Canadian Lawyer InHouse

JANUARY 2016 34 INHOUSE Nowadays, more legal services are being purchased through RFPs. "Many large businesses are using that approach for some of their legal purchasing," says Headon. "It's a tool the law fi rms have been accustomed to as well, but maybe it's one we could refi ne." An RFP can be too vague, with "assump- tions and qualifi ers that work against the kind of effi ciency or clarity that we're look- ing for," he says. "On the other hand, we see some arrangements where the client is be- coming very prescriptive in how the work is being done." That's where people who are accustomed to purchasing could help in-house lawyers fi nd a better balance, to articulate what they need, Headon notes, adding that an RFP for legal services needs to account for the specifi city of law. The next step, says Headon, could be in- volving people who have the skills to nego- tiate these types of deals. "When we speak about this work, in the not-too-distant fu- ture, the RFP may be signed by someone not with the title of general counsel but by someone in procurement," he says. "They're a group I've spoken to and I incorporate things they recommend," he says of his company's procurement department. "This is something you'll see more of here and more of in the market generally, if only because of the amount and cost of the service." However, not all law fi rms are keen on this approach. "One of the things we fi nd annoying from our perspective or diffi cult to respond to is RFPs that seem to have been put out by the procurement department rather than the legal department, and they treat it the same way as if they're putting out an RFP for light bulbs or janitorial services," says Paul Harricks, a partner in Gowling Lafl eur Henderson LLP's Toronto offi ce and leader of the energy, infrastructure and mining industry group. Though legal services have been com- moditized to some extent, there's still a big difference between legal services and light bulbs. It's important the client has scruti- nized the RFP, he says, and that it makes sense in the context of legal services. L a w D e p a r t m e n t M a n a g e m e n t My sense is that sometimes companies issue RFPs without knowing what their evaluation criteria are going to be beforehand. PAUL HARRICKS, Gowling Lafl eur Henderson LLP Get the only resource focused on Canadian citizenship and immigration inadmissibility law for corporate and immigration lawyers and paralegals representing different status holders under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Written by Mario D. Bellissimo, a renowned Canadian citizenship and immigration lawyer, this new publication provides the comprehensive and detailed analyses on the distinct consequences of inadmissibility for different status holders under the IRPA, and the practical guidance on how to effectively manage such cases, in an easy to read format. Topics discussed in this valuable new resource include: • The complex regime of removal orders under the IRPA • Medical inadmissibility • Misrepresentations, including in the new Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) compliance regime • The distinct treatment and consequences of inadmissibility for citizens, permanent residents, and foreign nationals • Collateral consequences of criminal convictions New Publication A Practical Guide to Canadian Citizenship and Inadmissibility Law – Corporate Edition Mario D. Bellissimo, LL.B., C.S. Foreword by Isabelle Dongier Practical tips and strategies for effectively managing immigration inadmissibility and work permit cases Available risk-free for 30 days Order online: www.carswell.com Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800 Order # 986665-65203 $129 Softcover approx. 340 pages May 2015 978-0-7798-6665-6 00229RB-A49375

• Cover