A trusted legal business advisor when you need one
D
oug Conolly
recognizes that
corporations
generally only
consult lawyers
after something has gone wrong
or where conict is imminent.
Conolly, partner and head
of the Commercial Litigation
Group for McQuarrie, says a
proactive approach, similar to
regular maintenance of your car
or your personal health, can also
be applied to business and the
commercial litigation eld.
"Lawyers who act as litigation
consultants are regarded as sound-
ing boards and knowledgeable,
trusted advisers who can identify
and mitigate legal risks. This is
important because every step you
take in business can have legal
consequences," Conolly says.
"Our clients routinely engage
us early in the process of a nego-
tiation or initiative for analysis
and legal opinion on various
scenarios, early enough to make a
difference," he says.
One area where engaging a
litigation consultant works well is
advising in regards to contractual
relationships. As a business grows
and becomes more sophisticated,
the impact of competing interests
and obligations requires more
careful analysis and strategy.
Companies often turn
to the use of standard form
contracts which appear to
be all-encompassing and are
anticipated to work in multiple
situations; unfortunately, these
may simply create unnecessary
obligations and risk where none
was intended. Conolly explains
that a litigation consultant who
knows your business and is
available to review and interpret
contracts, can play a critical role
in any risk management strategy
— ultimately saving a company
signicant time, expense and
resources.
Identifying challenging
issues only after a contract has
been signed can be a very messy
and emotional situation that could
have been avoided.
McQuarrie handles a broad
range of commercial disputes,
but Conolly points out that the
primary goal should always be
to prevent issues from becoming
litigious.
"Companies that engage
and retain us are able to conduct
business with a higher level of
legal comfort and condence."
An increasing number of business
owners appreciate the signicant
benets of having a litigation
consultant onboard as part of
their team, to assist in the ef-
cient navigation of complex legal
frameworks within which their
businesses operate.
"We familiarize ourselves
with the intricacies of our client's
business and industry so that we
can better forecast and mitigate
risk."
McQuarrie has been assisting
clients with all types of busi-
ness cases for decades, and its
commercial litigation lawyers
have the diverse experience and
resources to deal with any busi-
ness litigation matter.
■
McQuarrie Hunter LLP is a multi-practice,
Surrey-based law firm that serves the
needs of businesses, individuals and
institutions in the Lower Mainland and
throughout B.C.
McQuarrie Hunter LLP
15th Floor, Central CityTower,
Suite 1500 13450 102nd Avenue,
Surrey, BC V3T 5X3 604.581.7001
mcquarrie.com
+ MCQuArrie HunTer LLP
Created by BCBusiness in partnership with McQuarrie Hunter LLP
Doug Conolly
A Litigation Consultant
Will Navigate the Risks
