Thanks to a couple of well placed FOI requests & investigative journalism by Robert Todd over at the Law Times, we now know that the DOJ spent over 24 million on outside counsel in 2008.
Below is a graphic clipped from the story showing those top-10 firms:
A couple of observations here. First, even if we acknowledge that this is only a list of the top-10, it's hard not to notice a non-Canadian firm is was way out in front with 35% of the work delivered. And second, it seems odd that both Quebec and East Coast firms are missing from the list entirely. That may be reflected in the National firm numbers, but many regional Firm names are certainly absent.
In any event, I believe this is the first time I've seen a list like this assembled. It may open a can of worms, but certainly adds to Government transparency. A well deserved hat tip to the Law Times! Good journalism.
Steve – while one of course applauds investigative journalism, this is low hanging fruit since volume III of the Public Accounts always had this information.
If you look back you'll see that the US firms (Weil Gotshal and before that, Bartlitt Beck) have always led the pack because of the scale of the cases, and the fact that they weren't subject to federal discounted rates.
And what exactly is the value to Weil Gotshal's client of the Softwood Lumber Treaty amendments negotiated under the shadow of the London Court of International Arbitration and which were signed by Jean Anderson of Weil Gotshal as counsel to Canada.
The list may be misleading since it tends to bury local drug prosecution work which may account for significant amounts of local firm billings. That's where the western and Quebec numbers are.
Here are the regional numbers:
Legal services Services Juridiques 24,777,786
Jones & compagnie Nanaimo BC Jones & compagnie Nanaimo C-B 117,287
Agro Zaffiro LLP Hamilton Ont Agro Zaffiro srl Hamilton Ont 141,173
Aikrn Ùchristensen & Heath Gravenhurst Ont Aikrn Ùchristensen & Heath Gravenhurst Ont 115,073
Alice C Fava Woodbridge Ont Alice C Fava Woodbridge Ont 116,983
Allan Francis Pringle Vernon BC Allan Francis Pringle Vernon C-B 189,727
Badovinac Scoffield & Mosley Port Alberni BC Badovinac Scoffield & Mosley Port Alberni C-B 242,703
Baker Newby LLP Chilliwack BC Baker Newby srl Chilliwack C-B 624,576
Benson Edwards LLP Kelowna BC Benson Edwards srl Kelowna C-B 262,637
Boyd Cumming Newmarket Ont Boyd Cumming Newmarket Ont 176,943
Boyle & Company Penticton BC Boyle & Company Penticton C-B 230,533
Bradley Law Office Sudbury Ont Bradley Law Office Sudbury Ont 169,370
Coleman Fraser Parcells Duncan BC Coleman Fraser Parcells Duncan C-B 201,161
Colgur & Young Cranbrook BC Colgur & Young Cranbrook C-B 253,749
Daigle and Libotte Moncton NB Daigle and Libotte Moncton N-B 1,184,955
Doak Shirreff LLP Kelowna BC Doak Shirreff srl Kelowna C-B 365,532
Don Fairweather Roberts Creek BC Don Fairweather Roberts Creek C-B 127,615
Donald J Fraser Hamilton Ont Donald J Fraser Hamilton Ont 133,551
Eleanor Shaw Newmarket Ont Eleanor Shaw Newmarket Ont 129,351
Erwin Reinhard Schulz St Albert Alta Erwin Reinhard Schulz St Albert Alb 144,042
Evans & Adams Orangeville Ont Evans & Adams Orangeville Ont 155,180
Gillespie Renkema Kamloops BC Gillespie Renkema Kamloops C-B 305,037
Goodman Macdonald Patterson New Glasgow NS Goodman Macdonald Patterson New Glasgow N-É 108,650
Greenbank Murdoch & Company Port Coquitlam BC Greenbank Murdoch & Company Port Coquitlam C-B 798,336
Hope Heinrich Prince George BC Hope Heinrich Prince George C-B 245,077
Hurley & Williams LLP Picton Ont Hurley & Williams srl Picton Ont 141,072
J Christopher Corkery Keene Ont J Christopher Corkery Keene Ont 153,526
JM Ledressay & associates Langley BC JM Ledressay & associates Langley C-B 925,893
Jones & Company Nanaimo BC Jones & Company Nanaimo C-B 989,710
Karen E Jokinen Barrie Ont Karen E Jokinen Barrie Ont 499,676
Kelly Greenway Bruce Oshawa Ont Kelly Greenway Bruce Oshawa Ont 452,893
Kirk W Dickson Aurora Ont Kirk W Dickson Aurora Ont 109,620
Lakes Straith & Whyte LLP North Vancouver BC Lakes Straith & Whyte srl North Vancouver C-B 388,965
Law Office of Diane Lahaie Cornwall Ont Law Office of Diane Lahaie Cornwall Ont 129,099
Law Office of Paul Gordon Thunder Bay Ont Law Office of Paul Gordon Thunder Bay Ont 122,599
Lee Inglis Albrecht Red Dear Alta Lee Inglis Albrecht Red Dear Alb 405,071
Lush Bowker Aird Oakville Ont Lush Bowker Aird Oakville Ont 152,438
MacGillivray-Poirier & Mullen Thunder Bay Ont MacGillivray-Poirier & Mullen Thunder Bay Ont 542,419
Mathieu Hryniuk LLP Peace River Alta Mathieu Hryniuk srl Peace River Alb 106,245
McCann and Sheppard Pembroke Ont McCann and Sheppard Pembroke Ont 179,790
McConnan Bion O'Connor & Paterson Victoria BC McConnan Bion O'Connor & Paterson Victoria C-B 896,689
McCrank Stewart Johnson Regina Sask McCrank Stewart Johnson Regina Sask 196,454
Mills & Gallant Stephenville Ont Mills & Gallant Stephenville Ont 167,396
Mouseau Deluca McPherson Prince Windsor Ont Mouseau Deluca McPherson Prince Windsor Ont 600,985
Mr David A Holmes Perry Sound Ont Mr David A Holmes Perry Sound Ont 100,214
Mr Richard F Huneault Sudbury Ont Mr Richard F Huneault Sudbury Ont 164,683
Ms Heather Carpentier London Ont Ms Heather Carpentier London Ont 188,692
Murchison Thomson & Clarke LLP Surrey BC Murchison Thomson & Clarke srl Surrey C-B 1,281,131
Nicholson & Doney Guelph Ont Nicholson & Doney Guelph Ont 111,245
Peter Wenglowski St-Catharines Ont Peter Wenglowski St-Catharines Ont 279,815
Pushor Mitchell LLP Kelowna BC Pushor Mitchell srl Kelowna C-B 231,794
Riopelle-Grenier Timmins Ont Riopelle-Grenier Timmins Ont 135,927
Scharfstein Gibbings Walen & Fisher Saskatoon Sask Scharfstein Gibbings Walen & Fisher Saskatoon Sask 106,624
Scott Graham Toronto Ont Scott Graham Toronto Ont 133,170
Stewart Mckelvey Stirling Scales Charlottetown PEI Stewart Mckelvey Stirling Scales Charlottetown Î-P-É 162,992
Susan Bottern Law Office Fort McMurray Alta Susan Bottern Law Office Fort McMurray Alb 120,426
T D Mathany Barrister & Solicitor Desden Ont T D Mathany Barrister & Solicitor Desden Ont 106,592
Talstra & Company Terrace BC Talstra & Company Terrace C-B 377,162
Thomas Cooke Keswick Ont Thomas Cooke Keswick Ont 144,952
Thompson Lerose & Brown Trail BC Thompson Lerose & Brown Trail C-B 193,480
Verdurmen & Company Salmon Arm BC Verdurmen & Company Salmon Arm C-B 114,850
Wallace Klein Partners in Law LLP North Bay Ont Wallace Klein Partners in Law srl North Bay Ont 144,397
Waterbury Newton Kentville NS Waterbury Newton Kentville N-É 100,263
Wyatt Purcell Stillman Brantford Ont Wyatt Purcell Stillman Brantford Ont 152,078
Wyrzykowski & Robb Sarnia Ont Wyrzykowski & Robb Sarnia Ont 240,876
Both your comments & follow-up post are very helpful additions Simon. Though only 'low lying fruit' to those who have used that source previously, and an excellent tool for the rest of us.
Part of the reason for outsourcing NAFTA cases to the American bar is that they are larger and more developed than their counterparts in the other two countries.
Canada is catching up though, but it's also why I've said that renegotiating NAFTA wouldn't necessarily be a completely bad thing either.