TLOMA Today

My fellow TLOMA Members!

I am writing this tractate on April 1^st which means that the rest of April is cancelled or that Spring Fling, TLOMA’s first executively ordered social event, is now behind us.  You decide which to believe but what a nice event the Spring Fling was.  Join me again in thanking its Head Writer, Sandra Hatcher-Maher and its Executive Producer, Michelle Medel, and Liz and Karen, as always, for keeping it all together. 

Another engagement prevented me from attending the Spring Fling for more than an hour, but I watched people come in and beam when seeing familiar faces.  It is a good feeling. As I was sitting there in honest wonderment at the verity of this association I couldn’t help thinking about why we do this communal thing.  This day and age when we can do practically anything by computer, phone and internet why do we still need to get together?  We don’t need a reason to drink but it sure is nice to have an excuse?  Is it because the other stuff is just not real?  Or maybe it’s just another one of our evolutionary traits. 

Did you know that a human being cannot form more than 150 intimate relationships?  Intimate is used in the sense of knowing them well.  This is part of our genetic makeup caused by hundreds of thousands of years of living in bands, the largest of which numbered up to about 150 individuals.  It’s not that we couldn’t, we just didn’t go past this threshold for a very, very long time when our life span was short and it became ingrained in the way our brains operate.  This presented a challenge to the development of larger communities but we eventually evolved imagination, signs, language, beliefs and common beliefs and use them to this day.  Technology has taken all of this to a totally new level.  But at the core, we are still the same and that’s why some of the same challenges are painfully present today.  Just consider the operation of a small law firm, where everyone knows everyone else in comparison to a very large firm where it is impossible for a single person to know all the other employees who are sometimes in several different locations.  Regardless of what the reasons are that bring us together, TLOMA is the best example that it works.  

Speaking of TLOMA, last week the Board of Directors hosted this year’s New Member Breakfast and met with seven of the eleven new members.  The new members are a diverse group of individuals with varied backgrounds and experiences from both the legal and other industries.  Let’s all welcome them to TLOMA where, we promised them, they will never be alone! 

In other TLOMA news, April also means that we have begun the second quarter of the year and it is filled with great educational events.  All past events as well as a multitude of useful information and resources are on the TLOMA website for you to use.  Please give us your feedback when you attend SIG sessions or use any of the resources available to you.  You will only help us make them better. 

April also means that the Business Partner Appreciation Event to be held on April 20^th is fast approaching.  Every year we make sure to thank our Business Partners on behalf of the TLOMA membership for their continued support.  I am not sure how much you know about the inner workings of not-for-profit associations like TLOMA, but I can tell you that Business Partner support is critical to our survival and well being.  Their sponsorships of our educational events throughout the year are invaluable.  The TLOMA annual Conference is another example of heavy Business Partner involvement and we appreciate that.  Speaking of Conference, the planning of the 2017 TLOMA Conference is progressing as planned.  Several speakers have already been secured, the venue and accommodations are being prepared and arrangements finalized.  It will be a great event.  Don’t forget to register early.

In closing, I still remember thinking what curious creatures we humans are, having developed an inexhaustible sense of wonder and curiosity.  No other animal comes even close.  Can you imagine a mountain goat perched on a vertical rock in the high Andes, looking at the magnificent mountain peaks and saying to itself “Quel beau paysage”?  Because as you know mountain goats speak French amongst themselves when they don’t want llamas and alpacas to understand what they are talking about.  It’s common knowledge that llamas and alpacas use Spanish in every day communications. 

Did I mention that it’s April 1^st?  Cheers.  

This year’s Conference will be jammed packed with keynotes and workshops that will inspire you and help you and your firm leap even further into the 21st century!   While the professional development sessions will keep your mind active, there will be fun activities to keep your body active too.  And of course there is the great accommodation and food at Deerhurst to enjoy during Conference - and - last but not least - some great entertainment at our social events!!  Stay tuned for more emails in the coming months - or simply check back to the Conference website regularly for updates!

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Visit the Conference Website to learn more about this year's exciting keynote speakers.

The TLOMA Compensation Committee is excited to launch the new and improved 2017 TLOMA Compensation and TLOMA Associate Compensation Surveys.  

Over the last 30 years, our surveys have been established as the primary source of compensation benchmarking information for the Canadian legal community. With over 60 organizations participating; representing all firm sizes and practice specializations, the reports help users make good strategic business decisions while attracting and retaining top talent.

In 2017, working with our new survey partner Paystats Inc., we are going to have an exceptional year with many progressive enhancements to support the changing needs for data in the Canadian legal industry.

To start, we have separated the TLOMA Compensation Survey and the TLOMA Associate Compensation Surveys.  This will allow us to focus on delivering the best survey reports and features, driven by two different groups of users. Subsequently, there is a new price for the TLOMA Associate Compensation Survey.  The Committee continues to work hard to ensure that TLOMA members receive the best value possible for the price of the survey.  When you participate in and purchase the TLOMA Compensation Survey you will receive 30% off the price of the TLOMA Associate Compensation Survey. 

 TLOMA Compensation Survey Enhancements

• New job sub-families:  Family Law Clerk, Web Developer, AV/Multi-media Technician, Project Management, Process Improvement, Pricing and Proposals
• Simplified job sub-family and level descriptions
• Mapping old job codes to new job codes
• Workforce Cost Ratios
• TLOMA Associate Compensation Survey Enhancements 

TLOMA Associate Compensation Survey Enhancements 

This is now a standalone survey in 2017:

• Student data
• Year of call and a levelling structure
• Corporate vs. Litigation – associate data split
• Practice specialization splits:  tax, banking, M&A, immigration, human rights, etc.
• National results, as well as, by firm size and regions, including Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, GTA, SW Ontario, Ottawa and Montreal
• More participants 

Key Dates

• May 3^rd – Launch Meeting.  Please attend the launch meeting at the Toronto office of WeirFoulds LLP.  In this session, you will learn more about the survey and have the opportunity to network with other HR and Associate & Student Program Professionals.  Webcast is available.
• September 19^th - Results Meeting – Toronto office of WeirFoulds LLP.  Webcast is available.
  
  

Never participated in a compensation survey before?  We can help you get started to create a sustainable matching and survey submission process, as well as, understand what the results mean and how to use them.

To participate and register for the surveys please  CLICK HERE.

To register for the May 3^rd Launch Meeting  CLICK HERE.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Bridget Bohan from Paystats Inc. at 519-831-1424 or bridget.bohan@paystats.ca.

Outsourcing some of the old “full service” model allows marketing departments to work within shrinking budgets.

Continuing pressure for value and intense focus on profit is resulting in tightened controls and reduction of law firm spending. 

Some firms continue to de-equitize partners in order to become more profitable. After associates’ pay, support staff salaries and rent have long been two of the biggest overhead costs. Over the past five years the ratio of lawyers to assistants has increased from 2:1 to 4:1 and higher. Many firms are also cutting back on office space and opting for alternative arrangements, such as hoteling and working from home.

Continued centralization of many standard law firm business functions is entirely possible. We’ve already seen this trend in finance, human resources, IT and, in some cases, offshoring traditional legal work to lower-cost service providers.

Having long been considered a cost centre, it’s likely that more areas of marketing and, in some instances, business development will be outsourced in an effort to reduce overhead, increase profitability and streamline workflow with an eye to efficiency.

There are pros and cons of doing so.

Balancing the trade-offs between marketing and business development efforts that are service-oriented and those that are strategy-oriented will be a determining factor in many firms’ financial future.

SERVICE VS. STRATEGY 

When you pulled into a gas station in the 1960s, an attendant would promptly appear and start pumping gas into the car. They’d check oil, transmission and washer fluid, clean windows and mirrors, and check air pressure on all four tires. That was full service, and perhaps explains why what we call a gas station now was called a service station then. 

This dated expectation of hop-to-it service remains pervasive among many traditional law firms with respect to marketing and business development departments, which are also chronically underfunded. PwC’s UK-based Annual Law Firms’ Survey 2016 showed that over an eight-year span the average budget allocation for marketing and business development was a woeful 2.5 per cent. IT had the lion’s share at 4.7 per cent while the worst-off group was finance, at 2 per cent. 

The survey also classifies marketing and business development as a support service, along with IT, finance, HR, training, and administrative assistance. On the flip side, however, it reports that client experience, which is dependent to a large extent on the efforts of marketing and strategic initiatives of business development, is crucial to a law firm’s welfare. 

OUTSOURCING 

Law firm marketing and business development teams generally run very lean. Many firms already outsource major marketing pieces, such as the firm’s website — from development to hosting — as well as customer relationship management and marketing communication functions that include social media, public relations, creative services and event planning. 

Outsourcing time-intensive, hands-on marketing work opens business development capacity by serving the needs of the firm’s current clients as well as fostering relationships with potential new clients that strategically align with the firm’s strengths. (Outsourcing can also mean a geographic shift. For example, the ABA Journal reported last September that DLA Piper LLP would cut 180 jobs in the UK and move business support roles, including marketing, to its back office in Warsaw.)  

GIGGING 

Chief marketing officers in law firms tend to have relatively short tenures. Those who last more than 10 years usually have an uncanny ability to dance fast through an ever-evolving internal minefield. Over the last 15 years or so, many CMOs — who have tended not to leave firms of their own volition — have begun to embrace the “gig” tactic: they join a firm and do the job for, say, four years. In the fifth year, they look for a new job and jump. 

This can be expected to be the way of the future considering that millennials, who will soon start to take more senior roles, want more control over their careers, while those of earlier generations are learning how performing a variety of roles that play to their strengths can provide a fulfilling and flexible lifestyle for years to come. 

The working world is changing with the speed of summer lightening. However, the fluidity of talent that can be scaled up or down to suit market pressures, while providing premium client service, offers more opportunities than obstacles.

Introduction

New and emerging technologies are fundamentally changing how professional services operate, and the legal industry may be the most affected. The costs of doing business aren’t getting any smaller; investing in technology that allows lawyers to deliver services in ways that deliver real value to clients while keeping costs down can make the difference in an increasingly competitive market. 

In Part Two, I focus on key challenges of new technology and the ways that lawyers can navigate those challenges to protect their clients and their firm’s interests.

You should be insecure about your security. Information Security should be top of mind for all law firms, period. Protecting your client data as well as your firm’s reputation aren’t nice-to-haves – they’re must-dos. The Panama Papers hack from global law firm Mossack Fonseca resulted in the leak of 2.6TB of data, representing 11.5 million documents and more than 40 years of client information.

Cyber-attacks on law firms are increasing exponentially, and firms are particularly inviting targets. Hackers can get critical, confidential information on hundreds or thousands of businesses through law firms instead of hacking into each company individually. This makes firms the “soft underbelly” that allows hackers to gain access without facing more robust security. Additionally, many firms have critical or confidential client data stored locally, making them particularly vulnerable to ransomware.

The Internet of Things means more data – and more precedent.

In the Internet of Things ("IoT"), everyday objects generate large amounts of data that is stored in cloud platforms, communicating with other devices and to other parties. IoT will continue its inexorable march toward comprehensive integration into seemingly ever industry, including smart cities, transport systems, buildings, eHealth and telemedicine, wearable technologies, homes, automobiles, industry and energy.

The implications of this technology on the law is significant and many firms are developing new practices to better understand and shape the law surrounding it. Paul Hastings LLP, DLA Piper and Morris, Manning & Martin have all established interdisciplinary practice groups to address the wide range of legal issues that IoT brings, working to understand the IoT and the technologies employed within it.

Going global will have knock-on effects in your I.T.

As firms continue to look for opportunities for expansion, the opportunities to go global – through new offices, mergers and acquisitions or outsourcing – are going to be tempting for organizations of every size. If firms are not careful, the push for growth can subsume long-term business and operational objectives. Factoring the growing pains across borders can mean the difference between a successful acquisition and a major setback.

Partners and lawyers need to be increasingly concerned with data security and the residency requirements of the countries where they do business. These are non-negotiable requirements and need to be factored into any plan to expand or outsource work outside of Canada.

Inbound digital marketing will change how clients come in the door.

Clients today want the best legal representation, not simply the firm closest to them and the internet gives them shopping tools to help them decide which firm they want to give their business to. Having an online marketing and communications strategy that demonstrates your firm’s unique skillsets and expert practice areas is a key asset when Google Page Rank is worth more than proximity.

Social Media is today’s and the future’s networking and marketing tool, but using social media won’t replace traditional lawyer/client relationships. Instead, social media allows lawyers to expand their network of clients, promote their services online to a broader audience and to foster connections with existing clients to build evangelists. 

Organization / Company Overview 

At People Corporation we make a difference in the lives of more than one million Canadian employees and their families, by providing employee group benefits, wellness solutions, group retirement, group pension, and HR services.  Quite simply, we provide customized solutions to fit the unique needs of companies operating in different industries, employing people across multiple generations and with a broad range of different demands. As a publicly traded company with over 600 employees - we are one of the fastest growing companies in Canada and are dedicated to helping you succeed.

What has been your partnership experience with TLOMA over the years? For the last eight years I have been consulting businesses on how to actively engage and retain employees. I passionately believe that employees are the most important part of any organization.  My primary focus is working with organizations to create a culture where employees feel appreciated and valued. I joined People Corporation in 2016 and one of my first initiatives was to begin working with TLOMA.

 Where was the last place you vacationed? The last place I visited was Montreal, where I spent a weekend enjoying everything the city had to offer. I am a “foodie” and fancy myself quite the chef at home, so I spent the majority of the weekend in various restaurants and deli’s. 

What is the name of your favorite restaurant? In keeping with my love of all things food, I thought I would discuss my favourite restaurant. It is Joe Beef in Montreal and; it was actually the reason for my most recent trip. I have been about 4 times so far and I am always impressed. I saw the owners at a couple of Anthony Bourdian travel shows and it always seemed like a very cool and unique place. A couple of years ago we got lucky while in Montreal and managed to get a reservation, it was life changing. The entire experience is like no where I have been and look forward to my next visit.

What is your favorite artist/band you got to see live in concert? My favourite band to see live is The Tragically Hip. I have been lucky enough to see them 8 times in various venues ranging from the ACC to on a dock in Bobcaygeon. When the news of their final tour was announced I knew I needed to see one of the final shows at the ACC, I was fortunate to get tickets when they went on sale and last saw them on August 12^th 2016. I like most other Canadians tuned in to watch their final concert in August; it was something I will never forget.

What is your favorite sports team? My favourite sports team is the Toronto Blue Jays. I have been a life long sports fan and have always loved my hometown teams. When I first moved to the city the Jays weren’t doing nearly as well as they are now, so tickets were always affordable and readily available, so I began frequenting the games live. Since then I have become hooked, I now equate summer with baseball season so I definitely look forward to the start of the year each season. On April 11^th of this year I will be attending my 9^th straight home opener and I look forward to another summer in the stands at the Skydome (Even if I live to be 1000 years old, I will never call it the Rogers Centre). 

Misha Rasitsan is the TLOMA Technology SIG Leader for 2017-2018 and the Supervisor, Development at Goodmans LLP. 

How long have you been a member of TLOMA? 6 months

What do you enjoy most about working in the legal industry?  Challenge and Diversity 

Where was the last place you vacationed?  Italy 

What is your favorite lunch spot during the workweek?  Penelope 

What is your favorite movie?  Stunt Man 

Describe your ideal vacation. Travelling in Italy and Spain

What is your favorite book?  “Perfume” by Patrick Suskind 

What is your favorite sports team?  Roger Federer 

What are your favorite hobbies? Tennis 

If you could have a 60-minute conversation with anyone (fictional, famous, not famous, etc.) – Who would you choose?  Cesare Borgia.