Canadian Lawyer

20 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m t began as one lawyer helping another, developed into a relationship and then a partnership with an eye to the younger lawyer acquiring the firm upon the retirement of the senior lawyer. But Shelagh Mathers' succession plan wasn't entirely accidental. "I had been aware of my getting older," Mathers begins with a chuckle. The sole practitioner began to keep an eye out for an associate to bring into her sole practice in Prince Edward County, a small community along Lake Ontario that has been making a name for itself for its vineyards and lifestyle. Law societies have been emphasizing the need for lawyers, in firms large and small, to have succession plans in place. The absence of a plan leaves the burden upon the law society to pick up the pieces if something happens to the lawyer, often an avoidable one, which can end up costing the estate of the law- yer a lot of money. It also leaves the clients, particularly those with open files, in the lurch. Mathers didn't have a lot of success recruiting and retaining a future successor. But that all changed when she received a call, "truly by happenstance." Alexandra Mayeski was looking to get out of the Bay Street rat race and asked Mathers if there was any office space in Picton she could rent. Indeed there was, right in the same building as Mathers. A professional relationship naturally evolved. It deepened as they realized their compatibility. After an initial "gestation period," the two agreed to a partnership and Mayeski Mathers LLP was born. "It was one of those incredibly lucky things. And there was no bones about it, I wasn't in it for the long haul," Mathers explains. "I had all the small-town Prince Edward County backbone that I was willing to share." Mathers wasn't interested in selling. What she was interested in doing was transitioning her clients and staff to another like- minded lawyer whom they would appreciate. In the end, she sees the relationship and her own gradual transition toward retire- ment as beneficial to everyone. The legal business has evolved, too, in "The County." Where once there were only a couple of sole practitioners, there are now three firms with four-plus lawyers, although the others have offices in nearby Belleville as well. "At the time, Shelagh had over 25 years of goodwill in the community that I just didn't have. She was look- ing for a succession plan and she and I worked so well together, just being in the same building, cross-referring files to one another, that we decided to join forces in 2014," says Mayeski. Mayeski, a litigator, expanded her practice areas, but she also saw an uptake in her litigation practice and realized that she might not be able to add on Mathers' workload. So, in 2015, L AW O F F I C E M A N A G E M E N T FAYE ROGERS I By Marg. Bruineman Succession planning The absence of a plan can hurt clients and create chaos for those left behind

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