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CCCA_V4No2_ProjMgmt-FIN.qxd:CCCA_V1No1_DriversSeat-FIN.qxd 4/29/10 4:25 PM Page 21 Cover Michael Fekete Partner, Business Law Department Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP Toronto “You can’t run a sophisticated law firm without having project management skills.” was designed for work with clearly defined, measurable paths; appropriately, plan for contingencies and generate cost estimates. in the legal industry, his approach is to apply the concepts and The firm developed the project management templates and train- principles of project management, but with less jargon, fewer ing program entirely in-house over the course of 18 months. It formalities and not as much math and metrics.“It’s project man- plans to roll out the initiative firm-wide throughout the year, agement pared down; project management light,” Levy said in with certified project managers in each of its seven offices to an interview. oversee the training and practice among its 650 lawyers. Levy outlines four stages of legal project management: First, Michael Fekete, a partner in Oslers’ business law department initiation — a discussion with the client on the scope of the work and a member of the firm’s billing management committee, has and desired outcome; second, planning — staffing, sourcing, spearheaded his firm’s matter management initiative.“You can’t scheduling and providing budgetary estimates;third,execution — run a sophisticated law firm without having project management delivery of the outcome and ongoing communication with the skills,” Fekete says.Two years ago, he says, Oslers developed soft- client;and fourth,evaluation — assuring client satisfaction,stock- ware for estimating legal fees which can be used as the basis for piling lessons learned and (hopefully) celebrating success. fixed-fee billing. While law firms have only recently begun to adopt project From concept to reality management firm-wide, some trailblazing practice groups pio- ALENA GEDEONOVA for each transaction and litigation practice area, says Blanchard. at BLG began experimenting with project management more neered it much earlier.Trademark and patent lawyers and agents McCarthy Tétrault has developed customized templates tailored Plotting out a matter on the templates allows partners to develop than two decades ago. time lines, define the scope of work, staff and source a matter Joachim Fritz, a patent agent and national leader of the IP and ÉTÉ 2010 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association 21