Covid-19 affected every business when it hit in February. Communities went into alarm mode and prepared for the worst; they adapted.
“Legal issues [are] not a priority when you need to put a meal on the table.” As Etienne Esquega took care of his own family during this time, he also made sure to take care of his community through his law practice.
Now that the threat of Covid-19 has subsided and the community has flowed into a new normal, Esquega does not shy away from the love he has for the work he does.
“When you study the law and you find areas you’re interested in, going to work is never a hassle. It’s a joy.”
Succeeding smoothly
In 2012, Esquega opened Esquega Law Practice on Fort William First Nation.
“My entrepreneurial drive and spirit led me to think that maybe it was time to do my own thing.”
Esquega provides legal services and advice on legal issues concerning Indigenous legal issues, commercial and employment law, regulatory law, as well as civil litigation. He advises indigenous and non-indigenous clients.
“[It’s] a lot of governance work, economic development, land claims, civil litigation.” The corporate and commercial work that flows from the services they offer include agreements, partnership set-ups and incorporations.
Appropriately adjusting
Esquega believes working remotely needs to be on the forefront of a successful practice going forward.
“Using platforms to provide legal services, our institutions need to catch up and be leaders. We need to continue to usher this forward and make it a priority.”
By perfecting their knowledge of teleconferencing and Zoom, Esquega Law Office was able to assist their clients with court and meetings with few interruptions.
“Maybe one of the only good things coming out of this pandemic is that we now have to turn and focus our minds to the use of technology to facilitate access to justice.”
A forward future
As they continue to adjust and understand what is needed to succeed, Esquega Law Office is continuing to assist clients with civil and business law issue, as well as making sure the community’s interests are the forefront of their practice.
“We try to fully understand what our clients need and then come up with a plan of action before moving forward.”
Through changes within the community and the newness we’re all adjusting to, Esquega Law Office will continue to succeed for Thunder Bay and neighbouring communities.
