Canadian Lawyer InHouse

Ready to test the waters? Y es, turning to on-call counsel can save you dollars, but only if you marry the right person with the right task. Start with a small, discrete project that���s easy to hand off. Next, find someone who understands your industry and has the legal skills you need. Ask colleagues for referrals, go through a recruiting agency, or turn to a no-frills firm like Cognition, ATD, or LexLocom. In Ontario, you can also consult the Law Society of Upper Canada���s online registry of contract lawyers. Don���t ignore due diligence. ���I would certainly check references,��� says Jennifer Zerczy, vice president of legal affairs for McKesson Canada. ���And I would absolutely make sure that I���ve had a clear discussion with the project lawyer at the outset about what our mutual expectations are.��� Think through the logistics. Will the lawyer work on site or off? What files will she need access to? Who will she report to and how? Once your counsel-for-hire is off to the races, be sure you provide real-time feedback, suggests Billie Watkins, regional vice president of Robert Half Legal. As well, make her feel part of the team. ���You have to set up an environment for success,��� she says. ���You can���t just bring someone in and just throw work at them and say, ���Do it as fast as you can.������ co-founder of ZSA Legal Recruitment. ���What���s new is the number of them.��� These days, project and contract lawyers account for 10 to 20 per cent of ZSA���s business. ���The use of contract lawyers is more prominent in difficult times,��� he explains. Billie Watkins, regional vice president of Robert Half Legal, is also seeing greater demand for project and contract lawyers, especially for large projects such as due diligence and mergers and acquisitions, as well as e-discovery. She is also getting more calls from financial institutions facing increasingly onerous regulations but reluctant to add permanent staff. Numbers in Canada still lag those in the U.S. and the U.K., where project lawyers are a well-established option. However, Watkins predicts that will change.���I think the practice is becoming more and more accepted and more common,��� she says. ���It���s just a matter of general counsels and law firms being a bit more educated about the benefits.��� Milstone agrees. In seven years Cognition has expanded to 31 lawyers. Meanwhile, more no-frills firms like ATD Legal Services and LexLocom Recruitment Ltd. have entered the scene, offering ���associates on demand,��� project counsel, and consulting and document review services. According to Milstone, the role of general counsel is shifting to that of a strategic manager who unbundles legal projects and assigns different components to the most appropriate person, whether that���s someone in-house, a top-tier Bay Street firm, a document review shop, or a project lawyer. Even when the economy improves, he foresees demand will remain strong for lower-priced legal options.���I don���t think we will ever get back to where we were, where people were willing to just take legal services at whatever price they came,��� he says. IH THE ESSENTIAL HANDS-ON GUIDE TO CORPORATE LAW IN CANADA BUSINESS CORPORATIONS IN CANADA ��� LEGAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS PAUL MARTEL Get a comprehensive analysis of the legal principles involved in all aspects of corporate law, as well as the judicial interpretation and application of these principles. ORDER # 9240978-65203 $379 3 volume looseleaf supplemented book Anticipated upkeep cost ��� $319 per supplement 5-7 supplements per year Supplements invoiced separately 0-459-24097-8 Shipping and handling are extra. Price subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. This seminal work covers the theoretical and practical aspects of Canadian corporate law in a precise, accessible manner. Thorough references to corporate statutes offer insight on corporate law in all Canadian jurisdictions. You also get a comparative view of U.S. principles. Business Corporations in Canada ��� Legal and Practical Aspects features regular supplements that ensure you���re up to date with recent legal developments. AVAILABLE RISK-FREE FOR 30 DAYS Order online: www.carswell.com Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800 ca na dia nl awy e rm a g . c o m / i n h o u s E December 2012/January 2013 ��� 45

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