Canadian Lawyer

w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m A P R I L 2 0 1 7 35 You get to know the personal side. Even the junior lawyers here get a fair amount of direct client contact." Lawyers in Halifax also get challenging work, she adds. "The outside impression may be that you are not going to get the same degree of files here. We've been involved in some of the biggest deals in Canada. You get to be in charge earlier. You get responsibility for files earlier." It is likely that Halifax's "Big Three" will remain a trium- virate for some time. At present, boutiques are more popular than full-service firms, says Wagner. Indeed, as 2016 came to a close, Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP, a labour and employment law firm with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Sault Ste. Marie and Sarnia, Ont., announced it would become the first national boutique law firm to have locations from coast to coast. "Lawyers in Nova Scotia have the benefit of comparatively lower overhead and hourly rates than large centres across Canada. With the advent of technology and fewer mobility restrictions imposed by law societies, we can be at home and do great work for clients wherever they are," says Tara Erskine, who is leading operations for Mathews' Halifax office. While business may be solid, even increasing, for larger and mid-sized firms in Nova Scotia's capital city, sole practitioners and small firms often struggle. "We have a smaller client base and anecdotally lawyers tell me it is pretty rough and competi- tive," says Deveau. "I have no frame of reference for charging a client $600 an hour," he notes. "No client in my existing client pool can afford that." The employment news for young lawyers is also not rosy. As elsewhere in Canada, many law graduates are struggling to find positions and an even higher number are left without associate positions afterward, notes Ryan Blood, an associ- ate with BoyneClarke LLP. "There isn't going to be a simple answer to dealing with that issue. While many positions will open up as senior members of the bar retire, it is likely that at "Lawyers are very quick decision-makers here. They are driven by the desire to service clients. They are competitive, but they do not lose sight of what's important." Mohammad Raza, Cox & Palmer ntitled-10 1 2017-03-15 10:07 AM

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