I once had a partner who I will call Marvin. Marvin was a capable lawyer who had a specialty in a particular area of litigation. … Read More »Getting Out Of Your Own Way To Succeed in Law and Life
(A Cautionary Tale For Lawyers of All Ages) Back quite a while ago somewhere in Ontario, a fellow who I will call Sam started a… Read More »Caution: Law Firm Built On Quicksand Ahead
Some time ago there was a fellow who I will call Jack. Jack had invented a product and had found a large company to be… Read More »Sometimes Law Firms Do Not Tell the Whole Truth
Back quite a few years ago, I was out for lunch with one of my associates who for today will be called “Samantha”. We were… Read More »Negotiating With Idiots
I attended my first closing of a commercial transaction when I was an articling student. It was a rather large share transaction. The closing started… Read More »Time Travel on the HMCS Document
Legend has it that years ago in Toronto there was a law firm which embarked on what was then a somewhat unusual exercise. At the… Read More »Twenty-Two Tips for Keeping Legal Clients Happy
When negotiating an agreement, clients are often happy to hear that the other side’s lawyer is going to do the drafting. They assume that their… Read More »The Games That Lawyers Play
“The sharp employ the sharp; verily, a man may be known by his attorney.” Douglas William Jerrold Criminal lawyers are often required to represent those… Read More »The Sharp Employ The Sharp
It is a poorly kept secret in the legal profession that some lawyers are much better than other lawyers. Marketing would have you believe that… Read More »Is Your Lawyer Any Good?
When I started practicing business law immediately after being called to the Bar, I had just been rejected for hire-back with the firm where I… Read More »Lessons from my Loony Early Days of Practice