THE AMPERSAND Ontario law firms see opportunities and risks in an era of consolidation and slow economic growth. Clients who are released by merged firms due to conflicts, or are unwilling to pay the fees demanded by international behemoths, may well look to smaller firms located in and around Canada’s financial and administrative centres.
Managing partners around the province watched with interest as Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP merged with American and U.K. firms in the spring creating Dentons, with nearly 2,600 lawyers. But there is also the fear, as legal budgets shrink or remain static, larger firms could use their marketing might to swallow up the space occupied by regional mid-sized players. Read more . . .
