Tara Vasdani on Choosing Remote: It's Avant Garde & It's the Future of Work

I’m thrilled to be here. Fortune would have it that the “kick start” to my legal journey was actually just a passion for practicing law — but how quickly that all changed! I studied Common Law and Civil Law at the University of Ottawa, in Ottawa, Canada, and entirely in French. Before long, I realized that my desire to study law went much deeper than just trying to earn a decent living — by challenging myself through earning two French law degrees, as opposed to just one — I later became passionate about setting legal precedents, being a strong advocate for the use of legal technology, and eventually, joining the remote work movement. 

Prior to running and owning my own law firm, I worked at four different major law firms in Canada. First, I interned, summered, and articled at the largest national corporate law firm in our country — Borden Ladner Gervais. My time at BLG was excellent but I missed home, and I wanted to specialize — so very quickly, I ended up working at three different firms in Toronto, practicing subrogation, employment law, and general civil litigation. 

Before long, I realized that by jumping from firm to firm in less than two years, and consistently engaging in media opportunities, business opportunities, and client development — all on my own, I was ready to open up my own shop. I decided to do so to permit myself to live the life that I always wanted — and that includes spending great time with my family, friends, and my partner. But moreover, by opening up shop I was able to advocate for the things that mattered to me the most — and that’s always been all of those things listed previously, but also my client relationships, being a game-changer in the legal industry, and definitely offering my insight to companies like, Running Remote!

This is a great question! Social media was pivotal in not only the creation of the Instagram story, having allowed me to locate a Defendant in a very 21st century way, but it also assisted in disseminating the story — particularly, by being Canadian Lawyer’s most viewed story of 2018. Not bad for my first year of practicing law! 

I leverage social media power in my every day. I have come to know many lawyers, public bodies, professionals and individuals all through social media. LinkedIn is particularly helpful in this regard, as its sharing features are excellent — I have managed to build a network of over 1,100 connections, with a consistent 100+ pending (I will get to each of you!), and only precisely a quarter of that being individuals I have actually met in real life. It’s remarkable.

I have been extremely fortunate to have been nominated twice, in both of my years of practice, for Canadian Lawyer’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers. I was featured in Forbes in 2019 in respect of the legality of remote work arrangements, and have appeared in the Law Times, on CBC, Droit-Inc., The Lawyer’s Daily, and very recently — a podcast for BizChix. My accolades throughout the years have been absolutely phenomenal.

My biggest challenge as my own boss is one that I predicted a very long time ago — funny enough, I never saw this coming, but it is something that I always told my partner I would hate, if I did! At present, the greatest challenge seems to be knowing when to slow down. Although having your own practice seems like the most efficient and “work-life balance positive” thing to do, it also involves always being on top of your clients, work, and of course — administrative matters. I have been fortunate enough to have begun a thriving practice, from the get-go, and so much so that I am consistently behind on emails — but recalling that you are doing this because you are empowered and now have the ability to live your own life, is a great comfort.

Today, I maintain a professional office on Bay Street, with access to virtual offices across the city, and globe. The advantage of having my professional office downtown, with virtual offices across the city, is that each day my schedule changes — and my clients love it! For example, last week was filled with meetings, talks, and interviews — both in and out of Toronto. So, when I woke up this morning, in Mississauga in fact, the first thing that I told myself was — you’re going to work from home today!

It’s avant-garde. It’s 2019. It’s the future of work.

And for clients…. It’s the future of everyday life.

I love to write, so I truly appreciate the question! Lately, much of my writing has centered around advancements in legal technology: robot mediators, AI judges, virtual meeting platforms, etc. However, I also write often on remote work developments, particularly from a legal perspective.

I write for Canadian Lawyer, The Lawyer’s Daily, and my own blog.

Here are some recent publications, I am particularly fond of:

In the last few years I have had the good fortune of speaking at the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario’s Advanced Litigation Continuing Legal Education seminar, as well as their Annual Litigation Conference in Quebec, Canada. Both talks were in respect of Google, Artificial Intelligence, and Litigation.

I have also had the opportunity to speak to remote work gurus from across the world at Remote-How Inc.’s Future Remote Summit, and on Shelli Warren’s podcast, BizChix!

Early next year, I will be speaking at Running Remote’s Conference in Austin, TX. I am sure that that will be my favorite one!!

The biggest challenge I have seen companies face while going remote stems almost always from not having the proper remote employment agreement, health and safety checklists, and remote work policies in place. Specifically, when failing to properly outline the scope and functionality of the agreement, remote work companies either see a decrease in staff due to unpredicted problems with retention, or employee non-engagement. By defining the scope of the agreement from the get-go, including having an employee input their own work hours, break times, how and when the employee will report to the head office, how they will ensure that their projects adhere to deadlines and the details surrounding the projects, etc., a remote company is protected from all of these pitfalls.

Remote work companies should ensure that their remote work policies and remote employment agreements properly meet all of their obligations under provincial/state/municipal law, including tax and insurance obligations. Thereafter, it’s best to have a lawyer draft and review the agreements and policies, and of course, ensure that the employee provides as much input as possible. This protects an employer when there is a breach of the agreement and/or policy, as the employer is able to rely on a fairly detailed (and employee-collaborated) agreement.

The biggest influencer of my work over the last few years, and when I have seen my successes, is my partner. Having someone by my side, consistently encouraging me, while helping me grow, and maintain a very happy lifestyle :) is the best!

In respect of mentors, the senior lawyers I worked for at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP had a very positive impact on my practice. From the days of a young law student, to now, I was able to quickly learn the values and principles necessary to implement to ensure that I am always professional, efficient and kind-hearted.

Absolutely! Aside from trying to do at least one Pilates class a day (and almost being an instructor, at that!), I am a lover of nature and my partner and I find any which way we can to make it outdoors. Be it hikes, cottage trips, or simply hanging out on the balcony — we try our best, even in my “remote-heavy” lifestyle, to tear ourselves away from technology, and enjoy what truly is beautiful about today’s life.

Beyond excited! The most exciting thing for me is the ability to share, from a legal perspective, my insight and recommendations to remote-first and remote-passionate companies across the globe. I will be speaking to the audience regarding remote employment agreements, successful remote work arrangements — from a legal perspective, insurance, benefits, and tax obligations. I am excited to assist companies at truly, “running remote”!

My expectations are that it will be an incredible opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and impact the global work landscape, going forward.