Law Times

PAGE 2 Ottawa lawyers find harmony in the Verdict NEWS BY ELIZABETH THOMPSON For Law Times OTTAWA — Ottawa family law- yer Gerry Yemensky divides his life between two passions: his love of the law and his love of rock and roll. "I've been playing in bands for about 15 years longer than I have been a lawyer, a rock-and-roll star, I would be a rock-and-roll star. But I can't." However, Yemensky regularly "It's my first love. If I could be " says Yemensky. gets a chance to crank up his Stra- tocaster and let his inner rock star loose as lead guitarist for the Ver- dict, an Ottawa rock band com- posed mostly of lawyers. During the band' 20-year existence, it has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for local causes from can- cer research to children' s more than ties. It has helped raise so much money that in 2006, the band received the County of Carleton Law Association' s Gordon F. s chari- Henderson award for charitable contributions to the community. But beyond helping chari- ties, the Verdict has also become a way for six busy Ottawa-area lawyers to escape the stresses of demanding practices. "It' says Yemensky. "When you're playing rock s just fun, it's sheer catharsis," and roll, you're not doing any- thing else and that' than I can say." s worth more with Campbell Clark Yemensky, is one of three original members still playing with the band along with vocalist Mike Van Dusen, a civil litigation lawyer who prac- tises in Russell, Ont., and Jim Wilson, an insurance defence lawyer with Bell Baker LLP who plays keyboard. Over the years, they have Yemensky, who practises Peter Van Dusen (left), Mike Van Dusen, and Gerry Yemensky perform at a recent concert by the Verdict. Photo: Elizabeth Thompson added vocalist Tom Ozere, a personal injury lawyer and partner at Borden Ladner Ger- vais LLP, and family lawyer Ali- son Campbell to the band. The most recent legal talent to join the band is guitarist Martin St- Onge, a real estate lawyer with Perley-Robertson Hill & Mc- Dougall LLP. He replaced gui- tarist Max Faille, who found it difficult to juggle the band with his busy aboriginal law practice as a partner at Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP. nine-piece band aren't lawyers: Peter Van Dusen, a TV journal- ist and executive producer for CPAC on Parliament Hill; bass- ist Dave Weston, salesman for the Tippet Richardson moving company; and drummer Brant Scott, who works with Capital Ideas Communications. Only three members of the of Ottawa law firms have their own in-house rock bands, what sets the Verdict apart is how long it has been around and the fact that it puts on public shows eight to 10 times a year for charity. The band first came together While a surprising number in the late 1980s to play at the eastern civil litigation confer- ence. The group of young law- yers, most of them not long out of law school, played music for the conference' ed to play more frequently and help raise money for charities around Ottawa. Over the years, the band In the early 1990s, they decid- s cabaret night. November 12, 2012 • Law Times members and their families have become a tight-knit group as they watched their careers evolve, their children grow up, and sometimes went on golf trips or vacations together. Yemensky says the band' ences are typically people between 35 and 60 years old "who don't get out very much anymore. songs that they danced to in high school. "We try to feed them the " " members are lawyers means that music oſten harmonizes with their professional lives. "You do shop talk while you're The fact that so many band setting up and breaking down and having a beer, With more than 1,400 pages of essential legal references, Ontario Lawyer's Phone Book is your best connection to legal services in Ontario. Subscribers can depend on the credibility, accuracy and currency of this directory year after year. More detail and a wider scope of legal contact information for Ontario than any other source: More than 26,000 lawyers More than 9,000 law firms and corporate offices Fax and telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, office locations and postal codes Lists of: Federal and provincial judges Federal courts, including a section for federal government departments, boards and commissions Small claims courts Miscellaneous services for lawyers all the time." band have different kinds of prac- tices means they can give each other advice and refer clients among the group. Gigs have also resulted in business for some band members by increasing their pro- file in the legal community. "The band is actually quite an interesting marketing tool," says "You bounce ideas off people The fact that members of the " says Yemensky. Ontario courts and services, including a section for provincial government ministries, boards and commissions Contact information that is current, up to date and easy to find: Alphabetical tabs on every page for quick reference Complete address information in every lawyer's listing Special binding that allows the directory to lay flat when opened and stay flat Yemensky. However, it also means they can sometimes find themselves on opposite sides in court. Wilson, for example, once found himself up against Van Du- sen and Faille as all of them repre- sented different clients in a lawsuit involving a fatal traffic accident. "We oſten had differences of "Blue pages" to highlight government listings THIS SPECIAL OFFER EXPIRES DECEMBER 1, 2012 Early Bird Multiple Copy Discounts 1-9 copies ................. 10-49 copies ..... .... 100 or more copies On subscription or One time purchase Canadian Law List, a Thomson Reuters business Prices subject to change without notice, and to applicable taxes. Visit carswell.com or call 1.800.387.5164 for a 30-day no-risk evaluation CANADIAN LAW LIST opinion as to where things ought to go on that one, have sometimes provided an opportunity for a pair of band members to chat about a case they're both involved in and move it forward in a less adver- sarial atmosphere than a court of law. Peter Van Dusen says the fact Practices and performances " Wilson recalls. that most of the band members are professionals tends to be re- flected in their music. "You have guys who have spent their entire lives pay- ing attention to detail, noting the lawyers' legal back- grounds also come out when band members discuss new songs for their playlist. "When these guys pitch songs, it's like they have done the case work on why to pitch the song." LT " he says, Untitled-4 1 www.lawtimesnews.com 12-09-11 11:12 AM s audi-

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