Tuning Up Your Law Firm: Best Practices for Solicitors 2024

Product Type: Course

This course has no current sessions.

DescriptionMore DetailAgenda

Law practice innovation, emerging trends, and best practices

Tuesday, June 4, 2024 (POSTPONED)
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
via webinar only

—Rebroadcasts—
On the rebroadcast date, you will have until midnight of that rebroadcast date to access the course. Please note that technical support will be available during regular CLEBC business hours.

Summer Series 2024
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Last Kick at the Can Series 2024
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Tuesday, December 17, 2024

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Who should attend: Solicitors in all areas of practice

Learning level: All levels

A solicitors practice tune-up! One day. Lots of speakers. Loads of issues. All your questions answered.

Join your fellow solicitors, co-chairs, and presenters, as we cover multiple subjects in a one-day virtual CLE. From marketing, to "CYA," to technology, to good old-fashioned "nuts and bolts" best practices, this course is for every solicitor at all levels of experience.

We won't leave any question unanswered, and we will help you go into the summer with lots to think about. We promise an engaging look at what a solicitor needs to do to be the best they can be.

Law Society of BC CPD Hours: 6 hours (this course will contain a minimum of 1 hour pertaining to professional responsibility and ethics, client care and relations, and/or practice management)

Course Chairs
Timothy J. Lack — Redpoint Law LLP, Vancouver
Michael A. LeBeau — LeBeau Law, Coquitlam
Alisha O’Neill — Wilson Rasmussen LLP, Surrey

Pricing	EARLY BIRD Register by May 7/24	Regular Price After May 7/24
Webinar	$494	$564
Webinar Articled Student	$282	$282

Summer Series 2024	EARLY BIRD Register by June 17/24	Regular Price After June 17/24
Rebroadcast	$445	$508
Rebroadcast Articled Student	$254	$254

*Last Kick at the Can 2024*
Rebroadcast	$508
Rebroadcast Articled Student	$254

Are you a member of the Indigenous legal community (lawyer/Articled Student/legal support staff/paralegal) or a non-lawyer Indigenous community member?
We value your contributions and encourage your participation in all of our programs. To increase accessibility, we offer a 50% discount* to all Indigenous lawyers/Articled Students/legal support staff/paralegals and a limited number of free online registrations to non-lawyer Indigenous community members. (*discount applies to Regular prices, not Early Bird prices). Please contact Customer Service to find out more.

Unable to attend a course without financial assistance from CLEBC?
Click here for bursary information.

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Check out our Easy Pay Plan.

Registration includes an electronic copy of the reference materials.

Just want the materials from the course?
Subscribe to Online Course Materials and access 5,400+ papers produced for CLEBC courses since 2001.

CLEBC Program Lawyer*
Teresa Sheward
tsheward@cle.bc.ca
*non-practising

Course Chairs
Timothy J. Lack — Redpoint Law LLP, Vancouver
Michael A. LeBeau — LeBeau Law, Coquitlam
Alisha O’Neill — Wilson Rasmussen LLP, Surrey

About the Course Chairs
Tim Lack has been the responsible lawyer for over 8,000 real estate transactions, acting for banks, credit unions and many other institutional and private lenders. His work with private lenders is extensive and he has been asked to provide expert opinions on private lending issues for litigation lawyers. He has lectured on several occasions to other lawyers on this subject.

On the real estate side of his practice, Tim has been involved in residential and commercial conveyancing, land assemblies, office and industrial leasing, including landlord and tenant disputes. As part of his real estate development work, Tim has counselled clients from acquisition, through development and to final sales on condo projects, including mixed use and hotel developments.

Tim represents hundreds of clients in all areas of business and commercial deals and is well experienced in the issues surrounding the purchase and sale of businesses.

Finally, his wills and estates practice continues to grow and Tim prides himself on providing delicate and trusted advice to his clients in this area of law.

Michael LeBeau brings more than a decade of experience in BC real estate and Canadian immigration law. His reassuring manner will put you at ease and his experience will help you achieve your goals. Michael graduated from UBC School of Law in 2007, after having received the academic Prize for Achievement in Immigration Law. He articled at one of Vancouver's premier immigration law firms and, in December 2007 he joined the team at UBC's Centre for Intercultural Communication and was a teaching assistant and occasional instructor for the Certificate in Immigration: Laws, Policies and Procedures.

Michael founded LeBeau Law in May 2008 and has built a strong and steadfast reputation in both immigration law and real estate. Michael is a member of the Law Society of BC and of the CBA, Immigration and Real Property Sections. Michael lives in Coquitlam with his wife and precocious young son.

Alisha O'Neill’s practice includes a variety of land matters such as residential and commercial real estate transactions, secured lending, commercial leasing, and land development. Alisha is also a part of our corporate group, assisting our business clients with general corporate matters and corporate reorganization work.

Alisha enjoys being a part of her clients' personal and business milestones and appreciates the value in having someone support them through their transactions from beginning to end, and beyond.

Her background working as a legal assistant for Wilson Rasmussen before attending law school affords her a wealth of unique experience instrumental to her transaction-heavy practice, which she looks forward to sharing with you.

Faculty
David J. Bilinsky — Barrister & Solicitor (Retired), Vancouver
Larry S. Blaschuk — Registrar of Land Titles, Land Title and Survey Authority of BC, New Westminster
Barbara K. Buchanan, KC — Practice Advisor, Conduct and Ethics, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Bo Carter — Clark Wilson LLP, Vancouver
Malcolm B. Funt — Bojm, Funt & Gibbons LLP, Vancouver
Roger Holland — Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP, Vancouver
Nolan R. Hurlburt — Dentons Canada LLP, Vancouver
Shahnaz Jamal — Jamal Law Group, Vancouver
Derek C. LaCroix, KC — Executive Director, Lawyers Assistance Program of BC, Vancouver
Scott S. Morishita — Rice Harbut Elliott LLP; President, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch, Vancouver
Maryanne Prohl — Director, Risk Management, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver
Ali Sodagar — Sodagar & Company Law Corporation, Vancouver
Tony Spagnuolo — Spagnuolo & Company LLP, Coquitlam
Roberta J. Stewart — HSJ Lawyers LLP, Prince George
Karanbir Thind — Clark Woods LLP, Coquitlam
Ron Usher — Commissioned Notary Public, R.I., General Counsel and Practice Advisor, The Society of Notaries Public of BC, Vancouver
Max E. Wolinsky — Coal Harbour Law, Vancouver
Eli Zbar — Arora Zbar LLP, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios

Course Introduction and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:05)

Teresa Sheward — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
Timothy J. Lack — Redpoint Law LLP, Vancouver
Michael A. LeBeau — LeBeau Law, Coquitlam
Alisha O’Neill — Wilson Rasmussen LLP, Surrey

Managing Staff: Best Practices (9:05 – 9:25)

A Q+A on
- hiring staff
- training staff
- retaining staff
- HR issues
- post-COVID workplace environment

Timothy J. Lack — Redpoint Law LLP, Vancouver
Tony Spagnuolo — Spagnuolo & Company LLP, Coquitlam

Retaining Good Lawyers: Why Do Employees Leave/Why Do Employees Stay (9:25 – 9:45)

location: attracting and retaining lawyers in smaller communities
compensation
stress and burnout/happiness and wellbeing (i.e., work-life balance or harmony)
management issues
opportunities/lack of opportunities for career growth
community, firm culture, and values

Roberta J. Stewart — HSJ Lawyers LLP, Prince George

Accreditation of Lawyers (9:45 – 10:05)

lawyers trained outside of Canada: qualifying for bar admission
programs in Canadian common law jurisdictions
National Committee of Accreditation: process, timelines, and pathways
Immigration status: hand-in-hand with the accreditation process

Karanbir Thind — Clark Woods LLP, Coquitlam

The Lawyer as Small Business Owner (10:05 – 10:25)

corporate records
general pricing points for fees for service
corporate commerical, business sector
building your community as a solo practitioner

Max E. Wolinsky — Coal Harbour Law, Vancouver

BREAK (10:25 – 10:40)

Looking Ahead...Where Will We/You Be in 5-10 Years? (10:40 – 11:00)

the big picture for lawyers and tech
bracing for real change
how not to get lost in the tech advances

Nolan R. Hurlburt — Dentons Canada LLP, Vancouver

Embracing Technology (11:00 – 11:20)

an exploration of AI, its role in law, and its impact on legal procedures
implications of AI on data security and algorithmic bias
evolving practical standards in conjunction with technology
exploring proactive collaboration between legal professionals and technologists

Ali Sodagar — Sodagar & Company Law Corporation, Vancouver

Stacking Your Tech: Practical Tips for Solicitors (11:20 – 11:40)

cultivating a process-oriented approach to technology implementation in your firm
what is a tech stack and why do you need one?
what to think about before changing or augmenting your tech stack
pricing your tech stack: are you overpaying?

Eli Zbar — Arora Zbar LLP, Vancouver

Streamlining Your Service to the Client (11:40 – 12:00)

limited scope retainers
deciding what level of due diligence
balancing costs vs. the "complete checklist"
defining the service you are providing
how to document and use checklists

Ron Usher — Commissioned Notary Public, R.I., General Counsel and Practice Advisor, The Society of Notaries Public of BC, Vancouver

LUNCH (12:00 – 1:00)

You're Not Alone: Building Connections and Community through Volunteerism and Mentorship (1:00 – 1:20)

the importance of building connection and community in order to avoid isolation
the importance of volunteerism and mentorship; mentoring and being mentored
some resources

Scott S. Morishita — Rice Harbut Elliott LLP; President, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch, Vancouver

Anti-money Laundering Measures (1:20 – 1:40)

update on Law Society Rule changes
resources

Barbara K. Buchanan, KC — Practice Advisor, Conduct and Ethics, Law Society of BC, Vancouver

Avoiding Risk/Worst Case Scenarios (1:40 – 2:00)

when things go wrong and you need to litigate: what every solicitor should know
shoring up your client's position
ensuring your file is "bullet proof"

Malcolm B. Funt — Bojm, Funt & Gibbons LLP, Vancouver

Insurance Law and Family Law (2:00 – 2:20)

what to know about what you don't know!
areas of law that you need to be wary of even if you are a solicitor

Bo Carter — Clark Wilson LLP, Vancouver
Shahnaz Jamal — Jamal Law Group, Vancouver

BREAK (2:20 – 2:35)

Update from the Land Title & Survey Authority of British Columbia (LTSA) (2:35 – 2:55)

recent system enhancement
stakeholder insights
how LTSA is working to maintain the security and accessibility of the land title system
avoiding common defects, and more

Larry S. Blaschuk — Registrar of Land Titles, Land Title and Survey Authority of BC, New Westminster

Funds Transfer Frauds Revealed (2:55 – 3:15)

learn about actual funds transfer frauds that hit BC law firms
how to avoid being the next victim
what to do if you become a victim and coverage for funds transfer frauds

Maryanne Prohl — Director, Risk Management, Lawyers Indemnity Fund, Vancouver

End of Practice—Are You Prepared? (3:15 – 3:35)

financial, lifestyle, and other considerations in planning for your retirement
consequences of an injury, illness, or disability on your retirement plan
build a bridge before you have to cross it

David J. Bilinsky — Barrister & Solicitor (Retired), Vancouver

Lawyers Assistance Program of BC and Help Available for Mental Health Issues and Burnout (3:35 – 3:55)

practical tips on how to avoid burnout
resources available when you need help
identifying early warning signs

Roger Holland — Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP, Vancouver
Derek C. LaCroix, KC — Executive Director, Lawyers Assistance Program of BC, Vancouver

Closing Comments (3:55 – 4:00)

Timothy J. Lack — Redpoint Law LLP, Vancouver
Michael A. LeBeau — LeBeau Law, Coquitlam
Alisha O’Neill — Wilson Rasmussen LLP, Surrey

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