Solo and Small Firm Conference 2014

Presented by CLEBC in collaboration with CBABC

Rebroadcast
"Jump Start on CPD 2015": Monday, March 30, 2015; Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

(Original course: Friday, October 24, 2014)

Who should attend: Lawyers and staff who are involved with the management of a law practice.

Learning level: All levels

The essential elements of running a successful small firm practice!
Presented in collaboration with CBABC, this conference brings you a comprehensive program on all matters pertaining to the business of effectively running a law practice.  As in previous years, the program will cover four core areas of running a solo or small law firm:  law firm management, law firm finances, law office technology, and the marketing of legal services. This conference will bring together a top notch team of law practice experts and a diverse panel of lawyers who will share their “real world” experiences dealing with the challenges of running a law office. The program will combine theory with practice, and you can expect to come away with practical information and advice that will help make your law practice more efficient, more financially rewarding, and more personally satisfying.

CBABC members receive an additional 10% off course registration fees. Call Customer Service to register and remember to have your CBABC membership number ready.

At this course you will learn...

• the vital elements of a sound law firm business plan
• how small firms can effectively leverage technology
• how to manage ethics and professionalism issues that are of particular concern for small firm practices
• the current challenges and opportunities facing small firms and possible responses to the challenges

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

CLEBC is using Twitter at this program. You can post a question or comment on Twitter using the hashtag: #clebc. Want to find out more? Download: A Guide for Using Twitter at CLEBC Programs.

Course Chair
David J. Bilinsky — Practice Management Advisor, Law Society of BC, Vancouver

Pricing
"Jump Start on CPD 2015" Rebroadcast
EARLY BIRD (Register by March 2, 2015 and SAVE): $405
After March 2, 2015: $450

CLEBC Program Lawyer
Raymond Lee
rlee@cle.bc.ca

Course Chair
David J. Bilinsky — Practice Management Advisor, Law Society of BC, Vancouver

About the Course Chair
 David J. Bilinsky, BSc, LLB, MBA is Practice Management Consultant/Advisor for the Law Society of British Columbia. He is a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management. He also lectures at Simon Fraser University teaching a totally online, graduate level course.

Dave’s consulting services focus on enhancing law firm profitability, strategic business planning, change management, and the application of technology to the practice of law. He has been called upon by law firms and legal associations from Shanghai to New York City, from the Yukon to deep in the heart of Argentina, to address personal productivity, change management, technology implementation, career satisfaction, leadership development, and the emerging discipline: online dispute resolution.

Dave’s mission in life is to empower lawyers to anticipate the changes, realize the opportunities, face the challenges, and embrace the expanding possibilities of the application of practice management concepts to the practice of law in innovative ways that provide service excellence. He is the founder and current chair of the Pacific Legal Technology Conference and a past co-chair of the ABA TECHSHOW.

Dave is a prolific writer on practice management and writes regularly for many publications in the USA and Canada including being a core contributor to the award-winning blog www.slaw.ca as well as his own blog www.thoughtfullaw.com. He is past editor-in-chief of the ABA magazine Law Practice. Dave’s articles have been reprinted across the globe and translated into several languages including French, Mandarin, Spanish, and Portuguese. You can contact him at daveb@lsbc.org.

Featured Luncheon Speakers
Fred W. Headon — Air Canada, Dorval, QC (live via video conference)
Lisa C. Fong — Ng Ariss Fong, Vancouver

Faculty
David J. Bilinsky — Practice Management Advisor, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Carol W. Hickman, QC — Quay Law Centre, New Westminster
Gordon Holley, CPA, CA — President & CEO, Humanity Financial Management Inc., West Vancouver
Doug Jasinski — Skunkworks Creative Group Inc., Vancouver
Lena Koke, BA, JD, MBA — Axess Law, Toronto (presenting live via video conference)
Raymond Lee — CLE Society of BC, Vancouver
Blair Lill — Director, Marketing & Business Development, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver
Jamie F. Maclaren — Executive Director, Access Pro Bono Society of BC, Vancouver
Brian Mauch — President, BMC Networks Inc., Vancouver
Mark Morris, BA, LLB, MBA — Axess Law, Toronto (presenting live via video conference)
Doug Munro — Law Society of BC, Vancouver
David A. Paul, QC — Paul & Company, Kamloops
Euan F. Sinclair — Lawson Lundell LLP, Vancouver
Thomas L. Spraggs Jr. — Spraggs & Co. Law Corporation, Coquitlam

Welcome and Introduction

David J. Bilinsky — Practice Management Advisor, Law Society of BC, Vancouver

1. Introduction

Business School for Lawyers: What They Didn’t Teach You in Law School                                                                        

Thomas L. Spraggs Jr. — Spraggs & Co. Law Corporation, Coquitlam

2. Business and Finance     

Managing the Finances: Making the Numbers Work                                                                         

Gordon Holley, CPA, CA — President & CEO, Humanity Financial Management Inc., West Vancouver

Getting the Business Plan Right

Lena Koke, BA, JD, MBA — Axess Law, Toronto (presenting live via video conference)
Mark Morris, BA, LLB, MBA — Axess Law, Toronto (presenting live via video conference)

Networking Break

3. Law Office Management and Technology

A. Cloud Computing: Backup and Storage

Brian Mauch — President, BMC Networks Inc., Vancouver  

 B. Paperless Office: Document Management and Assembly

 Euan F. Sinclair — Lawson Lundell LLP, Vancouver

 C. Gear, Gadgets, and More

 David A. Paul, QC — Paul & Company, Kamloops

Lunch with Featured Speakers: CBA Legal: Futures Report

Fred W. Headon — Air Canada, Dorval, QC (live via video conference)
Lisa C. Fong — Ng Ariss Fong, Vancouver

4. Marketing Ethically

Being Innovative and Ethical in Marketing                          

Doug Jasinski — Skunkworks Creative Group Inc., Vancouver
Blair Lill — Director, Marketing & Business Development, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver

5. Solo and Small Firm Practice

A. Dealing with Self-Represented and Freemen of the Land

David J. Bilinsky — Practice Management Advisor, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Jamie F. Maclaren — Executive Director, Access Pro Bono Society of BC, Vancouver

B. Limited Scope Retainers

Carol W. Hickman, QC — Quay Law Centre, New Westminster

C. Staying Out of Hot Water

Doug Munro — Law Society of BC, Vancouver

Networking Break

6. Solo and Small Firm Issues

Threats and Opportunities for Small Firms

David J. Bilinsky — Practice Management Advisor, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Thomas L. Spraggs Jr. — Spraggs & Co. Law Corporation, Coquitlam

7. Unconference Session on Solo and Small Firm Practice

Your Issues—Your Session

David J. Bilinsky — Practice Management Advisor, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Raymond Lee — CLE Society of BC, Vancouver

Concluding Remarks

David J. Bilinsky — Practice Management Advisor, Law Society of BC, Vancouver