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Educational Sessions
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This year, we are happy to be able to offer you an exciting array of Educational Sessions covering many topics we all want to learn more about. To sign up for these Educational Sessions, please complete the Educational Session Registration Form, complete and fax to TLOMA at 905-472-5115. Changes may be made to your Education Session choices until September 20, 2009.
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Oct 22, 2009 (03:15 PM - 04:45 PM) |
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| Location:
| Studio 10 |
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| Description: |
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Keynote
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| Driving Employee Engagement
(General)
Oct 22, 2009 (09:30 AM - 10:30 AM) |
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| Location:
| Amphitheatre |
| Speaker(s):
| Dr. David Weiss, PHD - President and CEO of Weiss International Ltd.,
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| Description: | Employee Engagement has emerged as a critical leadership challenge. How do leaders today inspire employees to bring their passion and ingenuity to their workplace at a time when organizations really need to drive higher levels of performance. Join us for this inspirational session led by Dr. David Weiss.
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Workshop 1A
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| Peer to Peer - How the Economic Downturn is Impacting Law Firms Today
(Finance)
Oct 22, 2009 (10:45 AM - 12:15 PM) |
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| Location:
| Ballroom B |
| Speaker(s):
| Robert Hardie -
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| Description: | Join our experienced panel for a look at how law firms are dealing with the economic changes and hear how they think the new economic reality will change the future of law - or if it will.
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Workshop 1B
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| Courageous Communications with Staff
(Human Resources)
Oct 22, 2009 (10:45 AM - 12:15 PM) |
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| Location:
| Directors Room/Studio 11 |
| Speaker(s):
| Paul Byrne -
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| Description: | Learn to achieve your conversational goals with staff by asking the right questions and actively listening to the answers. Instead of directing your way through interactions that may, “win the battle, but lose to war”, learn to maintain an open and positive climate of supportive communication. Learn to lead by involving people in a way that galvanizes their support in the short and long term. Make assertive, clear communication the norm for you and your reports by modeling assertive behaviour with professional integrity.
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Workshop 1C
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| Social Media and the Law Firm: Making it Work
(Technology)
Oct 22, 2009 (10:45 AM - 12:15 PM) |
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| Location:
| Studio 10 |
| Speaker(s):
| Doug Jasinski -
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| Description: | 2009 has seen the phenomenon of Social Media technologies such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook explode onto law firms’ consciousness. As these new tools continue to permeate more deeply into the lives of lawyers, clients and society as a whole, the question for law firm managers becomes not whether but how they will respond to and address the challenges and opportunities social media technologies represent in the context of their own firms.
This session will outline the major technologies currently impacting the law firm environment, discuss social media’s varying impact across departments including marketing, H.R. and I.T., and include case studies of firms using the tools to their advantage.
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Workshop 2A
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| Leadership Workshop - Part I
(Management)
Oct 22, 2009 (01:30 PM - 03:00 PM) |
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| Location:
| Ballroom B |
| Speaker(s):
| Dr. Larry Richard -
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| Description: | In this interactive workshop, Dr. Larry Richard will introduce you to the fundamental principles of effective leadership in a law firm. He'll address basic questions like "What is leadership?" and "Why is it so important during periods of economic change?", and he'll also explain why leaders in law firms have a unique task, complicated by the "outlier" personalities of lawyers. Above all, he'll explain why leaders must sharpen their skills in coping with change, and the psychological fallout it can cause within your firm. In advance of the workshop, you will be invited to complete a simple questionnaire that will provide you with feedback about your own style of coping with change.
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Workshop 2B
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| Implementing Effective Work Teams
(Human Resources)
Oct 22, 2009 (01:30 PM - 03:00 PM) |
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| Location:
| Directors Room/Studio 11 |
| Speaker(s):
| Lori Blundon -
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| Description: | High performing firms require collaboration at all levels and Administrators are expected to foster teamwork among secretarial work teams. Join this session for a discussion on how well organized teams can increase productivity, improve support for lawyers, reduce costs and increase professional satisfaction for legal assistants. Learn about various types of teams and how to design and implement a team structure that complements your firm’s size and culture. This session will be of interest to Administrators, HR Managers and Secretarial Managers who want to improve the quality and effectiveness of support services in their firms.
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Workshop 2C
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| Office 2007 Implementation: Experiences from the Trenches
(Technology)
Oct 22, 2009 (01:30 PM - 03:00 PM) |
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| Location:
| Studio 10 |
| Speaker(s):
| Dan Won -
John Kamphuis -
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| Description: | Are you confused about Office 2007? Have you waited to upgrade? Is it time to start thinking about Office 2010? This session examines the pros and cons of upgrading to Office 2007. Join our informative panel to gain real-life insights regarding the transition to Office 2007. Learn what elements of the upgrade went smoothly, what they would do over, and what is on their wish list now that they have the benefit of hindsight. See for yourself the key differences – what’s changed and what really hasn’t changed. Gain an understanding of what's coming next and how it might impact your plans. Get tips on an effective deployment plan for your Firm. This session is designed to provide guidance, resources and tools that will prove helpful as you prepare for your deployment.
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Workshop 3A
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| Leadership Workshop - Part II
(Management)
Oct 22, 2009 (03:15 AM - 04:45 PM) |
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| Location:
| Ballroom B |
| Speaker(s):
| Dr. Larry Richard -
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| Description: | In this interactive workshop, Dr. Larry Richard will introduce you to the fundamental principles of effective leadership in a law firm. He'll address basic questions like "What is leadership?" and "Why is it so important during periods of economic change?", and he'll also explain why leaders in law firms have a unique task, complicated by the "outlier" personalities of lawyers. Above all, he'll explain why leaders must sharpen their skills in coping with change, and the psychological fallout it can cause within your firm. In advance of the workshop, you will be invited to complete a simple questionnaire that will provide you with feedback about your own style of coping with change.
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Workshop 3B
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| Employee Coaching and Counseling
(Human Resources)
Oct 22, 2009 (03:15 PM - 04:45 PM) |
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| Location:
| Studio 11 |
| Speaker(s):
| Paul Byrne -
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| Description: | Anyone who has employees reporting to them or who advises supervisors on employee coaching or counseling will benefit from this session. Focused on building trusting relationships with employees, learn how to identify when and how to use employee coaching or counseling techniques, what the difference between coaching and counseling is and when each is appropriate. You will leave this workshop with effective communication tools you can utilize to develop staff and resolve issues.
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Workshop 4A
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| De-Stress! Resilience for a Workplace on Adrenalin
(Management)
Oct 23, 2009 (08:30 AM - 10:00 AM) |
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| Location:
| Ampitheater |
| Speaker(s):
| Dr. Elaine Dembe -
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| Description: | Stress is detrimental for business. Overwhelmed employees are not nearly as productive as those who manage workplace stresses. Dr. Elaine Dembe will rejuvenate your workplace with a riveting workshop on stress resiliency.
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Workshop 4B
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| Making Employee Benefits Work for the Law Firm
(Finance)
Oct 23, 2009 (08:30 AM - 10:00 AM) |
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| Location:
| Studio 11 |
| Speaker(s):
| Todd Ritchie -
Guy Bentley -
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| Description: | Professional services firms have unique human capital challenges. Reward programs need to support the attraction and retention of the top talent needed to generate value for the firm. Group employee benefits are increasingly an important competitive differentiator, but with current economic conditions and the consolidation of the insurer marketplace, managing benefit plan dollars has taken on a new strategic dimension.
Todd Richie and Guy Bentley, Principals with Mercer, will speak on emerging trends impacting benefit plans and will share risk management strategies for law office managers. This presentation will cover the diverse needs of a law firm's constituents, address the insurance implications of evolving ownership/corporate structures, as well as look at the flexible work arrangements of an aging partner population that are changing the look of individual and group coverage arrangements.
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Workshop 4C
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| Jump Start Your HR Strategy - How to Evaluate, Improve and Communicate a Winning HR Strategy (Part 1)
(Human Resources)
Oct 23, 2009 (08:30 AM - 10:00 AM) |
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| Location:
| Ballroom B |
| Speaker(s):
| Tim McConnell -
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| Description: | When is the last time you really took stock of your HR strategy? Have you linked that strategy to your Firm's overall business plan? Do you have metrics in place to monitor its effectiveness? If your answers are shaky to any of these questions, you and your Firm will benefit from this workshop.
Learn how to:
• Audit your current HR strategy or plan
• Successfully link your HR strategy to the overall business strategy
• Analyze and prioritize areas for strategic improvement
• Develop a step by step plan for improvement of your HR strategy
• Present the case for strategic changes to your superiors
• Communicate the strategic changes to your organization
• Measure strategic improvement
• Make the connection between HR Strategy and return on investment.
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Workshop 5A
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| Strategies of Successful Negotiators
(Management)
Oct 23, 2009 (10:15 AM - 11:45 AM) |
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| Location:
| Studio 10 |
| Speaker(s):
| Dr. Brad McRae -
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| Description: | Studies show that today’s professionals spend up to twenty-five percent of their time negotiating and resolving conflicts. Therefore, the success of these professionals rests heavily on developing effective negotiating skills.
In this interactive workshop, participants will explore what are the skills and strategies necessary to become a master negotiator. In this presentation, you will learn how to come to the table incredibly well prepared in order to negotiate more effectively with the people you work with both inside and outside your organization. Stories from interviews with the best negotiators interspersed with negotiation theory that bring these stories to life. Video demonstrations and interactive exercises are provided so the participants can see negotiation best practices in action.
More specifically, you will learn how to:
1. Come to the table incredibly well prepared in order to negotiate more effectively with the people you negotiate with both inside and outside your organization.
2. Develop more creative solutions and resolve conflicts more creatively.
3. Make sure that the message you want to get across is the message received.
4. Identify your preferred negotiating style and have more confidence in when to use it and when not to use it.
5. Turn lose-lose situations into win-win relationships.
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Workshop 5B
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| Managing in a Down Economy
(Finance)
Oct 23, 2009 (10:15 AM - 11:45 AM) |
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| Location:
| Studio 11 |
| Speaker(s):
| Robert Hardie -
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| Description: | The current fiscal environment is presenting challenges for today’s firms. But difficult times can also present opportunities to address trouble spots in your business. Learn how to make the most of your financial indicators, explore billing options and evaluate efficiencies. Explore strategies to make sure your firm is positioned for the upcoming upswing. After all, the sluggish economy will not last forever!
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Workshop 5C
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| Jump Start Your HR Strategy - How to Evaluate, Improve and Communicate a Winning HR Strategy (Part 2)
(Human Resources)
Oct 23, 2009 (10:15 AM - 11:45 AM) |
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| Location:
| Studio 11 |
| Speaker(s):
| Tim McConnell -
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| Description: | When is the last time you really took stock of your HR strategy? Have you linked that strategy to your Firm's overall business plan? Do you have metrics in place to monitor its effectiveness? If your answers are shaky to any of these questions, you and your Firm will benefit from this workshop.
Learn how to:
• Audit your current HR strategy or plan
• Successfully link your HR strategy to the overall business strategy
• Analyze and prioritize areas for strategic improvement
• Develop a step by step plan for improvement of your HR strategy
• Present the case for strategic changes to your superiors
• Communicate the strategic changes to your organization
• Measure strategic improvement
• Make the connection between HR Strategy and return on investment.
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Keynote
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| The Road Between My Ears
(General)
Oct 24, 2009 (09:30 AM - 10:45 AM) |
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| Location:
| Amphitheatre |
| Speaker(s):
| Ron James - Award-Winning Comedian & Satirist
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| Description: | End your conference on a positive note. This unique blend of poetically charged, kinetically driven stand-up comedy weaves a riotous verbal tapestry that captures one comedian’s spirit of place, while traveling Canada in pursuit of the muse. By incorporating the historic and geographic, with a comic’s eye for regional idiosyncrasies and a poet’s ear for language, 'The Road Between My Ears' tickles the funny bone as well as the intellect.
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