Canadian Lawyer - sample

w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 21 t was an overall lifestyle choice that prompted Bruce McMeekin to leave the Bay Street law firm where he had been practising for 25 years and con- vert space in his Port Hope, Ont. home into an office. But he burned no bridges on the journey to independ- ence. He's still connected to the firm and is on the radar for other law firms that may call upon him for his expertise when there's a conflict or when their cli- ents are concerned about costs. The approach has allowed him to get the work-life balance he wanted while concentrating on niche areas of law. And on the flip side, for the firms as well as businesses seeking his services, they get access to someone with vast experience in anti-money laundering and other areas of strict regulation, often at a very attractive price, since he doesn't have the huge overhead of a downtown firm. "There's nothing better than work- ing for yourself and meeting your own expectations. I worked with a lot of great people at Miller Thomson and I still have a lot of friends there, but for me it's been a good move because it gave me as a person nearing 60 the freedom and flexibility I wanted," he says. According to a 2016 Robert Half Legal survey of 350 lawyers at large law firms in Canada and the United States, a majority — 56 per cent — use law- yers on a contract or temporary basis for work on large projects that require more resources than are available at the firm, and 44 per cent use them for cases or matters requiring a specific type of expertise. Lawyers looking for contract work might include those working part-time to raise children, those with other obli- gations and pursuits, such as additional education, or lawyers who have relocat- ed and are trying out different firms and using it as a networking experience, says Marisa Ellis. As regional vice president for Robert Half Legal, which assists firms with lawyer recruitment, Ellis says she also sees "people that just sort of thrive on new experiences and kind of have an entrepreneurial spirit and are committed to ongoing learning and just want to be a consultant, and they don't want to do it on their own because they don't want to deal with the paperwork associated with working independently," she says. "I'm definitely seeing an uptick in it because companies have the oppor- tunity to work with experienced con- sultants for special projects and they may not need [them] all year round or for interim roles." Firms, she says, are being smart about their staffing models and may bring in talent for specific projects when it's required. It gives them the flexibility to balance the number of lawyers they L AW O F F I C E M A N A G E M E N T By Marg. Bruineman MATTHEW DALEY Lawyer contractors Law firms are increasingly looking to hire lawyers on a contract or temporary basis I

• Cover