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TLOMA Today

June, 2025
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June, 2025 | Presidents Message

President's Message

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McNeely, Louise-2025
Author Louise McNeely

Every month as I prepare to write the President’s Message for TLOMA Today, I am mesmerized about the fact that a new month is here and how fast 2025 is speeding by. Here we are in June, looking forward to nice weather, sunshine and thoughts of summer vacations.

I write this message as a reflection on what TLOMA has been up to in the month that just passed and on what our committees and SIG Leaders have in store for us this month.

SIG’s this month covered topics of Technology and Facilities. On May 15, we had our Annual Professional Development Seminar that taught us to “Shift from Manager to Coach” in our workplaces. It was an opportunity to attend in person or by webinar.

What has June got in store for us? On Tuesday, June 3, the Conference Committee is giving us a preview of the 2025 TLOMA Conference and Trade Show. We have a Marketing SIG on June 5, and a Finance SIG on June 11. Thank you to Sulai Chan, our Education Coordinator and the SIG Leaders for giving great educational content.

The TLOMA Compensation survey questionnaires have been out for a while, and for those of us who are participating, our results are to be in by June 13.

The Nominating Committee will be working on securing candidates for the 2026 Board of Directors and Non-board positions that will be coming vacant. Have you thought about volunteering for one of these positions? Volunteering for TLOMA is a wonderful experience. You get to work with amazing colleagues and expand your network within the legal industry. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to reach out to me. I would love to hear from you.

Our Summer Networking event is on June 17 at Lano at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. Will I see you there?

This is the last TLOMA Today for a few months. I wish you all a safe and enjoyable summer. I am looking forward to catching up with everyone in September. Have you registered for conference yet? 

Louise McNeely is the Office Manager at Laxton Glass LLP with responsibility for Finance, Human Resources, Facilities and Operations. Louise is a CPA, CGA with many years of experience in Law Firm Management. Louise is a member of The Law Office Management Association(TLOMA) and a member of 100 Women Who Care Mississauga. She has served as the President of the Rotary Club of Mississauga-Dixie. Louise is also a member of the American Contract Bridge League. In her spare time she plays Tournament Bridge and she is studying Spanish.
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June, 2025 | Article

Not All Backup Is Created Equal

Alex Lachine alachine@teamlogicit.ca
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TeamLogicIT
Author Alex Lachine, MBA

Twenty years ago, a Data backup was simple. Copy files to a disc or backup to tape, and all was well, or so we thought. Today we have much more data. As businesses learn to analyze better and use the data, it also becomes more valuable. This increase in data has yielded more ways to back it up. But beware: not all backup is created equal. Here’s a quick look at today’s backup options and how they affect your business.

With File-Based Backups, specific files or folders are saved as needed. File-based backups allow you to restore individual files. Full Restores are possible, but because restoration software handles only one file at a time, the process is time-consuming. Do you have time to wait?

Image-based backups take a picture of an entire machine, including its applications and operating system. With them, you can restore individual files, perform bare metal restores, verify images, boot up virtual machines, and even manage remote offices. Because they contain a more complete data picture, full restores are faster and more reliable than they are with a file-based solution.

Most traditional backup solutions are tested just once or twice a year. However, on any given day, a few corrupt bytes can render a certain daily backup and subsequent ones unrecoverable. If you have an intelligent backup with inverse chain technology, each successive snapshot is independent. A recovery can start from any point. Lost or corrupt data can be recovered without any need for a new full backup. Each snapshot is examined automatically to ensure everything checks out. For peace of mind, some solutions even send you screenshots of your backups via email, so you can verify at a glance that all is well. You'll want to know that all your backed-up data is tested for validity.

Local backup solutions save data to an on-site device. While a local-only backup can be quick and easy, relying solely on local can be dangerous. If your office is flooded, for example, that means your only backup is gone. Direct-to-cloud backup solutions send data to a secure off-site location. Transferring data to and from the cloud is dependent on bandwidth speed so that it can be slower than local data backups. However, having your backup in the cloud can be your salvation in the event of a disaster.

A Hybrid cloud solution combines the best of both worlds: local and cloud. It is less dependent on bandwidth speed than a cloud-only solution, and it can schedule transfers without the risk of having no backup data. With a hybrid cloud solution, you can be up and running from a local backup in seconds, and you can also count on an off-site backup should the need arise.

Ask your IT services provider if they offer a backup that ticks all of these boxes: image-based, inverse chain technology, screenshot verification, and hybrid cloud. If they don't, you probably move on to the one that does.

Alex Lachine has more than 20 years of experience in the IT and management consulting industries. He is the founder and has been President of TeamLogic IT for more than 14 years.

TeamLogic IT was recently recognized by Channel Futures as the Managed IT Service Provider (MSP) of the year out of all MSP’s globally for 2 consecutive years. It won that by our size, best practices, support model, client feedback, growth, and innovation.

TeamLogic IT is a full-service IT provider in Ontario offering a wide array of IT services to law firms.

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June, 2025 | Article

Supercharge Your Website: Three Ways to Improve Your Law Firm’s Online Visibility

Supercharge Your Website_ Three Ways to Improve Your Law Firm’s Online Visibility Author_ Andrea Falcone
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Andrea Falcone
Author Andrea Falcone

Keeping your website fresh and engaging isn’t always top of mind when you’re busy managing a law firm. But here’s the reality: a stale, underperforming site can lose potential clients.

Thankfully, it’s easy to adapt to current trends. Whether it’s enhancing your site’s searchability, improving your online reputation, or ensuring your content marketing strategy meets your client’s needs, your website can (and should) evolve to meet your business goals.

It’s always the right time to evaluate your website’s performance and consider enhancements that can improve user experience, search engine rankings, and overall digital success. These innovative add-ons and industry best practices will keep your firm’s site polished, competitive, and client friendly.

Get Your Content Seen—Stat

Search engines have two jobs: crawling (discovering new content) and indexing (storing it in their database). But here's the catch—this process can take anywhere from a couple of hours to several months. So, that timely blog post, important event page, or carefully updated professional bio? It won't appear in search results until it's indexed.

Luckily there are tools you can use to accelerate the indexing process. For example, IndexNow is a free protocol introduced by Microsoft Bing and Yandex. Think of it as a digital "heads-up" to search engines. Website owners can ping Bing (and others that use IndexNow) to say, "Hey, new content here!" or "We’ve made updates—come check it out." The result? Faster indexing, fresher search results, and better visibility. IndexNow can be easily integrated into your site through opensource code or via plug-in (ask your website provider for assistance if necessary).

Now, let’s talk about Bing. While Google may dominate the search engine spotlight, Bing is no slouch—especially regarding AI. Bing’s index powers some of today’s most cutting-edge tools, including ChatGPT. If your site isn’t indexed by Bing, it won’t show up in ChatGPT’s responses, meaning you’re missing out on a major AI-driven audience. So don’t overlook this search engine!

Content + Analytics = Data-Driven Success 

In 2025, content still reigns supreme—but not just any content. If you want to be found by Google, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the E-E-A-T principles—Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These four principles guide Google’s rankings, and your content needs to prioritize all four to rise to the top.

When creating blogs and insights, emphasize the importance of informative, well-crafted content. Blogs, case studies, and legal guides that address client pain points will set your firm apart as a thought leader. Be sure to include the author, a photo, and their biography to demonstrate their knowledge of the topic and meet Google’s guidelines for its “Expertise” and “Authoritativeness” principle and meet Google’s standards for content that provides legal content.

Looking to take your content further? Consider integrating an analytics strategy to identify high-performing topics and tailor your content to your clients’ interests. Google Analytics, specifically GA4, is the industry standard—but unlocking its full potential requires a strategic setup.  If you find the amount of data provided by google overwhelming, consider working with someone to refine your user experience to your specific needs or consider integrating Google Looker Studio to help you visualize the data in an accessible, easy-to-understand dashboard. By tracking critical touchpoints on your site, you gain deeper insight into user behaviour that helps you understand what your clients value most and gives you the insights you need to make smarter marketing decisions.

Build Trust and Conversions with Google Review

In today’s digital-first world, potential clients are likely researching your law firm online well before they pick up the phone or schedule a consultation. This makes online reviews, especially Google Reviews, a cornerstone of your brand's reputation and digital presence. They also deliver real marketing value by boosting your local SEO, increasing website click-thru rates, and converting potential clients into leads.

Adding a Google Review Widget to your website takes these benefits one step further. This handy feature directly integrates real-time reviews and star ratings onto your site, allowing potential clients to see your success stories at a glance. Plus, the widget links directly to Google’s “Write a Review” feature, making collecting feedback from satisfied clients easier than ever.

Are Your Ready to Accelerate Your Firm’s Website? 

Your website is a dynamic tool to attract, engage, and convert clients. By investing in these enhancements—from faster indexing and reviews to data-based content—you’re positioning your firm to thrive in a competitive landscape. Remember, a well-maintained website isn’t just about keeping up; it’s about staying ahead. By integrating the above tools and practices into your firm’s website, you can optimize your site's searchability, deliver informative content, and demonstrate your value, helping your firm develop new business and connect with clients.

Andrea Falcone is Head of Marketing and Client Success at Cubicle Fugitive, a full-service agency that specializes in branding, website design, and digital marketing for law firms. With almost two decades of experience as a marketer, and over a decade in legal marketing, she brings a keen eye for detail and a strategic approach to every problem, presenting unparalleled solutions to her clients’ marketing and business needs. In addition to her work with Cubicle Fugitive, Andrea holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Guelph and is an active member in the legal marketing community, including the Legal Marketing Association, where she currently serves as the Membership Director for the Canada Chapter.
June, 2025 | Article

Building Belonging - Creating a Benefits Plan to Enable your LGBTQ2IA+ Employees

Josh Ruiters
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Ruiters, Joshua
Author Joshua Ruiters

As Canadian workplaces evolve to reflect the diversity of the population they serve, legal employers have a growing responsibility - and opportunity - to build more inclusive environments. This Pride Month, it’s time for firms to do more than celebrations or statements of support. It’s time to set the practical, daily experiences that shape their sense of safety, belonging, and well-being at work. One of the most powerful tools in creating that environment is a well-designed employee benefits plan.

Historically, employee benefits have taken a one-size-fits-all approach that often excludes the unique needs of LGBTQ+ staff. In today’s competitive talent landscape, firms that wish to lead on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) must rethink and modernize these offerings. Thoughtful, inclusive benefits are more than a perk - they’re a signal that an employer values the whole person, and they can be key to attracting, supporting, and retaining top LGBTQ+ talent.

Here are three essential benefit areas where law firms and other professional workplaces can make a meaningful difference.

1. Mental Health and Psychological Support

LGBTQ+ Canadians experience higher rates of mental health challenges compared to the general population, often due to discrimination, social exclusion, or a lack of affirming care. According to a 2022 Statistics Canada study, sexual minority individuals are nearly three times as likely to report experiencing moderate to severe psychological distress.

Despite growing awareness, many employee assistance programs (EAPs) or mental health benefits are not explicitly designed to address the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals. To better support these employees:

  • Expand access to diverse providers: Ensure mental health plans cover therapists and counsellors who are trained in LGBTQ+ issues or identify as LGBTQ+ themselves.

  • Offer ongoing education: Provide training for HR teams and managers on inclusive language and mental health stigma.

  • Go beyond EAPs: Traditional EAPs often have limited sessions and inconsistent provider quality. Consider more robust mental health allowances or partnerships with LGBTQ+-affirming care platforms.

These adjustments can help build a psychologically safe workplace—one where all employees can thrive.

2. Inclusive Family-Building and Parental Leave Policies

Family-building benefits are another key area where inclusion matters deeply. LGBTQ+ employees often face additional barriers in building families, whether through assisted reproductive technologies, adoption, or surrogacy. Yet, many standard benefits packages still assume a heteronormative path to parenthood.

Organizations can support LGBTQ+ staff by:

  • Providing financial support for assisted reproduction: This includes fertility treatments, sperm/egg donation, surrogacy, and adoption fees.

  • Offering equal parental leave: Policies should offer equivalent leave to all new parents, regardless of gender, family structure, or biological relationship to the child.

  • Partnering with expert platforms: Tools like Sprout Family offer personalized support for diverse paths to parenthood, including fertility navigation, surrogacy coordination, and adoption planning. Sprout is a Canadian solution built to reflect the country’s legal and healthcare systems, and can be a valuable resource for employers looking to provide targeted support.

 

These benefits send a clear message: all families are valid, and all employees are equally valued. Offering support through one of life’s greatest milestones is one of the most significant benefits an employer can offer their teams.

3. Gender-Affirming Healthcare

Trans and non-binary employees often face systemic gaps in healthcare access, particularly when it comes to gender-affirming care. Coverage for hormone therapy, surgeries, and related mental health care is frequently limited or excluded from traditional plans. This lack of coverage can result in significant out-of-pocket costs and extended waiting periods, adding stress and delay to what should be affirming, life-improving care.

Employers can play a crucial role by:

  • Auditing and upgrading health plans: Work with benefits providers to ensure gender-affirming care is explicitly covered and easy to access.

  • Offering transition-related leave: Medical transitions can require recovery time, just like other health procedures. Supportive leave policies that improve chances for a successful return to work.

  • Creating a gender-inclusive environment: From inclusive washrooms to pronoun policies, these day-to-day signals matter just as much as healthcare coverage.

These changes reflect not just policy upgrades, but a shift in culture toward greater understanding and dignity for all employees.

Final Thoughts

Employee benefits aren’t just about compensation - they’re a reflection of an organization’s values. For law firms committed to building a more inclusive and equitable workplace, reimagining benefits through an LGBTQ+ lens is both a strategic and moral imperative.

By investing in mental health supports, inclusive family-building pathways, and gender-affirming healthcare, employers demonstrate that they care about the full identities of their team members, not just the roles they fill.

In doing so, firms don’t just comply with modern expectations, they become leaders in building workplaces where everyone can belong and succeed.

For the last ten years Joshua Ruiters has been consulting businesses on how to actively engage and retain employees. Josh passionately believes that employees are the most important part of any organization.  His primary focus is working with organizations to create a culture where employees feel appreciated and valued. Josh recently joined Sprout Family as the partnership manager and one of his first initiatives was to begin working with TLOMA.

June, 2025 | Article

Managing Technology Training Without Disrupting Billable Hours

managing technology training without disrupting billable hours
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Pearce, Gilleen
Author Gilleen Pearce

Technology training often feels like a double-edged sword. While new systems promise increased productivity and efficiency, the time required to train your staff can create a temporary dip in billable hours. This challenge is especially difficult when your firm is implementing new practice management software, upgrading security systems, or adopting AI-powered research tools.

Fortunately, you don't have to choose between staying current with technology and staying profitable. With the right approach, you can achieve both goals and create a culture where continuous learning becomes part of your firm's DNA.

Start with Bite-Sized Learning Sessions

Rather than scheduling marathon training sessions, break your technology training into 15-30 minute segments. These micro-learning sessions fit naturally into the spaces between client meetings or during the quieter moments in a lawyer's day. You can schedule these sessions during lunch hours, early mornings, or late afternoons when billable work traditionally slows down.

Consider implementing a "Training Tuesday" or "Tech Tips Thursday" format where you introduce one new feature or concept each week. The repetitive nature of these short sessions helps reinforce learning and ensures concepts stick better than they would in a single intensive training day.

Leverage Your Champions

Every law firm has tech-savvy people who pick up new systems quickly and enjoy working with technology. Identify these individuals and turn them into internal trainers who can support their colleagues during regular work hours. These champions can provide peer-to-peer training that picks up where vendor-led training leaves off.

You can create a mentorship system where each champion is paired with two or three colleagues who need additional support. This approach distributes the training load while building stronger relationships within your team.

Schedule Training During Natural Downtime

Law firms have predictable lulls in billable work. Take advantage of holiday periods when courts are closed, summer months when many clients are less active, or the weeks following major case completions. You can also schedule training during traditionally slower parts of the day.

Plan training sessions around your firm's natural rhythms. If your litigation department typically has lighter loads between hearings, schedule their training during these windows. Similarly, if your corporate lawyers and their support staff have variations in workflow, time their training accordingly. This strategic scheduling ensures that training enhances rather than competes with billable work.

Use Technology to Train on Technology

Modern learning management systems allow you to deliver training content that staff can access on their own schedule. For example, you could ask your provider or vendor to create video tutorials that lawyers and their staff can watch during breaks in responsibilities.

Interactive online modules can track progress and support comprehension without requiring you to pull entire teams away from client work. You can also use screen-sharing tools to provide just-in-time training when staff encounter problems with new systems. This approach transforms training from a scheduled event into an ongoing support system that fits into the natural flow of work.

Implement Just-in-Time Training

Instead of front-loading all training before system implementation, provide targeted training exactly when staff need particular features. This approach reduces information overload and ensures that training directly connects to immediate work needs. When lawyers learn a new feature because they need it for a current case, they're more likely to retain and value that knowledge.

Create a resource library where staff can quickly find training materials for particular tasks when they arise. Quick reference cards, searchable video libraries, and chatbot assistants can provide instant support without disrupting workflow.

Measure Success Beyond Hours

While protecting billable hours remains important, measure training success metrics like error reduction, time savings per task, and improved client service. Track how technology training translates into actual efficiency gains. You might find that spending two hours on training saves ten hours over the following month through improved workflows.

Regular surveys can help you learn which training methods work best for different types of learners within your firm. Some staff prefer visual demonstrations, while others learn better through hands-on practice or written guides. By accommodating different learning styles, you can make training more efficient and effective for everyone.

Partner with Technology Training Specialists

Working with IT support companies that support law firms can streamline your training efforts significantly. These partners know the challenges your teams face and can design training programs that respect the billable hour model.

Look for providers who offer flexible training schedules, customized content for your firm's workflows, and ongoing support rather than one-time sessions. The right partner can help you implement new technologies with minimal disruption while making sure your team feels confident and capable with their new tools. This investment in proper training support often pays for itself through reduced help desk tickets and improved system adoption rates.

What’s the Bottom Line?

Technology training doesn't have to interfere with billable hours. With careful planning and the right support systems, you can build a tech-savvy team that embraces new tools rather than fearing them. The result is a more efficient, profitable practice that serves clients better while mastering the tech that continues to reshape the legal industry in Ontario.

Gilleen is head of business development and client experience at IT support company Inderly, a boutique firm local to Hamilton and Toronto, serving clients across Ontario.
June, 2025 | Article

Fearless — A Required State of Being

Heather Suttie
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Author Heather Suttie

The global legal services market needs optimistic contrarians: strong people who think fast and clearly, and whose actions are decisive and fearless.

The legal services sector has always had a reputation for being tough. It’s getting tougher by the minute and unlikely to let up.

While disruptive factors are many, the three most daunting are:

  • Accelerating advances in generative artificial intelligence that are usurping service-oriented tasks and upending how various types of legal work get produced and priced – all of which is impacting traditional law firm pyramid structures
  • A tightening world economy teetering on the brink of recession
  • International upheaval created and caused by the current United States administration 

 

It may be trite to say that “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” but that is exactly what must happen. And because it must happen right now, being fearless isn’t a trait that’s nice to have; it’s mandatory.

Business of Law

“Business of law” means understanding that you’re running a business, not a private members club. However, business of law recently seems to be misinterpreted as perverse or insulting to legal as a profession. It’s not.

Business of law is not based on personal compensation or greed. It recognizes that prudent selection of targeted services, clients, colleagues and collaborators as well as astute financial and operational structures enables successful commerce.

For example, it means that a senior partner who for many years helping clients run their businesses and to my horror asked, “What does variance mean?” will understand its meaning and context along with other financial terms and purposes and apply them to legal practice and the running of a law firm as a business.

Business of law does not mean perversion of legal practice or anything close to it. This includes a recent notion that alludes to capitulating to outside demands and selling out your firm, clients, and selves, which can happen when a law firm is run as a private and privileged club.

Private club mentality with its tendency for overinflated reputation and inefficient operation can lead to instances of mental, physical, and spiritual health issues and accompanying heartbreak, all of which can result in eventual law firm failures, acquisitions, and mergers.

Selling your soul hurts.

Pyramid Rollover

The Internet changed the world. AI is flattening it. Therefore, it’s fair to expect disintegration of the traditional law firm pyramid structure as a result of the triple-threat of genAI, pricing, and continuing transience of the legal sector’s workforce.

AI-enabled tasks are well-suited to be volume-produced and commodity-priced at a firm’s lowest operating levels. Clients, who are also adopting AI, know how this works and are pressuring external counsel to reflect faster speed and lower cost in transactional pieces of their outsourced legal work.

The upshot of AI replacing junior talent most often tasked with rote work—for which clients often refuse to pay—will result in the lowest tiers being lopped off traditionally-structured firms. Juniors that remain are likely to experience higher than ever stress levels, which is apt to result in increased health care claims and departures.

The knock-on effect is that mid-level lawyers won’t have supports that they’re used to but will still be expected to self-sustain and bring in new business. At the top levels, senior lawyers who can retire will do so, leaving those who don’t or can’t retire holding both the firm’s responsibilities and purse strings in fewer hands.

The end result for many of these firms will either be structural cave-ins due to overweighed equity at the top, a compromised centre, and weak support at the bottom—think reverse pyramid—or rollovers that upend the firm like an iceberg when its weight distribution changes.

The former will be collapse and the latter will be disguised as a merger. A number of mega mergers among big and global firms happened last year. Expect this to continue especially in light of capitulation currently happening within the BigLaw tier of firms in the United States.

Selling Souls

A steadily increasing number of U.S. BigLaw firms are under fire from the American president for having ties to his designated enemies or being in his personal and professional bad books. The list has grown daily since March but kicked off with executive orders against Perkins Coie, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, Jenner & Block, and WilmerHale with security clearances being pulled for specific lawyers at Covington & Burling.

Three of those four are suing. However, notable among them is Paul Weiss that dishonourably distinguished itself as the first U.S. BigLaw firm to commit the equivalent of harikari by caving in to the U.S. administration’s threats and demands, and agreeing to a deal in order to save itself from defections of clients, talent, and potential loss of new business.

Paul Weiss was quickly followed by a succession of BigLaw firms, including Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Milbank, and more that rather than risk potential of an overall decline in profits chose to fall on their swords and cough up big bucks—headed toward $1-billion at last count—in so-called “pro bono” legal services supporting causes favoured by the president that, according to him, will be used as a kind of slush fund to finance negotiations of tariffs with other countries and support U.S. coal mining. That’s not pro bono, it’s extortion.

Every bit as pathetic are firms in the process of capitulating or that have capitulated proactively. It’s a damn good bet that history will not kindly remember these firms and their selling-out actions, and neither will they be well-regarded in future.

This disgrace is not lost on clients, never mind talent at all levels who you just know will jump ship as soon as possible. Some already havemore are, and others are doing so pre-emptively.

Recruitment is taking a hit as students at top U.S. law schools withdraw applications for summer articling positions and cancellations have happened at on-campus recruiting events. Students say that even though they’re facing crippling debt financing their studies, they’re not looking to sacrifice their moral values.

As for clients, lists are circulating of 500 U.S.-based law firms—none of whom are among the country’s 25 largest—that have pledged to stand fast against authoritarian actions of the American administration. This list may aid corporate counsel and others wishing to spring-clean their external law firm rosters.

Reputation Damage

Law firms that have acted against the current U.S. president—or who he thinks have acted against him—are being punished by cuts to security clearance, reduced access to federal buildings, and the threat of loss of their and their clients’ federal contracts.

Capitulating firms have caused damage to themselves as well as to those who work for and with them. That’s because this witch hunt is apt to extend to entities and individuals with whom these firms do business even if relationships are at arm’s length or in cross-border jurisdictions.

Capitulation is the result of fear and cowardice around possible ramifications that may or may not happen. It is why administrative actions are happening at a dizzying speed in order to keep a trumped-up class of “evil doers” on their back foot. This is also why it is telling that while 500 U.S. law firms joined an amicus brief backing Perkins Coie, only eight of the 100 largest U.S. firms signed on while the country’s major players did not. 

Muzzling the media and creating insecurities around free speech, undercutting universities and other educational forums, and hobbling the judiciary and challenging the legal system to the point of compromise—some of whom surrender before or at the opening shot—are symptoms of how an empire dies.

Why anyone—American or otherwise—is shocked at this blatant display of authoritarianism is a mystery. People will tell you who they are. Believe them. The current American president has been in the role before and, for decades, has told the world who he is. Yet more than half of Americans actively voted him back into office or inactively sat back and watched it happen.

Former U.S. president, Barack Obama, criticized actions being taken against American law firms and universities. He encouraged taking a stand, saying: “We’re at one of those moments where it’s not enough to say you’re for something. You may actually have to do something and possibly sacrifice a little bit. So, if you’re a law firm being threatened, you might have to say, ‘Okay, we will lose some business because we’re going to stand for a principle.’“

And therein lies the crux of the problem. Core principles for many law firms are two-fold: finance and fragility. Many firms operate according to pocketbook principles where they are effectively enslaved by their own success as well as trapped by financial aspirations of higher year-over-year revenue targets and expectations of profit per partner (PPP) payouts. Combine this with the very real factor of law firm fragility that belies powerhouse facades and swaggering behaviour. Barnacle-like adherence to pocketbook principles is often a major factor of law firm failure.

We are seeing the ugliness of pocketbook principles play out before our very eyes every day right now and it is a horrendous spectacle for everyone concerned.

Getting Gutted

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are also being impacted in North American markets, legal and otherwise. While dismantling of DEI programs began in the U.S., this tactic is creeping into Canada, Europe and globally.

Twenty U.S. law firms being questioned by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are planning to refuse to hand over information pertaining to their client’s diversity initiatives due to concerns over confidentiality. That they’re even being asked is a Big Brother tactic straight out of George Orwell’s dystopian novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four where “Big Brother is watching you” is a stark reminder of oppressive surveillance and control exerted by the government. In the novel, the state is fictional. In our world, it’s real.

DEI is a critical component of positioning in the modern global legal services market. This is because, historically, traditional law firm talent and, oftentimes, leadership has tended to favour those who are male, pale, stale, and straight. DEI programs and processes are designed to enable remedies for change by removing measurements and influences of the past along with personal and professional bias.

By choosing DEI action or inaction, law firms signal and adopt both a market position and corporate reputation for which they are judged by clients and talent, current and prospective.

There are firms in Canada and elsewhere that are stalwart in their support of DEI as a foundational pillar of strong business. In contrast, half-action, throttling back or program pausing isn’t the choice of champions regardless of market pressures, and whether any of those pressures are real or perceived, or convenient and invented.

Powerful Quitting

Never suffer in silence. That was advice given to me many years ago by the founder of a company with whom I worked for a very short time in a role where I hated every single second and yet was determined to power through. Her advice resulted in my immediate resignation and departure. Both of us were happier because we gained freedom: me to  pursue other interests and she to find my replacement.

“Hire slow; fire fast” is a management adage that also works. I know this from managing both small and large teams in legal and corporate settings. I also fired myself thrice before the age of 40 from roles where the fit turned out to be uncomfortable to the point of just plain wrong, and personal and professional principles became unaligned to the point of painful. Each time, I sensed trouble in the first half-day, was gone in three, and every departure was a gift I gave myself.  

The key to leaving well is to depart with grace and, most importantly, walk out with your head up. Life is too short to feel trapped and be unhappy. Quitting for right reasons is liberating. No one will die and you will be fine. In fact, you’ll be better than fine. I was, still am, and have never been happier.

Optimistic Contrarians

Confidence is the belief in your capabilities and how you convert them into actions. It is also about your capacity to overcome challenges. Confidence is the core of fearlessness. Fearlessness is mandatory and will be for the foreseeable future as life in legal becomes tougher to navigate, never mind survive and, hopefully, thrive.

The hijacking of the U.S. legal services market and its global repercussions means that legions of legal and professional talent at all levels worldwide as well as a myriad of clients must remain clear-eyed and thinking long-term. Closing your eyes and ears to this craziness will not make it go away. Most importantly, actions must happen swiftly and decisively before continuation of asinine authoritarian, frenetically oscillating, and schizophrenic behaviour becomes a new normal.

The world needs optimistic contrarians: strong people who think fast and clearly, and whose actions are decisive and fearless. Each of us is much more influential than we think and one hundred times more powerful than we believe ourselves to be. That power must be united, harnessed, and used for good.

We also need to retain our senses of humour and the ridiculous. Forty years ago, my mother overheard two men—one a sober whippersnapper, the other an inebriated knight of the road—in heated conversation outside a Toronto grocery store. The sober whippersnapper said, “If you didn’t drink, you wouldn’t be in the state you’re in.” The inebriated knight snapped back, “Whadaya mean ‘what state I’m in’; I’m in Canada.”

Humour in dark situations can be lifesaving and bridge-building. Even so, I’ve been described as fearless for as long as I can remember. That’s because for me being fearful is both a waste of time and depletion of energy. The power of fearlessness is best put to use working alongside others to find and execute improvement solutions for those I love, like, live and work with, and may never even know.

Professionally, I don’t have a dog in this fight. Personally, as a proud Canadian wrapped in the flag, I have a country. Like all those threatened by bullying behaviour—within the legal sector and in general—I am, and we are, fearless.

We will remain so. Bring it.

Heather Suttie is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading authorities on legal market strategy and management of legal services firms.

Since 1998, she has advised leaders of premier law firms and legal service providers — Global to Solo | BigLaw to NewLaw — on innovative growth strategies pertaining to business, markets, management, and clients. The result is creation of new value and accelerated performance achieved through a distinctive one of one legal market position and sustained competitive advantage leading to greater market share, revenue, and profits.

Heather writes on these issues at heathersuttie.ca and can be reached at heather@heathersuttie.ca.

June, 2025 | Article

How AI Agents Are Empowering Law Firm IT Leaders and Solo Lawyers in 2025

Damir Grubisa damir.grubisa@g4ns.com
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Author Damir Grubisa

In 2025, law firms, especially smaller practices and solo practitioners, are under more pressure than ever to deliver faster, more accurate legal services without increasing costs. That’s where AI agents come in. These intelligent systems are changing the game by automating routine tasks, enhancing compliance, and improving client experience, with minimal IT overhead.

What Are AI Agents?

AI agents are intelligent, task-driven systems that operate autonomously or alongside humans. Think of them as your virtual paralegals capable of managing legal research, document review, scheduling, and even client communication without constant input.

Why IT Decision-Makers Are Embracing AI Agents

  • Reduce Manual Workload
    AI agents handle repetitive tasks like document drafting, legal research, and data entry, freeing up time for legal professionals and reducing the need for additional hires.
  • Enhance Cybersecurity & Compliance
    Agents can use automated checklists and alerts to monitor data for anomalies, flag risky behavior, and help maintain compliance with privacy laws (e.g., PIPEDA, GDPR).
  • Streamline IT Support
    Many AI tools integrate directly into Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or cloud case management systems, making deployment simple and reducing support tickets for your IT team.


Key Use Cases for Small Firms & Solo Lawyers

  • Automated Document Review
    AI agents check for errors, missing clauses, and outdated references by uploading contracts or pleadings.
  • Legal Research Assistant
    Ask a legal question, get citations and summaries from Canadian and international case law in seconds.
  • Client Intake Bots
    Collect key information, schedule consultations, and securely store documents with zero manual input.
  • Billing and Time Tracking
    AI agents log hours, generate invoices, and flag discrepancies automatically, making the admin nearly invisible.


Quick Wins with Low Investment

For solo lawyers and smaller firms, many AI solutions today are cloud-based, affordable, and require no in-house server infrastructure. Setup can take less than a day, with tools tailored for law firms now offering pre-trained legal models and document templates.


Final Thought

AI agents are no longer just for big law. In 2025, solo practitioners and small firms using AI tools are closing the efficiency gap and outperforming larger competitors. Whether you're an IT manager supporting 10 users or a solo lawyer managing every task yourself, AI is your leverage.

Damir Grubisa serves as the President of Group 4 Networks Inc., an IT management consulting firm. With a wealth of experience as a senior business leader and entrepreneur, he has operated at the CIO level, boasting extensive training in IT and IT architecture.

Damir brings a distinctive and proven skill set to his roles as a consultant and corporate IT director. He holds a strong record of success in constructing and revitalizing both private and public sector IT organizations across North America and the global market.

His background encompasses a spectrum of experiences, including launching start-ups, spearheading IT restructuring, driving change management initiatives, implementing IT service management based on the ITIL framework, and showcasing adept project management skills.

In challenging environments, Damir has steered numerous organizations by cultivating teamwork, effectively communicating, and adeptly executing IT and corporate objectives.

At Group 4 Networks, we work closely with your team to shadow your existing processes, identify areas for improvement, and uncover opportunities for significant cost savings. Our executive-level cybersecurity assessment will help you streamline your strategy, optimize performance, and enhance resilience."

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