Law Times

Page 4 September 16, 2013 Law Times • NEWS Stewart McKelvey launches Ottawa presence Former MacKay chief of staff returns to Atlantic Canada law firm BY ELIZABETH THOMPSON For Law Times OTTAWA — Perched in his new office atop the Chateau Laurier that's between the Parliament Buildings and the Department of National Defence where he worked for so many years, John MacDonell is looking comfortable in his new role. The walls feature memorabilia accumulated over the more than seven years he spent as chief of staff to Conservative cabinet minister Peter MacKay. On his desk are memos related to his new job as the head of Atlantic Canada law firm Stewart McKelvey's new Ottawa office. "I am absolutely thrilled to be practising law again," says MacDonell. "I loved it for the time that I did, about 10 years, and I was eager to get back at it." While Stewart McKelvey bills itself as Atlantic Canada's largest regional law firm with six offices and more than 220 lawyers, opening an Ottawa office is a new adventure for the firm. However, MacDonell takes pains to point out that the office isn't a beachhead designed to poach clients away from existing Ottawa firms. "It turns out that there "My mission is not to were people in the firm and compete with Ontario in the firm's senior managefirms. My mission is to be ment that had it on their available to Ontario firms minds for quite a while that when they have conflict we should consider having files, to be available to new a presence in the nation's clients who come to me capital and that my desire based on efforts I have to return to the firm and made, but I certainly don't my need to stay in Ottawa poach files or clients. dovetailed very well with "My mission is to offer a the vision of the firm's leadwhole new range of counership that we should have sel and advice that our a presence in Ottawa," says existing clients in Atlantic MacDonell. Canada may need in their MacDonell left his job dealings with any level of with MacKay in June and government." 'I am absolutely thrilled to be practising law opened Stewart McKelvey's Stewart McKelvey's deci- again,' says John MacDonell. new office in August. A sion to expand into Ottawa had a lot to do with MacDonell, who took a current member of the Nova Scotia bar, he'll leave as a partner with the firm in 2006 when attend his Ontario call to the bar ceremony he went to work for MacKay, someone he de- on Sept. 18. MacDonell says Stewart McKelvey's Otscribes as one of his best friends. In January, newly married with three step- tawa office will focus on three areas: litigation, children and now another child on the way, advising clients dealing with governments, MacDonell decided it was time to return to the and helping existing Ottawa firms that find themselves in a conflict. practice of law and approached his old firm. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: LAURIE PAWLITZA, Treasurer Emeritus, Law Society of Upper Canada LAURIE PAWLITZA, Treasurer Emeritus, Law Society of Upper Canada LAURIE PAWLITZA, Treasurer Emeritus, Law Society of Upper Canada AND AND JORDAN FURLONG, Lawyer, Speaker, Consultant AND JORDAN FURLONG, Lawyer, Speaker, Consultant TO DEBATE JORDAN FURLONG, Lawyer, Speaker, Consultant TO DEBATE "Should Stay or Should Go" Stay or Should "Should IITO DEBATE IIGo" "Should I Stay or please visit, Go" For further information regarding this eventShould I www.lexpert.ca/zenith or contact any one of our Account Executives at media.sales@thomsonreuters.com or For further information regarding this •event please visit, 416-649-9919 Grace So at 416-609-5838 Joseph Galea at www.lexpert.ca/zenith or contact any one of • Kimberlee Pascoe at at Steffanie Munroe at 416-315-5879 our Account Executives416-649-8875 media.sales@thomsonreuters.com or call 416-649-8841 Signature Sponsor Lexpert_LT_Sep9_13.indd 1 Platinum Sponsor Hosted in partnership with www.lawtimesnews.com Community Supporter 13-09-04 3:30 PM MacDonell's background is in litigation in just about every area except criminal and tax law. However, Stewart McKelvey has other lawyers skilled in those fields, he points out. MacDonell says he has had a warm welcome from Ottawa's legal community and has offered his services to local firms that suddenly find themselves in a conflict of interest in connection with one of their clients' files. "Because I have the resources and the expertise of a very large firm behind me in addition to my own experience, I can do a good job on that file, but because it is only me, their client relationship is safe." However, one of MacDonell's greatest areas of expertise is helping clients navigate the corridors of government and Parliament Hill. While MacDonell can't lobby the federal government for five years, he can draw clients a road map. "I can give advice on how to navigate the machinery of government. In my experience in government, most people and companies don't really need to hire lobbyists. Most sophisticated people and companies — and there are so many of those in Atlantic Canada — have the wherewithal to do it for themselves if they are just given the right advice and guidance and counsel on how to do it." However, MacDonell says he's under no prohibition when it comes to lobbying provincial, municipal or foreign governments he dealt with for several years. MacDonell notes he has been to NATO headquarters in Belgium more times than he can count and even his 12 trips to Afghanistan could prove useful. "You would be surprised how many Canadian businesses are doing business with the government of Afghanistan in one way or another." MacDonell is proud of the years he spent with MacKay and the things they accomplished, such as setting up the annual Halifax International Security forum, getting a deal to allow the development of the Lower Churchill hydroelectric project, and the Crown share agreement that allows Nova Scotia to benefit from its offshore oil and gas resources without clawbacks through cuts in transfer payments. However, he's glad he left before MacKay became federal justice minister in July. "In terms of being able to comment on justice matters and to give clients advice on matters involving the Department of Justice, it's better that I didn't serve in that department." As for the future of Stewart McKelvey's Ottawa office, MacDonnell says that will be up to its clients. "It will grow if our clients need it to grow." LT

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