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CCCA_V6No1_Dept-Performance-FIN_CCCA_V5No3_Dept-Performance 2/13/12 4:26 PM Page 10 Performance in the Law Department of commercial activity are the object of departments. Corporate counsel seldom job more interesting, even if it is no less one-off reviews and service by the legal have “juniors” available to whom they can frenetic. Combine this with demand fore- department and not reduced to standard delegate tasks. All lawyers have their own casting, service level agreements, standard- forms and templates for use by the busi- “clients” and full workloads. So there is ization and templates, and protocols on ness units. Similarly, there is little evidence little evidence of team-based lawyering. when and how to call on legal services, of legal project management methodology Too much of every day is spent by senior and business units will be receive better for complex work by the legal depart- counsel on work which should be dele- value. ment. Setting aside enough time to devel- gated to other members of the legal op these tools is a challenge in legal department — if they were available, or Richard G. Stock, departments that run flat out. It requires on work that should be pushed back into M.A., FCIS, collaboration with the business unit and the user community. Together, this can CMC is a partner procurement. Their level of complexity consume up to 30 per cent of senior with Catalyst and applicability will vary. Real estate, counsel’s time. Consulting. The commercial loans, licensing agreements While freeing up 30 per cent of coun- firm has been desig- and many other areas of activity can be sel’s time will not reduce the workload, nated the Preferred streamlined to have the legal department it will allow the legal department to Provider for Legal Department Consulting involved on an exceptions-only basis. deploy counsel on more strategic work, to by the Canadian Corporate Counsel Paralegals and other experienced possibly in-source or co-counsel work Association. Richard can be reached at (416) technical support are hard to find in legal from external counsel, and to make the 367-4447 or at rstock@catalystlegal.com. 10 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association SPRING 2012