Thoughts from a Management Lawyer

Clawbie 2011 Nominations

Posting has been infrequent (at best) here over the past year , but I continue to follow many of the great Canadian blogs that occupy this space.  Here is my list of nominees for the Clawbies:

1. Employment and Human Rights Law in Canada - Lisa Stam writes this superb blog offering timely, insightful and in-depth commentary on a host of employment and human rights topics.  Lisa's blog is on my daily must read list.
2. Quebec Labour Law - Droit du travail au Québec - Gabriel Granatstein writes about a variety of labour and employment issues largely from a Quebec perspective.  I've followed his blog since he started writing it and read it daily. 
3. Canadian Workplace Law - Greg Gowe writes concise posts on a variety of  topics.  He brings an "in-house" perspective and I've really benefited from his timely posts.

I'd like to say that I'll post more frequently in 2012, but like most New Years resolutions I make, I'll probably break it - so no promises.  One thing is certain - I'll continue to follow these and other great Canadian blogs over the coming year.

Thank You to the Lawyer's Weekly

I wanted to thank the Lawyer's Weekly for naming me one of Canada’s top legal social media influencers.  The authors of the article are Jordan Furlong and Warren Smith and  I'm truly honoured to be included in this list.  

While I have been delinquent in my writing here, I have been writing more regularly over at the Watershed LLP Blog.

 

 

8 Years and Counting

It's hard for me to believe that yesterday marked the 8th anniversary of this blog.  

There were only a handful of labour and employment blogs back in 2003 (Mike Fox's Jottings By An Employer's Lawyer, George Lenard's George's Employment Law Blog, and Ross Runkle's LawMemo, and this one, all of which are stiil going strong) and none in Canada as I recall.  We were technological radicals, back then, now, blogging has gone mainstream.  Who knew?   

Starting a blog in 2003 was not as easy (technologically) as it is today and you'd, of course, have to deal with the Spockian raised eyebrow whenever you'd explain what a blog was and why you were writing one. No explanation required anymore.     

Lots of things have changed for me personally and professionally since the start of this blog so many years ago now, all of them extremely positive and some of them directly or indirectly a result of blogging.  Though I don't write as much as I once did, this is a product of lack of time rather than lack of interest or things to write about.  

Thank you to all those who have followed this blog over the years.  Your feedback and comments are much appreciated and I do hope you keep reading.  

 

Congratulations to Mike Maslanka

My friend Mike Maslanka's blog Work Matters has been named to the American Bar Associations Blog 100 List.  Mike's blog is simply excellent, thoughtful, varied in scope and tremendously well written. In fact, Mike writing style (along with Eugene Meehan's for the Canadian's out there) is one that, in my view,  is to be emulated by any lawyer.   Congratulations Mike.

Where Are You? and What's Up?

Those are subject lines from two email I received recently.  I looked back and could not believe that it's been over a month since I last posted which is a sign, not of lack of interest or topics to write about, but lack of time to write.

The firm is going full-steam ahead and is doing tremendously well.  Our model and approach has clearly resonated with employers of all sizes, local, national and international and we're tremendously grateful.   In many ways, as I have said before, it's humbling to be closing in on the one-year mark since we flicked the switch on our firm to be where we are and to be working with the fantastic group of clients that we are.  

We're expanding, entering into some "cool" new office space (as our design folks describe it) that includes space for a pool table (and, if we're daring, which we are, a hockey net) that we will grow into and have a few innovative service offerings in the works.  Time is the only constraint, but, oddly, that too can be solved.  It's unquestionably been one of the best experiences and I'm having fun.

We're working with some incredibly smart and creative people in answering the question "what can and should a law firm be?" all the while continuing to provide the highest quality legal services.  

The downside is that blogging has suffered.  A good news, bad news sort of thing.

So in answer to the "where are you?" email and the more familiar "what's up?" email, that's where I am and what's up with much more exciting stuff happening over the next 90 days.  

I've also been doing a lot of presentations at conferences.  Most recently:

• Ontario Bar Association - Fundamentals of Employment Law Conference (September 21, 2010) where I spoke about Employment Agreements. 
   
•  Human Resources Professional Association of Ontario (HRPAO) - HR Law Conference (October 21, 2010) where I spoke about Family Status Discrimination and the Duty to Accommodate
   
•  Canadian Institute - Managing and Litigating Disability Insurance Claims (October 22, 2010) where I was on a panel discussing (from the employer's perspective) Overcoming Duty to Accommodate and Return to Work Challenges in Today’s Tough Economic Times 
   
• Canadian Institute - 10th Annual Advanced Forum on Employment Law Conference (October 27, 2010) - where I spoke about the Duty to Accommodate: Critical Trends to be Aware of

 I'll be speaking with my partner Steve Mendelssohn at the HRPAO Annual Conference and Trade Show on February 3, 2011 on Maintaining Positive Employee Relations in a Non-Union Environment.  

Lot's going on to be sure and a very exciting time.  More regular blogging should pick up shortly.  

Congratulations to Mike Fox of Jottings by an Employer's Lawyer

My friend Mike Fox, author of Jottings by an Employer's Lawyer celebrated his 8th blog anniversary (you read that correctly - 8!)  

When Mike started writing his blog there were a handful of legal blogs (forget about labour and employment blogs, there really weren't any). Now there are, well, hundreds of legal blogs.  They come, a good number disappear after some period of experimentation, some have staying power. Some of us "old timers" as Mike affectionately (I think) has been known to call us, go through, after all these years, fits and starts of writing.  Mike's blog remains one of those that is a consistently great and informative read.  

Congratulations Mike!  

Another Blog Anniversary Comes and Goes

I guess I missed the anniversary of the blog (what's the saying, the older you get, the more you try to forget the birthdays?).  Seven years is a long time.  A lot has happened in 7 years.  More recently, lots of truly amazing professional changes.

Back in 2003 there were a handful of labour (actually labor) and employment law blogs (many are still going strong - Jotting's by a Labor Lawyer, George's Employment Law Blog and Ross Runkel) now, well, there are dozens (check out the blogroll) including some great Canadian blogs Employment & Human Rights Law in Canada,  Human Rights in the Workplace, Greg Gowe's Labour and Employment Law Blog and Doorey's Workplace Law Blog.

Posting here has been lighter than in the past, but I expect more consistent posting this year, (famous last words).  Thanks for all those who continue to follow this blog and email with encouragement, comments and ideas. 

Thank You and Clawbies

Thank you for all who emailed me with good wishes in response to my last post.  I am excited about this new opportunity and am having a tremendous amount of fun so far.  And, no, I do not miss the commute.

Also, I am delayed in thanking all those who nominated this blog for the 2009 Clawbie's and for making it a Finalist in the category of "Best Practitioner Blog" won (a tie) by Erik MacGraken’s BC Injury Law and ICBC Claims Blog and Dan Mikaluk's All About Information.  I've been following Dan's blog since its inception and this honour is well deserved as his blog is one of the most informative legal blogs out there. 

I'd also like to thank Steve Matthews and all the folks at Stem Legal for promoting Canadian legal blogs and for supporting the Clawbies.

Social Media as a Recruiting Tool

Going directly to your market ("fish where the fish are") through the use of social media like Twitter and LinkedIn seems to be gaining ground in recruiting according to this Globe and Mail article. 

Online Reputation Management

My newest post about Online Reputation Management is up at Slaw.  There are lots of resources out there about this increasingly important subject.