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FOR THE top firms in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 2019 is a time of modernization as their leaders say they are adapting to changing client needs and adjusting their operations to attract young talent. With the increasing encroachment of national and inter-national fi rms, they are confi dent their deep roots will hold their place.

Canadian Lawyer’s top Prairie regional fi rms were chosen by hundreds of voters across Canada. Listed alphabeti-cally, the top Manitoba fi rms are Fillmore Riley LLP, MLT Aikins LLP, Pitblado LLP, Taylor McCaffrey LLP and Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP. The top Saskatchewan fi rms, listed alphabetically, are McDougall Gauley LLP, McKercher LLP, Miller Thomson LLP, MLT Aikins LLP and Robertson Stromberg LLP.

Last year, Thompson Dorfman Sweatman packed up its operations at the traditional, downtown-Winnipeg law fi rm hub at Portage and Main and moved to True North Square, a new development owned by the owner of the Winnipeg Jets, not far from Bell MTS Place, where the Jets play.

“I’m looking out my window now, and for the fi rst time in my lifetime, as a Winnipegger, there are cranes in all directions, highrises are going up and the city is shifting, and it’s consistent with what I’ve seen in our fi rm,” says Keith LaBossiere, CEO and managing partner of Thompson Dorfman Sweatman.

The firm’s younger generation is driving a revision of the fi rm’s culture and the fi rm has put a “heavy premium” on new technology to ensure that

working from home — or wherever else — is an available arrangement, LaBos-siere says. The demand for workplace fl exibility is concurrent with growing competition for the talent coming out of law schools, pulling young lawyers in countless directions and putting pres-sure on law fi rms to build an enticing environment, he says.

“Now, a law degree is a ticket to many opportunities. And so, we’ve got to make sure that we continue to be an attrac-tive place to work or these younger law students are going to fi nd other busi-nesses or other endeavours to do with their law degrees,” LaBossiere says.

While Thompson Dorfman Sweatman is modernizing its workplace, in Saskatchewan, McKercher LLP partner David Stack says his fi rm is modernizing

The top fi rms in the Prairies are evolving to keep up with a shifting economic and social landscape

Adapting to the modern world

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its approach to clients. Fixed-fee arrange-ments and other alternative billing methods are more prevalent and clients want “proactive advisors,” enmeshed in the businesses and able to spot trends, value and opportunities with a genuine interest in their industries, he says.

“Clients are asking for more project management and less traditional lawyering,” Stack says.

As for the Saskatchewan economy, Stack says he’s seeing a lot of work in renewable energy, Indigenous law and economic development and more estate litigation because the aging population involves a massive transfer of wealth, land and farms. He’s also seeing out-of-province interests investing in value-added agriculture.

As opposed to its more commodity-reliant neighbours to the west, Mani-toba abstains from the boom-bust cycles with a diversified economy, says LaBos-siere. Thompson Dorfman Sweatman does work in natural resources, agricul-ture, manufacturing, transportation and the largest employer in the province is the public sector and “the government is always going,” he says.

“Now happens to be as good a time as I recall in Manitoba,” says LaBossier.

Apart from the big public sector and health-care organizations that the firm counts as clients, it is reaping the wind-fall of relationships it built years ago with startups.

“We’ve got a bunch of young, ener-getic companies that are setting the world on fire that we started with when they were one or two or three people who are now doing quite well, which is really exciting,” he says.

There is also competition creeping into the province from national and international firms, as well as from accounting firms and consultants, all looking to take advantage of a steady and dynamic Manitoba economy, but given the nature of business relation-ships in the province, it may be difficult

for them, says LaBossier.“Manitobans like to support other

Manitobans and I’m sure it’s the same in Saskatchewan. And so, it is hard some-times for people from other jurisdictions to take hold with clients,” he says. “And that’s probably why you haven’t seen much of an incursion from lawyers from other provinces into the province of Manitoba itself.”

MLT Aikins LLP won in both catego-ries of the survey. The firm has offices in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. Don Wilson, the firm’s managing partner, says the firm has focused on being a Western Canadian firm, which prides itself on an ability to match the capacity of national firms, even without a presence east of Winnipeg.

“So, who gives a shit if somebody is coming from Bay Street or is in Saska-toon? Well, they do,” Wilson says. “We know the cabinet ministers. We know the mayors. We know the local people that matter. These are people we grew up with. . . . So being here on the ground in all of these cities in the West we believe does set us apart and clients tell us.”

Glen Peters, managing partner of Winnipeg’s Fillmore Riley LLP, says he’s seen a growing influence from east and west but also that smaller and nimbler prairie regional firms have an advan-tage to the national and international firms because their overhead is cheaper comparatively.

“We have a very broad practice that connects to all of the sectors that are prevalent in the Manitoba economy — very large, private company base and expertise in a lot of the areas that our locals are looking for, such as, for example, agribusiness,” he says.

In Saskatchewan, Stack says McKercher follows a “relationship-based approach” as opposed to “transac-tional experts or hired guns.” Since the last top prairie regional firm list in 2017, the firm has continued to grow, says Stack. McKercher has made strategic

investments in innovation, management and increased skill capacity, as well as succession and sustainability with the addition of new partners, he says. The firm created an innovation team to adapt to new technology and it has improved governance structures, added non-lawyer management directors and has been hiring new lawyers, he says.

“And we’ve enhanced our bench strength in the areas of immigration, Indigenous law, insurance law, labour law, startups and renewable energy,” he says.

Though expanding its reach, McKercher is not “immune to the storm cloud on the world economic horizon” either, Stack says. Saskatch-ewan has borne the brunt of tensions between Canada and China, the latter having halted imports of canola, a major Saskatchewan crop.

“But the Saskatchewan economy has been managed very well during the uncertain times we’ve had over the last decade, and that’s positioned the prov-ince very nicely. And our clients, as a result, are in a good place,” he says.

Canadian Lawyer asked lawyers, in-house counsel and clients from across Canada to vote on the top full-service regional firms in the Prairies. They were asked to rank the top five firms in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan from a long list and were given the option of adding a firm not included on that list. The survey respondents’ rankings were based on the regional service coverage, client base, notable mandates, service excellence and legal expertise of the firms. To be included, firms had to have at least one office in the Prairies and offer a wide range of legal services. Voters ranked their top five and a points system was used to determine the winners, which are listed here alphabetically.

HOW WE DID IT

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FILLMORE RILEY LLP Winnipegfi llmoreriley.com

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P OUD TO BE A TOP MANITOBA FIRMWe thrive on the spirit that makes this region strong: Local focus. Global outlook. Know-how to navigate the road ahead.

We’re honoured to be recognized as a top Prairies firm by Canadian Lawyer.

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Total lawyers: 70 lawyersOffi ces (with # of lawyers): Winnipeg (70)Core practice areas: Banking and fi nance, business law, insurance, litigation, real estate and commercial development and tax and wealth managementKey clients: Royal Bank of Canada, Public Utilities Board of Mani-toba, Richardson International Limited, Dufresne Spencer Group, Canada Life and lead Manitoba counsel for multiple major insurance companiesNotable mandates: Acted as counsel for MacDon Group of Compa-nies in its sale to Linamar Corporation for a total purchase price of $1.2 billion; acted for Cabot Corporation on the sale by Cabot Corpo-ration of its Specialty Fluids Business to Sinomine (Hong Kong) Rare Metals Resources Co. Limited for $135 million; acted as counsel for Dufresne Spencer Group Holdings, LLC on fi ve acquisitions in 2018-2019, resulting in 50 new stores; acted as co-counsel for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs in the MMIWG inquiry, including development of submission for standing, planning and preparation for hearing process and acting as hearing counselStar alumni: Justice Shelley Fitzpatrick, Supreme Court of British Columbia; Justice David Kroft, Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench; Master Shayne Berthaudin, Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench; retired justice Susan Devine, Provincial Court of Manitoba; retired Manitoba Court of Appeal justice Alan Philp; Steven Kroft, CEO, Conviron; Jean-Marc Ruest, vice president, corporate affairs and general counsel, Richardson InternationalAffi liations: TAGLaw and the Risk Management Counsel of CanadaThe fi rm: Established in 1883 as Richards & Coutlee, the fi rm is now named after two long-time members of the Manitoba bar, W.P. Fillmore and H.J. Riley. Originally founded on the core practice areas of banking, fi nancial and insurance law, the fi rm has grown to full-service status, with expertise in areas of law relevant to its local and international client base.

“Excellent work product and a practical approach,” said one survey respondent of the firm. Another said, “Exemplary local counsel services. A top-notch team.”

TOP PRAIRIE FIRMS