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BY HEATHER SUTTIE The Evolutionary Long Game How legal innovation may yet beget industry transformation

LLP announced legal technology initiatives Fulbight, this global goliath is the only law with outside entities. Blakes has a partner- firm tenant on MaRS’s premises. ing relationship with MaRS LegalX, while In these instances, the sponsor firms of- Osler has a tie-up with ’s Legal In- fer legal services to innovative technology novation Zone (LIZ), a co-working space clients at no or low cost. Alternatively, the and incubator out of Ryerson University. firms partnering with MaRS andLIZ are From a public-relations standpoint, Os- seeking counsel to help them innovate. ler’s Innovation Month (February 2016) However, as Nickerson quips, “Innovation was, in part, designed to raise awareness is a relative term.” about the transformational change sweep- ing the legal industry. Mara Nickerson, Os- TRANSFORMING THE BLURRING of lines between Big ler’s Chief Knowledge Officer says, “Our -in Innovation is to transformation what Law and New Law is getting blurrier, and volvement with LIZ is an extension of what metamorphosis is to a butterfly. When it it’s about time — even though the blur is we’re doing on the practice side of things.” comes to law firm metamorphosis, US- still years away from being a blend. LIZ’s Executive Director, Chris Bentley, is based Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Cooley LLP Lately, there has been a flurry of hook- happy to have Osler on board. “This sends are fully formed. ups between traditional Big Law firms a broader signal to the community that in- Almost 10 years ago, Seyfarth Shaw tai- and the innovative entities of New Law. novation is important, Osler is committed lored some of the most appropriate aspects This may look good, but some questions to innovation, and LIZ is a place that can of Lean Six Sigma to devise a process of legal remain. Is all this teaming up a true desire support and achieve innovation.” service delivery known as SeyfarthLean. for change? A long-awaited accelerant? A As frenetic as all this partnering may Among the benefits are better communica- desire to be seen as progressive with cli- seem, alliances between innovators, incu- tion, increased efficiency, transparent pric- ents? Or, red herring marketing schemes? bators, educators and law firms is nothing ing and reduced overall cost. new. Tech incubators, such as Communi- And then there’s Cooley LLP, which TEAMING UP tech in Ontario’s Waterloo Region, has had launched Cooley GO in June 2014 as a re- It wasn’t long ago, 2013 in fact, that Mc- law firm involvement almost since the day source for entrepreneurs with businesses at Carthy Tétrault LLP teamed up with Cog- it started in 1997. Bereskin & Parr LLP, all stages of the growth cycle. It offers legal nition LLP (now Caravel Law) on a major Gowling WLG, Miller Thomson LLP, and business content covering formation, litigation matter. Since then, Cognition PCK Perry + Currier Inc. and Buffalo, NY- financing, team building, etc., and provides has sold the embedded corporate counsel based Phillips Lytle LLP are on the current tips, tools, guides and documents for free. side of its business to US-based Axiom roster. Dentons supports Alberta’s Startup By providing free advice and tools, the un- Global Inc. Described as a provider of Edmonton, while Gowling WLG and spoken message is that the firm is standing tech-enabled legal services, Axiom has set Pushor Mitchell LLP are partnered with by, ready to help if and when need be. something of a global gold standard when British Columbia’s Accelerate Okanagan, While winning deeper client trust it comes to a non-law firm entity that, as of and Martineau DuMoulin LLP through innovation is an obvious short- January 2016, has a presence in Canada. sponsors Enterprise Forum and game goal, legal industry transformation is McCarthy has partnered with Toronto- Vantec Angel Network. the long game. In the meantime, as Nick- based MaRS LegalX, a legal incubator in In 2005, the late LLP erson observes, thinking about innovation the MaRS Discovery District. As part of opened a satellite office at MaRS, and six and doing something about is “a lot more the alliance, they co-created #LexTech16, a months later, the former Ogilvy Renault interesting than sitting at your desk mark- one-day conference held in April to explore LLP hatched a MaRS office right next ing up documents.”

the changing legal industry. door. Ogilvy Renault continued to op- Heather Suttie is a legal marketing and business Earlier this year, Blake, Cassels & Gray- erate at MaRS sharing office space with development consultant. She works with firms rang- ing from global to solo, BigLaw to NewLaw. Reach

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO: don LLP and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt Cognition in 2010. Now as Norton Rose her at (416) 964-9607 or www.heathersuttie.ca. Reprinted with permission Lexpert Magazine – June Issue 2016 © Thomson Reuters Canada Limited.

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