Law Times

PAGE 16 Enabling Lawyers through Technology Tel: 416.322.6111 Toll-free: 1.866.367.7648 doprocess com www The Inside Story NETWORKING KEY, SAYS SURVEY A new survey suggests legal sup- port professionals looking for a job can get by with a little help from their friends. "Many attorneys are asking their professional or personal con- tacts to recommend highly skilled candidates who can support grow- ing practice areas such as bank- ruptcy and litigation or staff large projects," said Robert Half Legal executive director Charles Volkert. "As the job market becomes more competitive, it is crucial for paralegals and legal secretaries to hone their networking skills." The legal staffing service devel- oped the survey, which was con- ducted by an independent research firm and draws on responses from 300 lawyers in the U.S. and Cana- da. More than half of those queried — 51 per cent — said networking, personal, or peer referrals are the best way to acquire support staff. The second-highest response, at 21 per cent, was seeking the expertise of a staffing or placement firm. OTTAWA FIRM GOES GLOBAL The addition of former White & Case LLP lawyer Andrew de Lotbinière McDougall has prompted Ottawa firm Perley- Robertson Hill & McDougall LLP to launch an international arbitration group. McDougall, an Ottawa native, previously spent nine years in Paris with White & Case. "Our clients require solutions to problems that extend beyond borders," said Perley-Robertson senior partner Aaron Rubinoff. "The knowledge and expertise that Andrew brings to the firm enables us to better serve our clients whose business affairs are global in nature and contributes to attracting more international business to the firm." The firm said McDougall acts as both counsel and arbitrator, and has acted on matters involving several billions of dollars through- out the globe. He has dealt with cross-border disputes on issues such as joint ventures, oil and gas, construction, mergers and acqui- sitions, intellectual property, tele- communications, defence, power, mining, and other natural resourc- es, said the firm. "I look forward to continuing my practice based in Ottawa and to building an international ar- bitration group at the firm," said McDougall. "I believe that my ex- perience will benefit the firm and its clients." PROTESTING THE BILLABLE HOUR Evan R. Chesler, a presiding part- ner at U.S. firm Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP, offers an insightful argument for the death of the bill- able hour in Forbes magazine. The thrust of his concise argu- ment is summed up in the follow- ing paragraph: "The billable hour makes no sense, not even for lawyers. If you are successful and win a case early on, you put yourself out of work. If you get bogged down in a land war in Asia, you make more money. That is frankly nuts." Read the full piece at www.forbes.com/opinions/ forbes/2009/0112/026.html. BOROVOY HONOURED BY LAW FOUNDATION Toronto's Alan Borovoy will re- ceive this year's Guthrie Award Medal, getting the nod from the Law Foundation of Ontario for his stellar contributions to society and the legal profession at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. "Throughout Mr. Borovoy's illustrious 40-year career with CCLA, he has been an advocate for the rights and freedoms of people who might otherwise be denied them and has devoted extraordi- nary amounts of time and energy to enabling ordinary citizens to engage with justice issues," said the LFO in announcing the award. The award, created in 1996 and in honour of former LFO chairman Donald Guthrie, "is bestowed upon individuals or organizations that demonstrate outstanding public service, make significant contributions to ac- cess to justice, and symbolize ex- cellence in the legal profession," according to LFO. Borovoy, who recently an- nounced his impending departure from the CCLA, will receive the award Jan. 15 following a 5:30 p.m. reception at the University of LT For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com "Guilty, Your Honour." WHICH DIRECTION IS BEST FOR YOU? RainMaker Group 110 Yonge Street, Suite 1101 Toronto, Ontario M5C 1T4 Untitled-7 1 Tel: 416-863-9543 Fax: 416-863-9757 www.rainmakergroup.ca www.lawtimesnews.com 5/29/08 1:05:49 PM WHO SAYS COPS DON'T HAVE FEELINGS? TAIPEI, Taiwan — A Mr. Lee was turning 49 and wanted to celebrate his birthday, but not having much, he stole a goose from a local betel nut plantation. The cops in the southern township of Neipu nabbed him as he tried to get away with the bird. But after bringing him back to the station, the police took pity on the poor, lonely man, so bought him a cake and sang happy birthday to him. "It was his birthday and he stole it to celebrate, so we bought him a cake," said Hsiao Chi-liang, second in command at the local police station. "He was very surprised." Nevertheless, police have sent Lee's case to the prosecutor's office for possible trial. CREATIVE BUT NOT VERY SAFE LAGOS, Nigeria — In Canada, people will whinge and moan about having new laws that force you to wear helmets, be they on motorcycles or bicycles or even snowmobiles, but at the end of the day, people will get the helmets and move on. It's not so easy for those in countries where helmets are considered very expensive. So it's no surprise that in typ- ical African style, Nigerians have come up with creative ways to keep with the spirit of a new law requiring motorcycle taxi riders to wear safety helmets. Many taxi riders out and out WORST BOSS IN BRITAIN LONDON, England — A Guildford Crown Court judge branded Michael Parker as Brit- ain's cruelest boss then sent him off to jail for eight months. Parker, who ran a garden- ing business, was found guilty of five different attacks on em- ployee Mark Reene, including knifing him, punching out his two front teeth, gouging at his eyes, and stabbing him with a pitchfork. Judge Michael Addison heard Reene kept returning to work for six months because he feared Parker would hurt his family. The first assault came when Reene failed to hold a log straight as it was being cut with January 12, 2009 • Law Times Bizarre Briefs By Viola James refuse to wear anything other riders have worn arguing they'll get some kind of disease or be put under a black-magic spell. But others are donning ev- erything from dried fruit shells to pieces of used rubber tires and old pots and pans to "pro- tect" their heads. Construction workers have apparently set up a lucrative trade in, renting out their safety helmets. But while creative, police aren't impressed and scores of people have been arrested. "They use pots, plates, cala- bashes, rubber, and plastic as makeshift helmets," said Yusuf Garba, commander of the Fed- eral Road Safety Commission in the northern town of Kano. "We will not tolerate this." a chainsaw. Parker, 51, rained blows into his face before hit- ting him in the groin with the switched-off machine. The fifth attack — in which Reene lost his teeth and was stabbed in the butt with the pitchfork — was seen by two colleagues, and the victim went to police. DOG DESERVES TO RIDE SUBWAY NEW YORK — Estelle Stamm is 65, suffers from post- traumatic stress disorder and partial hearing loss, and has a 120-pound dog named Wargas who goes everywhere with her. The trouble is the New York transit authority doesn't see her as really disabled and therefore covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act, which would al- low her to bring her dog on the subway. Stamm has already won a $10,000 suit against the city after police gave her a ticket for bringing her pony-sized pooch into a subway station. Now she's launched a $10-million federal lawsuit claiming her dog is a service dog protected by the act. The Manhattan woman claims the dog helps to protect her from childhood memories of sexual abuse. "These sons of bitches don't like to be told what to do," Stamm told the Daily News as she waited for a federal judge to decide whether the suit should be tossed. "I don't have a choice. I need my dog. And they [NYC transit] don't have a choice, ei- ther. They have to follow the law." Transit lawyers quote one of Stamm's own Internet post- ings that says livestock dogs like Wargas are genetically wired with "tremendous kill- LT

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