Law Times - Newsmakers

2016 top news, newsmakers and cases 11 IT WAS MERGER FEVER in 2016 as a number of law firms and alterna- tive legal service providers announced plans to combine forces across Canada. In January, alternative services fi rm Cognition LLP an- nounced it had sold part of its business to U.S.-based Axiom. Cognition would separate into two distinct entities: Axiom Cog- nition, serving corporate clients with in-house departments, and Caravel Law, a law fi rm serving small and medium-sized enter- prises without internal legal departments. en in March, Conduit Law LLP announced it was forming a new legal entity with Deloitte and would become Deloitte Con- duit Law LLP and off er outsourced lawyers and other services to support in-house legal departments as well as law fi rms. Also that month, business immigration fi rm Egan LLP and tax law fi rm Couzin Taylor LLP merged to form EY Law LLP. Dimock Stratton LLP and DLA Piper (Canada) LLP Later in the year, on Sept. 20, Dimock Stratton LLP and DLA Piper (Canada) LLP said they would merge. Starting Nov. 1, lawyers from the intellectual property fi rm began joining DLA Piper's Toronto offi ce. With six offi ces across the country, the Canadian arm of DLA Piper joined with the global DLA Piper group, which spans more than 30 countries, in April 2015. Founded in 1994 by Ron Dimock and Bruce Stratton, Di- mock Stratton specializes in intellectual property litigation, as well as the acquisition, licensing and portfolio management of patents, trademarks and copyrights. Bruce Stratton, partner at Dimock Stratton LLP, said he will be a partner with DLA Piper (Canada) LLP. Dimock Stratton has 19 lawyers, 16 of which will be joining DLA Piper (Can- ada) LLP, while two partners and one associate are forming their own fi rm, he said. e offi ces of Dimock Stratton are moving to First Cana- dian Place in Toronto. " e legal market is changing and becoming more of a global market, and for intellectual property, the global aspect is key and we see this as a way of connecting into an incredible global network," said Stratton. Norton Rose Fulbright and Bull Housser On Sept. 12, global fi rm Norton Rose Fulbright LLP announced it had acquired B.C. regional fi rm Bull Housser Tupper LLP. e merger joins Bull Housser's 90 lawyers and a Vancouver offi ce with Norton Rose Fulbright's stable of more than 3,800 lawyers globally, with 575 in Canadian offi ces including Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City. e merger will take eff ect Jan. 1, 2017. MacPherson Leslie & Tyerman LLP and Aikins MacAulay & orvaldson LLP On Sept. 21, MacPherson Leslie & Tyerman LLP (MLT) and Ai- kins MacAulay & orvaldson LLP (Aikins) announced their merger. Eff ective Jan. 1, 2017, the two law fi rms are joining together as MLT Aikins LLP (MLT Aikins), Western Canada's Law Firm. top stories Bruce Stratton Canadian law firm mergers continue from east to west BY PATRICIA CANCILLA Dimock Stratton LLP joined with DLA Piper (Canada) LLP for global reach Integrated Legal Marketing Solutions LawyerMarketingCanada.com/solutions Put Your Digital Marketing Tactics into High Gear Untitled-1 1 2016-11-22 8:05 AM

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