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CCCA_V3No2_Orders-FIN.qxd:CCCA_V1No1_DriversSeat-FIN.qxd 4/27/09 5:04 PM Page 18 Cover Tony Sutcliffe Vice-President and General Counsel Ricoh Canada Mississauga conomic downturn. Recession. Once-in-a-century credit crisis. Call it what you will, the current financial landscape Ehas corporations trimming fat with greater zeal than ever, and legal spend is no exception. Like other cost centres,many legal departments are being forced to tighten their belts, and that, in turn, means taking a hard look at their outsourcing budget. “Unless you start downsizing by headcount,your only other real expense aside from pencils and paper is outside counsel costs,” explainsTony Sutcliffe,vice-president and general counsel of office equipment company Ricoh Canada. “That’s the one that we’re getting the pressure on.” But with law firm rates continuing to rise and legal departments facing a heavier workload,thanks to more regulatory demands and an increasingly litigious public, how do you keep outside counsel costs in line — and a smile on the face of your CFO? 18 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association SUMMER 2009