cover story
IN HOUSE
COUNSEL
JUDGING
LAW FIRMS
Story by Christopher Guly
Photography by Doug Forster
magine being able to find the perfect person for the job with a few clicks
of the mouse. For in-house counsel picking the right external counsel is
crucial, and can be very time-consuming.
Anne Fitzgerald, senior vice-president, general counsel and corporate
secretary of Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund, which owns Toronto-based motion
picture exhibitor, Cineplex Entertainment LP, is always on the look out for im-
pressive lawyers.
“I hire individual lawyers, not law firms,” says Fitzgerald.
“In-house lawyers who hire lawyers already understand the services they’re
looking for— a depth of field. You want people on your team who are leaders in
their practice area.”
A new online ranking system aims to help in-house counsel like Fitzgerald
find lawyers and law firms who know what they want find what they want quick-
ly and efficiently.
Earlier this year, in-house lawyer Nadia Martel, who serves as senior legal
counsel for snowmobile manufacturer, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP)
Inc., in Valcourt, Que. went on a search for external counsel. Martel needed to
I
