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 J U N E 2 0 1 7 33 HOURLY RATES 1 to 4 lawyers $205 5 to 25 lawyers $196 26 to 50 lawyers $191 51 to 100 lawyers $188 More than 100 lawyers $266 FIRM SIZE National $206 Atlantic/Quebec $184 Ontario $219 Western $204 AVERAGE OF 1 YEAR OR LESS (CALL TO THE BAR IN 2016) the transaction — but the lawyers only got paid if the deal closed. "It was always a feast or famine type of approach," Hus- sein says. "We're changing that now — either you want to do the X number of dollars per investor or we'll do an hourly rate, usually myself and juniors, and the combined hourly rate is Y dollars and if it doesn't close we still expect Y dollars for the time that we're doing." Hussein says the firm has expanded on that to allow more of a conversation and then a choice. "It's about being creative in certain circumstances and finding a solution that works for all the parties." For the majority — 63 per cent — alternative staffing strategies such as part-time or contract lawyers, outsourcing non-lawyer functions or creating a low-cost service centre for back-office functions are not something they are cur- rently pursuing. Most firms haven't changed pricing strategies from last year, with 71 per cent reporting no change. However, 15 per cent say a change is under consideration. For Hussein, there are no plans to change fees, at least not in the corporate commercial department where he practises. He says, as part of the Corporate Clerks Commit- tee, there's a consensus that the fees charged are all "fairly market rate," at least for things such as incorporations, amalgamations or articles of amendment. "They haven't been raised in a very long time, but we believe they're good where they are right now," he says. In the fall, Pitblado "engaged in a rate analysis to better align with mid-Canada market rates" for 2017. "There were some senior lawyers who kept their rates steady, as they were already priced competitively, but, oth- erwise, I would say the majority of our lawyers would have seen rates increase by an average of five to 10 per cent," he says. This was reflected in the survey results, which showed modest bumps in hourly rates tied to years of call. One respondent summed it up best when they wrote that "into 2017, the dynamic legal fees landscape continues to change. We are constantly being driven to rethink our value proposition to our clients — an exercise that ulti- mately benefits both parties." Keep reading to discover the going rate for your area of practice and to find out how your fees match up with the competition. "It's about being creative in certain circumstances and finding a solution that works for all the parties." Hussein Hamdani, Simpson Wigle Law LLP PRACTICE AREA Business Law $222 Civil Litigation $199 Criminal Law $121 Family Law $197 Immigration Law $217 Intellectual Property Law $187 Labour & Employment Law $200 Real Estate Law $202 Wills & Estates Law $209 1 to 4 lawyers $284 5 to 25 lawyers $247 26 to 50 lawyers $243 51 to 100 lawyers $247 More than 100 lawyers $310 FIRM SIZE National $267 Atlantic/Quebec $216 Ontario $249 Western $290 AVERAGE OF 2 TO 5 YEARS PRACTICE AREA Business Law $267 Civil Litigation $241 Criminal Law $308 Family Law $248 Immigration Law $278 Intellectual Property Law $235 Labour & Employment Law $242 Real Estate Law $250 Wills & Estates Law $257 AVERAGE OF 6 TO 10 YEARS 1 to 4 lawyers $306 5 to 25 lawyers $319 26 to 50 lawyers $318 51 to 100 lawyers $302 More than 100 lawyers $327 FIRM SIZE National $314 Atlantic/Quebec $236 Ontario $337 Western $322 PRACTICE AREA Business Law $322 Civil Litigation $315 Criminal Law $900 Family Law $304 Immigration Law $390 Intellectual Property Law $319 Labour & Employment Law $287 Real Estate Law $311 Wills & Estates Law $328

• Cover