Canadian Lawyer

to Quebec this year for our latest regional firm survey, to find the prov- ince' R egional law firms in Quebec are hoping to prove the home field advantage is just as much a factor in legal services as it is in sports. Canadian Lawyer returns local and national rivals alike for a posi- tion on Plan Nord, the multibillion- dollar project for the development of Quebec' s full-service outfits jockeying with talks about Plan Nord, which I think is simply applying what you already do in a new conjuncture. There' lot of opportunity there," says Chantal Chatelain, managing partner of s north. "In Quebec, everybody Montreal office at Langlois Kronström Desjardins LLP. "The fact of being a regional firm I think is a great advan- tage because we're already spread out across the province, we already have the business relationships with entre- preneurs in the construction industry in the north, and we have experience in dealings with government regulations and authority. s a the and its predecessors have spent the bet- ter part of a century cultivating roots in the province, and Richard Dolan, the chairman of the firm' Top-ranked Lavery de Billy LLP " that continues to give them an edge over larger newcomers to Quebec's legal market. "Our deep understand- ing of the Quebec business market has positioned us really well. It allows us to quickly understand the opportunities and challenges that the Quebec market presents to not only our Quebec clients, but also national clients," he says. At Lapointe Rosenstein Marchand s board, says Melançon LLP, another firm with more than 50 years of history, co-managing HOW WE DID IT Canadian Lawyer asked lawyers and in-house counsel from across Canada to vote on Quebec's top full-service, regional firms. They were asked to rank their top 10 firms from a preliminary list, with a chance to nominate a firm that was not included on the list. Respondents' rankings were based on firms' regional service coverage, client base, notable mandates, service excellence, and legal expertise. To be considered in the vote, firms were required to have offices primarily in the province of Quebec and offer a wide range of legal services. The final rankings were determined through a points system, in which firms were rewarded on a sliding scale for the number of first to 10th place votes received. partner Bruno Floriani says the recent economic downturn has increased demand for regional firms like his, even from international businesses looking to expand in North America. "We got looked at a lot more seriously by some in-house counsel who were looking to retain the same quality of service, but perhaps without the infrastructure that goes along with the national firms," he says. "There is a growing realization among some of the larger international companies that there are very good lawyers in these regional firms that are as good as any of the national firms." At the other end of the scale, Services Delegatus makes its first appearance on our list in just its seventh year of business. The firm has established itself with a unique business model that offers senior law- yers flexible work arrangements and pricing options. The strategy has paid off, attracting lawyers from larger, more traditional firms and an impressive ros- ter of clients. "We allow our lawyers to self-determine the amount of time they put in in billable hours yearly, so our work environment is much health- ier. They don't take as many clients maybe, but the ones they have they are extremely well looked after, Juridiques Inc. president Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. "We've tripled our revenues in only a year and a half, because our lawyers are anything but laid back. They care about an excellent life, but they're also very proactive and entrepreneurial. " says vice headway attracting talent from nation- al firms. "What lawyers see as a big advantage is they have more flexibility. They could be a very small fish in a very big pond, or a big fish in a smaller pond. Financially speaking, there' At LKD, Chatelain has also made " that much difference between the two. In fact, sometimes they get a better cut in a firm like ours than one with a very large business structure to support," she says. "We're living proof that not only is there space for regional firms, but there' a need." s not s a vibrant space for us and Quebec's Top 10 Regional Firms. The 2010 positions are noted in paren- theses. Read on to find the full list of www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com M AY 2012 37 luc-aNtoiNe couturier

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