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 / J U L Y 2 0 1 8 37 just get better as a lawyer," says Thomas. Once you are out on your own, how- ever, a chambers setting is essential, she says. "We can talk on a daily basis when it comes to strategy. No matter how many years you are out, you will always have questions," Thomas notes. A chambers environment also provides an opportunity to share overhead expenses, she adds. The business side of a criminal defence practice, even if it is very busy, is another area where female lawyers might be more reticent when it comes to the amount of fees they will seek from a client, compared to their male counterparts. In fact, one of the topics at a spring 2017 criminal lawyers' con- ference in Toronto aimed at female law- yers was entitled "show me the money." "Don't negotiate with yourself," says Dann. In terms of running a business as well as being a busy criminal lawyer, it's also essential to hire the right people to handle accounting, bookkeeping and administrative matters, she says. Andrea Urquhart, a partner at Roulston Urquhart Criminal Defence in Calgary, was called to the bar six years ago and says she has no inten- tion of leaving this area of the law. "It is my passion. I like all of what being a defence lawyer is about. There is also a lot of freedom that other lawyers do not have," she says. The firm has a busy practice. "Ulti- mately, criminal defence is a customer service business," which is what can lead to referrals, Urquhart says. How- ever, she also notes that she is fortunate to have a husband who is also self- employed and shares child care respon- sibilities. "I am not raising my child alone." The nature of the work and the flex- ibility of a criminal practice is part of its appeal, despite some of the obstacles, says Newton-Smith. "If someone comes to me and says they want to go into defence, it is personality driven and it is not for everyone, but I encourage them," she says. Of the 27 people who clerked the same year she did at the Supreme Court, only one other is in the criminal law field and he is a federal Crown, says Dann. The decision for her was not complicated. "I always thought it was the most interesting area. It was the greatest opportunity to put into practice what we studied," she says. In less than 10 years as a practising lawyer, Dann has appeared at the Ontario Court of Appeal dozens of times and the Supreme Court on six occasions, something that might not have happened if she practised in another area of the law. The reasons for continuing with crimi- nal defence are straightforward, according to Thomas. "I am now at a point where I can say I don't want to do that case. I can give it to younger lawyers. Doing what you enjoy makes much more sense. I did not go to law school to be on Bay Street. And it is exhilarating when you conduct a cross-examination that goes well. There is a reason that most legal television shows are about the criminal law," she says. For more information contact InHouse editor Jennifer Brown at jen.brown@thomsonreuters.com This year the roundtable was held in Toronto with five general counsel who represent a variety of industry sectors. They share insights into managing various aspects of technology in their in-house role. Jeremy Farr, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Bank of Canada Beth Gearing, Vice President, Legal Affairs, Rexall Shelley Babin, Vice President, Law & General Counsel, Ontario Power Generation Kikelomo Lawal, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Interac Corp. Gordon Ackroyd, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, SecureKey Technologies Inc. Read it and watch video coverage online July 3 rd at canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse COMING IN JULY 2018 13 th Annual Canadian Lawyer InHouse General Counsel Roundtable Sponsored by: ntitled-1 1 2018-05-31 11:42 AM

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