British Columbia Legal Management Association topicstopics A NEWSLETTER TO HELP OUR MEMBERS AND PARTNERS KEEP CURRENT ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF LAW SPRING 2006 Small firms have big attitude, mutlitask and stay close to their markets Small firms specialize in cheerful business ang Michener. Lawson Lundell. cers throughout BC. These are the big firms. That’s why they require Fasken’s. Davis & Company. “Small Firms,” and there are a lot of just as much, if not more, attention to L Some of the most recognizable them throughout the province. their unique situations as well as names in our local legal community as greater representation within the well as on the national scale. We read MANAGERS AND BCLMA. Small firms may be an un- about them and their “Big Deals” in le- tapped market for our association gal journals and city business papers. ADMINISTRATORS IN THESE and with more affordable member- Mandell Pinder. McDonald & OFFICES WILL TELL YOU IT’S ship fees, we can look at approaching Company. Camp Fiorante Matthews. those firms and creating an even Brawn Karras & Sanderson. Not in- MORE THAN SIZE THAT larger membership, networking base stantly recognizable, and they proba- DEFINES A SMALL FIRM. IT’S and opportunities for learning from bly don’t appear on lists of The each other.” Biggest… or The Most…. CULTURE AND IDENTITY. What defines a small firm? Yet, these, and many like them, are Office managers and administrators all thriving offices that provide es- Stephanie Cornell, a member of in these offices will tell you it’s more sential legal services and employ the BCLMA’s Executive Committee, than size. It’s culture and identity. hundreds of legal administrative as- says, “In the Lower Mainland, there According to Caren Cook, Admin- sistants, paralegals and conveyan- are more small firms than there are istrator at Slater Continued on page 2 ➟ Planning provides a case where it would be unwise to be, well, ill-prepared Pandemic potential offset by contagion preparation BY BONNIE KIRK, LAWSON LUNDELL LLP arely does a day go by where the nightly news fails to comment on the status of the avian flu. It R does so in response to the medical profession’s desire to ensure the public is fully aware of the possibility that influenza could escalate to a pan- demic level “sometime” in the future. No one knows for certain when or even if the current strain of influenza will mutate to where it becomes a serious threat to humankind. But based on its advancement in recent months, the Bonnie Kirk medical profession feels certain it is only a Sick Leave: How well matter of time before it does. will your firm function A pandemic, by definition, is an illness in the face of a pan- that spreads simultaneously throughout a demic, with empty population. There have been three pan- rooms? Your own em- demics of note in North America, the sever- ployees may fall ill, est being the Spanish Influenza of 1918. It but much more likely: claimed the lives of between 20 million and they’ll be home avoiding groups of people, or looking after children 40 million people worldwide, most of whose schools or daycares closed. Will your clients arrive for meetings? whom were young Continued on page 8 ➟ TOPICS • SPRING, 2006 • BC LEGAL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION • WWW.BCLMA.ORG • MEMBER SERVICES: [email protected] ➟ Small Firms: Continued from page 1 What about the clients? Slater Vecchio’s experience is much Even the clients are different. The the same despite the fact that it prac- 2 Vecchio, a Small Firm, “has the clients are people, generally, not cor- tices plaintiff personal injury. Browse unique ability to reflect the people porations. Paula Kiess of Mandell a Yellow Pages directory or turn on the who built it and the employees who Pinder explains, “Our firm handles television and you will find all kinds embrace its vision and dynamic.” aboriginal matters. It’s something we of ads for personal-injury lawyers, With one, or a few practice areas, but Slater Vecchio receives its share of everyone knows what everyone is do- business on the basis of its reputation ing and is committed to the same end. THERE IS A GREAT SENSE and referrals. It doesn’t hurt either You are more likely to find legal secre- when the firm’s co-founder is touted taries assigned to files, not to lawyers. OF TEAMWORK. as the Best MV lawyer in town by The There is a great sense of teamwork. AS THEY SHARE THE WORK, Georgia Straight, exactly the kind of As they share the work, they also THEY ALSO SHARE THE publication SV’s prospective clients share the success. “Small groups can would likely browse, as opposed to celebrate together,” says Ann Main, SUCCESS. an industry paper or journal. Administrator at Camp Fiorante How does a Small Firm attract and Matthews. It’s no problem for ten or a maintain talent? dozen employees to go out to cele- believe in; we are benefiting people. “Some people don’t want to com- brate a win or congratulate a stu- It’s not the same as defending a tobac- mute downtown. In those cases, we dent’s call to the bar. Celebrating and co company.” have been lucky,” explains Marie Fin- socializing together creates that sense Do Small Firms have trouble attract- stad, Administrator at McQuarrie of family. ing business? Hunter. “But at the same time, we have Colleen Chapman creates that fam- “We have more work than we lost lawyers and staff to the bigger ily dynamic at Brawn Karras & know what to do with!” explains firms for more money. While we are Sanderson by making a point of Kiess. “We don’t need to advertise.” conscious of industry standards, and touching base with her staff each day. Jeff Mousseau, Office Manager at strive to maintain them, a smaller client “A simple ‘How ya doin’ today?’ McDonald & Company (aboriginal base means lower fees which means adds that personal touch that staff can law) and Main, (aviation and class ac- less revenue and fewer resources.” really appreciate. And it keeps me in tion), both agree. Their firms are so Small firms find they have to be cre- touch with them as well.” specialized, clients seek them out. Continued on page 11 ➟ :HJRWVWXIIHGRQ7KDQNVJLYLQJ :KDWGLG\RXGR" :KHQHYHU7KDQNVJLYLQJDUULYHVZHDOZD\VVWRS :HDUHWKDQNIXOWRKDYHKDGWKHRSSRUWXQLW\WR DQGUHIOHFWRQOLIHDQGWKHWKLQJVWKDWZHKROGGHDU DVVLVW\RXDQGJHWWRNQRZ\RX:HORRNIRUZDUGWR DQGDUHJUDWHIXOIRU KHOSLQJ\RXPRYHIRUZDUGDQGWRPHHW\RXUQHHGV DVWKH\DULVH :HDUHJUDWHIXOWRKDYHVRPDQ\DPD]LQJDQGZRQ GHUIXOFOLHQWVZKRPZHKROGLQWKHKLJKHVWHVWHHP 2XUHQWLUHWHDPLVWKDQNIXOWREHZRUNLQJWRZDUGV 7KDQN\RX \RXUFRQWLQXHGVXFFHVVDQGZHZLOOFRQWLQXHWR KXVWOHRXUEXQVIRU\RX /DXUD5HLG 3KLO%DXGLQ 'RQQD.LWDJDZD )UDQFD3LWDVVL 3DUWQHU+5$GYLVRU 6HQLRU&RQVXOWDQW +5$GYLVRU 7HPS'LYLVLRQ ODXUD#DUO\QUHLGQHW SKLO#DUO\QUHLGQHW GRQQD#DUO\QUHLGQHW IUDQFD#DUO\QUHLGQHW 5LFKDUG-RKQVRQ 6WHSKHQ'DQYHUV +5$GYLVRU 'LDQH&URQN 3DUWQHU+5$GYVLRU ULFKDUG#DUO\QUHLGQHW +5$GYLVRU VWHSKHQ#DUO\QUHLGQHW GLDQH#DUO\QUHLGQHW LQIR#DUO\QUHLGQHW 70 +RZH 6WUHHW ZZZDUO\QUHLGQHW 9DQFRXYHU %& 9& 7 TOPICS • SPRING, 2006 • BC LEGAL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION • WWW.BCLMA.ORG • MEMBER SERVICES: [email protected] How effective marketing can influence 3 corporate counsel selection of outside counsel he Vancouver chapter of the Le- for the Vancouver emphasized that they look at the firm gal Marketing Association re- Port Authority; and first, and the person second. Best T cently presented a panel of expe- Catherine Smith, Buy’s Smith says that her legal team rienced BC general counsel to discuss Vice President of has areas of in-house expertise and how they, as corporate counsel, select Legal Services for uses external counsel mostly outside outside counsel. Best Buy Canada. of those areas. All said that corporate They discussed factors influencing Most of the counsel, not other business heads, se- their choice of lawyers, why they ter- panel had experi- lect or need to approve all hiring of minate business with firms, and how ence in the public outside counsel. Paul Reynolds, they feel about various legal market- sector as well as 2nvision ing approaches. overseas seasoning, HOW DO YOU DECIDE TO CHANGE Consulting More than 90 people attended the so they were able to OUTSIDE COUNSEL? event; about half were practicing reflect views from public and private The lawyers who are rehired are lawyers. sectors as well as large and small those who deliver value and demon- Paul Reynolds of 2nvision Con- organizations. strate an understanding of the client’s sulting, a Vancouver-based firm, de- business. Lawyers who bill late, miss veloped the panel, topics and reading HOW DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION budgets, over-lawyer the matter or materials. His organization assists HIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL? have too many people working on a law firms with marketing. He was a All panelists emphasized the over- file soon find themselves replaced. corporate general counsel for 15 riding importance of hiring a lawyer Several panellists complained of rates years. who either knows the business or lis- going up year after year out of pro- He was joined by Allison Crane, tens carefully to understand the orga- portion to the cost of living. Smith senior counsel at Weyerhaeuser; Dean nization’s needs and goals. While all gave excessive rate increases as one Readman, Director of Legal Services require expertise, most of the panel Continued on page 4 ➟ 4- s#ONVEYANCE3OFTWAREMADEFOR"# s#USTOMIZABLE0RECEDENTS s$OCUMENT-ANAGEMENT s%&3&ILING s"#/N,INE)NTEGRATION4- s"RIEF!CCOUNTING)NTEGRATION4- WWWBRIEFLEGALCOM INFO BRIEFLEGALCOM 4- TOPICS • SPRING, 2006 • BC LEGAL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION • WWW.BCLMA.ORG • MEMBER SERVICES: [email protected] ➟ Selecting Counsel: Continued from page 3 Traditional “marketing by lunch” letters can effectively demonstrate and other entertainment was dis- expertise whereas advertising can- 4 trigger to change counsel. This topic cussed and dismissed. The panel not. arose again at question time.