECIALIZATION IN BUSINESS LAW Classes Starting in September 2012 Part-time, Executive LLM program for corporate counsel and practising lawyers Information Sessions Tuesday, March 6th, 5:30pm to 7:00pm Friday, March 9th, 8:00am to 9:30am Monday, January 16, 2012, 5:30 - 7:00 pm Friday, January 20, 2012, 8:00 - 9:30 am U of T Faculty of Law, Faculty Lounge 78 Queen's Park, Toronto No registration required. Please feel free to drop in anytime during these hours. Taught by U of T Faculty of Law professors, together with top international faculty from INSEAD Business School, NYU School of Law, and Rotman School of Management. Tuesday, April 10th, 5:30pm to 7:00pm Thursday, April 12th, 8:00am to 9:30am For more information, call 416-978-1400 or visit: http://www.law.utoronto.ca/programs/GPLLM.html TIME: EVENT: Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) - Ontario Chapter and in partnership with Carswell, a Thomson Reuters business. GLLM_CL_Mar_12.indd 1 www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com M A RCH 2012 3112-02-13 11:09 AM

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