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PAGE 4 NEWS Macleod Dixon expands abroad M BY DIANE COOK For Law Times acleod Dixon LLP has opened an offi ce in Bogota as part of the fi rm's strategic development plan put into motion 20 years ago. "We want to remain a market leader in the energy industry here in Calgary, but the fi rm also sees an opportunity to provide its expertise and knowledge to other geographical locations in the world," says managing partner Bill Tuer. Th e offi ce in Bogota came about in response to Macleod Dixon's clients' cur- rent and future demand for legal services in Colombia. Since 2008, the fi rm has represented dozens of clients on Colom- bian matters, most recently the US$1.9- billion Ecopetrol-Talisman deal and the US$200-million Frontino-Gran Colom- bia and Medoro Resources deal. Tuer says there are many mid-size oil-and-gas prospects in Colombia. "Co- lombia attracts small- to mid-size Cana- dian energy companies, more than the majors. Colombia was also ranked by International Finance Corp. as No. 1 for ease of doing business in South America, which makes it a relatively friendly coun- try in which to do business." Tuer also says there's strong indi- cation from Macleod Dixon's clients that there will be more legal work to come. As well, there's signifi cant in- terest from a number of companies in Calgary's energy sector in doing busi- ness in Colombia. "Not only is Colombia next door to Venezuela, which is ranked as one of the world's leaders with respect to oil reserves, but Canada and Colombia recently signed the Canada-Colombia free-trade agreement. Although sub- ject to proclamation, the [agreement] is expected to enhance trade relations between the two countries and provide investment-protection mechanisms, which will encourage and facilitate fu- ture investment in both directions." Th e Bogota location, Macleod Dixon's fi fth international offi ce, cur- rently employs six lawyers, and the September 20, 2010 • Law timeS fi rm is in the process of hiring more. At the same time, MacLeod Dix- on isn't the only Canadian fi rm to look beyond the traditional fi nancial centres of London and New York in the search for international business. Many have been opening up offi ces abroad for years. Gowling Lafl eur Henderson LLP, for example, is currently celebrating its 20th year in the Russian market, while more recently, Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP identifi ed the Middle East as a vast untapped market. Last fall, the fi rm opened up an offi ce in Bahrain complemented by another location in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Saud Al-Ammari, a Harvard Law School-trained Saudi lawyer, joined Blakes in order to act as managing part- ner for the fi rm's new offi ces. He works in partnership with Dan Fournier, a member of Blakes' executive committee who jets between the Middle East region and his base in Calgary. LT With fi les from Michael McKiernan. Bill Tuer Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP becomes FMC Rebranding exercise is more than just a cosmetic move, CEO says BY MICHAEL McKIERNAN Law Times F raser Milner Casgrain LLP is hoping its new compass logo points it in the direction of more business and bigger contracts as the legal services market shrinks in Canada. Th e change of logo is part of a major rebranding eff ort launched last week by the fi rm that will see it rename itself as FMC. Th e new look comes with a brand new web site de- sign and a national advertising campaign. "We hope to expand our ho- rizons in terms of clients both domestically and internation- ally," says FMC CEO Chris Pinnington. "We've not only freshened our face to the world but we're going to be empha- sizing it more. Th at's impor- tant in any competitive envi- ronment, and we certainly are operating in a very competitive and dynamic environment for legal services." Th e new look, which has been in the works for six months from design to execu- tion, represents a restatement of the fi rm's forward-looking approach to the law, according to Pinnington. "I'm not suggesting that Subscribe to Law Times Why pay extra for your legal news? Cutting-edge legal affairs, news and commentary for just 37¢ a day! Make the time for Law Times and keep up with all the developments in Ontario's legal scene. Subscribe today and receive: • Unlimited access to the Law Times digital editions and to our digital edition archives...FREE • Canadian Legal Newswire, a weekly e-newsletter from the editors of Law Times and Canadian Lawyer...FREE a new logo in and of itself represents a transformation of what we are, but it's a bet- ter, more accurate refl ection of who we are and how our clients in the business community see us," he says. Pinnington notes it's particu- larly important to demonstrate to clients that the fi rm is pre- pared to adapt to the changing legal marketplace as they rede- fi ne the meaning of value with increasing expectations. Since he took over the reins as CEO from Michel Brunet in February, Pinnington has also appointed John Rider as the fi rm's fi rst chief client offi cer. "It's all part and parcel of the same client-centric strategy that we're strongly pursuing," Pinnington says. Rider will play a key role in proving that the changes at FMC are more than just cos- metic by, for example, leading client audits and surveys. "I believe very strongly that we have very positive momen- tum from a number of direc- tions, and the logo, which is very striking for a law fi rm, is in part a refl ection of that momen- tum," Pinnington says. Th e FMC redesign is the q Send me 1 year of Law Times for only $159.00 (plus applicable taxes) Name: __________________________________________________________________________ Company: _______________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________ City: ____________________________ Prov: _______________ Postal Code: __________________ Tel: ( ) _______________________ Fax: ( ) ______________________ Email: ____________________________________________________________________________ q Payment enclosed q Charge my: q Visa q Mastercard q American Express Card #: __________________________________ Expiry Date: ___ / ___ (mm/yy) Signature (required): ________________________________________________ Date: ________________ 240 Edward St. Aurora, ON. L4G 3S9 Tel: (905) 727-0077 Fax: (905) 841-4357 Mail or fax this form to Law Times www.lawtimesnews.com LT Sub ad - 1/4-3X.indd 1 9/17/10 9:19:28 AM Marketplace OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE SUBLEASE of office space available. Gorgeous 2,271 square feet of office space is available on sublease. Lease is up for renewal July 31, 2011. Located at Dufferin and Finch, in the Ontario Court of Justice complex. Includes 7 indoor parking spaces, 100 square feet of base- ment level locked storage, and 3 months FREE rent. Contact: Sara Young 416-665-7333 ext. 31 or sara@printaction.com. To advertise call 905-841-6481 John Rider will play a key role in proving that the changes at FMC are more than just cosmetic. latest in a series of law fi rm rebranding exercises. Earlier this year, Gowling Lafl eur Hen- derson LLP unveiled its new web site that's anchored by a simple homepage and nine-box navigation bar. Th e move came a decade after the fi rm dropped Lafl eur and Henderson to go simply by Gowlings. Torys LLP made a similar move at around the same time to get around the problem of unwieldy offi cial names. LT www .lawtimesnews.com Includes a FREE digital edition!