Kevin West Quoted in The Globe And Mail

SkyLaw is thrilled to be included in the latest article by Alec Scott about the rise of “New Law”, recently published in the April 2014 edition of The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.

The article, entitled “So long, Big Law. Hello, New Law“, discusses the contrasting principles and business models of traditional law firms vs. new law firms.

Big Law—the law firms with hundreds of partners that service corporate Canada—is not feeling so big at the moment… Technology, outsourcing, modern management methods and a spirit of transparency are finally remaking corporate law, just as they have so many other businesses. At the same time, these tectonic forces are creating opportunities for both lawyers and their clients.  (pg. 37-38)

 

Kevin West is not the sort of lawyer who would likely ever have gone the boutique route in generations past. After graduating from Dalhousie, he clerked at the Supreme Court, landed plum jobs at the New York and Sydney offices of Sullivan & Cromwell, and then became a partner at what is arguably Toronto’s pre-eminent business firm, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg. In 2010, he left downtown for a basic office at Yonge & St. Clair, calling his new start-up SkyLaw.  (pg. 40)

 

His approach is to cherry-pick top lawyers from different firms to consult on various aspects of a deal.  “I want the right person to answer a tax problem—not just whoever is in the firm I’ve retained’s tax department.  The idea is that through my network, I’ll be able to find out who that [right person] is.”  (pg. 40)

Kevin West founded SkyLaw with the goal of providing tech-savvy, efficient and cost-effective legal services. Our innovative business model allows us to provide the same big firm advice but on a slimmer budget, without compromising on quality.

Clients have long been searching for better, faster, and cheaper legal services, and we’re happy to say that we are a part of the solution.  Say hello to the “New Law” revolution.

Click here to view the complete article.  Click here to view the mobile version of the article.

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Illustration by Wesley Merritt. The Globe and Mail: Report on Business. Mar. 27, 2014.

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Scott, Alec. “So long, Big Law. Hello, New Law” The Globe And Mail: Report on Business. April 2014: pg. 36-41.