Law Times

PAGE 4 NEWS November 28, 2011 • Law Times longer to make associates part- ners than they did almost a de- cade ago. Th at's the primary fi nding Troubled times mean challenging year for legal hiring E BY JULIUS MELNITZER For Law Times ven as they thin their partnership ranks, law fi rms aren't taking any John Ohnjec, division direc- tor at Robert Half Legal. It may also be that more senior partners are deferring retirement. "Th e upshot is that fewer positions are available for new partners," says Ohnjec. Still, most large fi rms have from a new Canadian survey de- veloped by Robert Half Legal, a legal staffi ng fi rm, and conduct- ed by an independent research fi rm that canvassed 75 lawyers at the largest law fi rms in Canada. Th e median response in terms of the years it took to make partner was seven. Th at's similar to the results of the last survey in 2003. But that doesn't necessarily mean things are easy for asso- ciates. "Some fi rms have been promoting fewer associates, and competition for partner status has intensifi ed even though it doesn't take any longer for suc- cessful candidates to make part- ner than it took in the past," says weathered the economic storm of the last few years. "You can see that because the percentage of fi rms looking to hire is rising," says Ohnjec. But that doesn't translate into a hiring spree. "Th e fact that more fi rms are hiring doesn't mean that they are hiring in large numbers," says Ohnjec. "It may be that they're intensifying the search for practitioners with books of business or in cer- tain specialties." According to the Robert Half Legal 2012 salary guide, Canadian law fi rms took a "measured approach" to hiring and employers remain "cau- a national basis. Regionally, Toronto saw de- mand for lawyers with litiga- tion and corporate and securi- ties law backgrounds. Ottawa fi rms were looking for intel- lectual property and corporate lawyers. Firms in the western provinces were seeking legal professionals with natural re- sources sector experience. But even where demand 'The fact that more firms are hiring doesn't mean that they are hiring in large numbers,' says John Ohnjec. tious." Intellectual property and corporate law practices were the strongest areas for legal hiring on exists, supply — or at least the right supply — is a problem. Some 81 per cent of 150 law- yers polled for the guide found it challenging to fi nd the legal professionals they needed. Th e global fi nancial crisis has also put a damper on part- ner lateral movement. "Not a lot of partners are anywhere near moving, partly because they don't have the book of business that gives them a lot of leverage and partly because law fi rms aren't prepared to pay the same kind of money they did in boom times," says Adam Lep- ofsky of the RainMaker Group, a legal recruitment fi rm. According to one law fi rm insider, that's an understate- ment. "Th e truth is that there are too many partners and too few deals these days," says the insider, who spoke on condi- tion of anonymity. In terms of experience, the guide indicates that demand will be strongest for associates with two to four years of experience who can handle overfl ow work from senior lawyers practising litigation and intellectual prop- erty and corporate law. "Entry-level lawyers, especial- GET THE LATEST ON SMALL CLAIMS COURT PRACTICE NEW EDITION ONTARIO SMALL CLAIMS COURT PRACTICE 2012 MR. JUSTICE MARVIN A. ZUKER For more than 30 years, Ontario Small Claims Court Practice has offered comprehensive coverage of every aspect of bringing or defending a claim. The new 2012 edition is updated to include all the latest cases and the most recent amendments to the rules and forms. 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In any event, the guide ex- pects that salary increases for fi rst-year associates will be sparse with an expected rise of only 0.4 per cent in 2012 for a range of $82,000 to $89,500 at large law fi rms. Lawyers with one to three years' experience will fare better with salaries rising 1.3 per cent to a range of $87,000 to $119,500. More senior lawyers can look forward to larger increases. Th ose with four to nine years' experi- ence can expect a raise of 2.8 per cent for a range of $126,500 to $228,750, while those with 10 to 12 years' experience will see a 2.9-per-cent boost for a range of $185,000 to $264,750. Th e in-house counsel mar- ket seems more buoyant. Law- yers with four to nine years at the bar, for example, can expect 3.5-per-cent increases, putting AVAILABLE RISK-FREE FOR 30 DAYS Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800 Order online at www.carswell.com Shipping and handling are extra. Price subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. their salaries anywhere from $112,500 to $186,000, while 10 to 12 years of service will merit a three-per-cent raise for a range of $140,250 to $225,000. "In-house teams are get- ting larger, and more and more companies are hiring in-house counsel for the fi rst time," says Bhathal. CORRECTION A Nov. 21 article, "Can lawyers represent their kids ?" misidentifi ed the lawyer who originally represented her son in a family law case. The lawyer's name is Rose- mary Lavalley. The print edition of Law Times identifi ed her as Susan Lavalley. www.lawtimesnews.com

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