Canadian Lawyer InHouse

25 CANADIANLAWYERMAG.COM/INHOUSE JULY/AUGUST 2018 technologies, Microsoft Office and that kind of thing. ACKROYD: We don't use a lot of exter- nal counsel, but in a couple of cases, they brought in two small technology players to talk about what they can do to make your world better. I thought that was very use - ful. They've identified the skills gap and instead of trying to hire it and grow it and train them, there are people out there who do this and know what they are doing. LAWAL: Would you say it's more about the law firms trying to adapt to the new world to show they are progressive? BABIN: There is that idea of the disaggrega - tion of legal services and I think the firms are feeling threatened by that. Deloitte can offer services the firms can offer, and they are trying to show they remain relevant with all the other options out there. GEARING: I think it's about adding value in a unique way and they become a differentiator. INHOUSE: What are you doing to make sure your lawyers remain current with technology? LAWAL: A couple of years ago, we decided to move our CPD in-house and we've been really successful at that. We have a legal department manager who polls people about what they feel we should be hearing and learning about, and we have tapped our external firms to provide those trainings and that would be the primary way for us to be conversant in the things happening in the industry and technology that is available. BABIN: I heard the GC of Siemens Canada [Richard Brait] talk about a legal innovation challenge he did with his team and we're going to roll something like that out and ask people in the department to come and pitch ideas about what is in the market, what might work for us and, hopefully, that will get people embracing the idea of finding what's out there and staying current. FARR: Part of our risk appetite mandate is to become more innovative, so if you want to do something new, you have to jettison something old or find ways to do it more efficiently and use other technologies to automate. We also have an innovation space that is an idea lab, so lawyers will collaborate with people in other departments. GEARING: We're doing the same thing with a mind to being more efficient. ACKROYD: We have some brilliant technology people in our company, so I learn more just talking to them sometimes. We all have our CPD obligations, but I zero in on things that I think will help me learn and get to things that are going to be relevant. IH Mona practised at McMillan LLP and PwC LLP Canada. © 2018 Thomson Reuters Canada Limited 00250QW-91913-CE OUR QUALITY STARTS WITH OUR PEOPLE Now her job is to make you better at yours. Practical Law Canada provides legal know-how that gives lawyers a better starting point. Our expert team of lawyer-editors creates and maintains thousands of up-to-date, practical resources across all major practice areas. We go beyond primary law and traditional legal research to give you the resources needed to practise more effi ciently, improve client services, and add more value. REQUEST A FREE TRIAL TODAY 1-844-717-4488 | thomsonreuters.ca/practicallawcanada

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