urltoken is an online legal services marketplace that provides lawyer referrals and access to a database of legal information consisting primarily of previously answered questions .

lawyer profiles may include client reviews , disciplinary actions , peer endorsements , and lawyer-submitted legal guides .

avvo

avvo is advertising - sponsored ; however , avvo’s advertising does not impact a doctor’s avvo rating or his or her placement in avvo’s search results .
eric goldman : avvo wins big in ratings lawsuit - - browne v . avvo
avvo wins big in ratings lawsuit–browne v . avvo – technology & marketing law blog
glassdoor has 109 avvo reviews submitted anonymously by avvo employees . read employee reviews and ratings on glassdoor to decide if avvo is right for you .
* mark britton of avvo tells the story from his perspective . the official avvo press release .
prior to avvo advisor , avvo trialled an earlier service called “legal marketplace” , which launched in 2013 .
both darsky and bernstein state in their complaints that they have subscribed to neither avvo advertising nor avvo pro .
many lawyers have fully embraced use of the online legal directory , avvo . they may highlight on their website that they have a five - star avvo client rating or a 10 . 0 avvo rating . they may also use marketing services such as avvo advertising or avvo pro .
contact : megan olendorf avvo , inc . 206 - 734 - 4129 megan ( at ) avvo ( dot ) com
avvo legal services is built on the back of avvo advisor , which launched in 2014 , and introduced the concept of the $ 39 / 15 - minute consultation to avvo users .
avvo advisor . avvo also offers avvo advisor , a service where consumers can talk to an attorney for 15 minutes for a fixed fee of $ 39 . only lawyers with a 7 . 5 avvo rating or better and client ratings of at least four out of five stars can participate in avvo advisor .
the lawsuit against avvo for lawyer ratings has been dismissed without leave to amend . this is a big win for avvo .
but before we delve into the nuts and bolts of improving your avvo rating , let’s start with a quick overview of where the ratings come from , and how avvo rankings work . here’s how avvo itself describes the function and purpose of an avvo attorney ranking :
avvo is likely the first place a potential client will see you , so you need to make a good impression with your avvo profile .
avvo pro – in exchange for a monthly fee , avvo keeps other attorneys’ sponsored listings off an attorney’s profile page , according to both lawsuits .
unlike those previous claims against avvo , the darsky and bernstein lawsuits do not challenge the company’s lawyer rating system . instead , they attack avvo’s business model .
on the flip side , there are some attorneys who have a very different view of avvo . read 5 reasons lawyers hate avvo to find out why .
avvo advisor was initially available in nine legal categories and fifteen states , while avvo legal services is available in 18 states , with more on the way .
what is avvo ? are you using avvo to market your law practice ? do you even know what avvo is , or how you have been rated as a lawyer ? avvo has quickly become one of the leading websites where consumers go to find information about attorneys , but many lawyers are not developing their avvo profiles properly . some lawyers distrust or even hate avvo so much that they have filed lawsuits against it ( all of which have been dismissed so far ) , while other lawyers love avvo and see it as a great source of new business .
several prominent lawyers in the seattle area scored midrange to high rankings on avvo .
they complain in their respective lawsuits that avvo , without their consent , created profile pages bearing their identities and likenesses . furthermore , without their consent , avvo sold marketing space on their profile pages to avvo advertising subscribers , the lawsuits allege .
while many lawyers have not had much success with avvo in this regard , those who have made money from working with avvo are very pleased with the results .
2007 - 06 - 28 - avvo motion for judgment on the pleadings . pdf
browne et al v . avvo inc et al : : justia dockets & filings
hear dr . wessells and mark britton talk about avvo’s new doctor ratings directory .
comprehensive directory . as a lawyer directory and rating service , avvo is an extensive index of american attorneys . avvo states that it has avvo - rated profiles for 97 % of the practicing lawyers in the united states . those profiles contain both client reviews and endorsements from other attorneys . avvo also maintains a proprietary rating system .
avvo pages are often some of the highest - ranked search results for attorneys . lawyers should claim their profile and ensure it is up - to - date . lawyers that would like to increase their visibility should consider avvo pro or avvo advertising .
lawyers pay a monthly subscription fee to advertise on avvo . they also purchase websites and marketing analytics tools from us as part of our avvo ignite suite of services (
the avvo rating cannot be bought . at avvo , all lawyers are treated equally . we don’t play favorites , and attorneys can’t pay us to improve their ratings .
avvo offers free ratings and profiles for over 800 , 000 doctors in the united states , including the editorial avvo rating , patient ratings and peer ratings — in other words , avvo is kind of like yelp for doctors and lawyers , only better .
lawyers who love using avvo do so for a number of reasons . most of those reasons revolve around avvo ' s ability to generate new business for their law firm . to learn more about the top 5 reasons lawyers love avvo , check out the list below .
the most noteworthy — and possibly controversial — element of the new directory might be the inclusion of an avvo rating for each doctor listed . when avvo’s attorney directory launched in 2007 , many in the legal profession were critical of avvo’s proprietary ratings system and some sued .
as noted above , this is not the first time avvo has been challenged in court .
, avvo answers , isn’t necessary to maintaining a good rating , and won’t stop the decay . but you are forced to go back to avvo from time to time to stick something new into your profile or find out that you’re sliding down the slippery slope of avvo love .
avvo claim they don ' t remove negative reviews , they ' re being untruthful and deceitful . the fact is , they do remove reviews . i have hard copies of my approved review , which no longer exist on the avvo site . avvo cannot be trusted for attorney reviews .
avvo already sells avvo advisor , which charges users $ 39 in exchange for a 15 - minute phone call with a lawyer who provides legal advice . users pick the category of their legal issue and avvo matches them with the first available attorney in their area for a phone call .
still , some seattle attorneys who scored well doubted whether the avvo rankings could really be trusted .
plaintiffs sued defendant avvo inc . and alleged that thousands of lawyers have suffered damage to their professional reputations by avvo \ ' s publication of capricious and arbitrary ratings to consumers via the internet .
get health answers without an office visit free from real doctors at avvo’s question and answer forum .
avvo advertising – attorneys pay avvo a monthly fee , and in exchange , their ads are displayed as “sponsored listings” that can be found within the profile pages of other attorneys , the complaints state .
“the revenues generated by avvo come almost exclusively from its unauthorized use” of the names and likenesses of attorneys who , like darsky , refrain from using avvo’s advertising and marketing services , the complaint alleges .
also , there is an important distinction to be made between the ways avvo rates attorneys . there are two distinctive ratings on the site : an avvo rating and a client rating . the client rating does not affect the avvo rating ; the reverse is also true . according to avvo this was done to give users two metrics by which to judge a lawyer—the avvo - generated rating and the client rating . avvo managers believe that this gives users a better picture of the attorney , and compensates for the lack of more subjective metrics ( attorney personality , efficiency , etc . ) in their rating system .
josh king is a vice president , business development and general counsel at avvo , inc . handout .
4 . credentials evaluation and comparison . clients often have trouble distinguishing the credentials of one lawyer from another . avvo provides a way for clients to line up the accomplishments of each attorney to see which one appears to be more appropriate for the client ' s case . no other system on the market provides this ability as well as avvo . avvo director conrad saam says that
avvo provides three perspectives , three points of view of an attorney - the avvo rating , client ratings , and peer endorsements .
check your phone , email , linkedin profile , or facebook profile for a confirmation message from avvo .
follow the directions in the confirmation message to complete the process of claiming your lawyer profile on avvo .
avvo offers doctors a free and reliable marketing platform to reach millions of potential patients and referring physicians .
bernstein’s lawsuit , in particular , claims that avvo pro is meant to “coerce” a lawyer into paying a marketing fee so that avvo “will not misappropriate” the lawyer’s identity or sell advertising space to the lawyer’s competitors .
while the bulk of your avvo information will come from you directly , you’ll also need to provide some external information , such as peer endorsements , in order to improve your position in the avvo rating system .
5 . new clients . ultimately , the biggest reasons lawyers love avvo is that it is sending them new business . this is particularly true of the lawyers who invest time in responding to legal questions posted to the avvo website . this is a good way to quickly connect with potential clients in need of legal services . the overall quality of the questions being posted to avvo is very good , and by providing meaningful responses to questions many attorneys are picking up new clients every month from avvo . as i noted in the what is avvo article , my personal experience has been that avvo is a great way to generate new business .
avvo helps people find and connect with the right lawyer through industry - leading content , tools and services .
avvo’s goal is to make it easier for everyone to navigate the often - opaque legal industry . we create profiles and collect publicly available data for over 97 % of us attorneys . claiming your profile on avvo allows you to add more information about you and your practice , allowing us to provide a more accurate avvo rating .
avvo conceded that lawyers could temporarily raise their ratings with silly prizes but said its staff manually checked awards not already in its database . any bump for a spelling bee championship will be short - lived , avvo said .
browne ' s avvo ranking has fluctuated since the company launched last week , rising from 3 . 7 ( which avvo labels as
caution
) to 5 . 2 (
average
) . the low ranking on avvo was tied in part to an admonition browne received from the state bar in 2005 over compensation issues .
requesting client reviews is as easy as requesting peer endorsements . here’s how to request a client review on avvo :
now , whether you have a legal problem or a health problem , avvo gives you free ratings and answers .
britton says that claiming your avvo profile does not impact your rating ; in fact , many lawyers who are unaware of avvo’s existence have received top ratings . however , a complete profile with relevant information will help to provide more information to the avvo data team and the general public — which help a prospective client choose you over another lawyer .
avvo . i ' m guessing that you have an opinion on the attorney rating site . in this article , we will be looking at avvo , and learning how to use it to the best advantage for your law firm .
- the parking garage is stupid expensive , but avvo doesn ' t have control over that - too many good food trucks near by are making me fatter . - building doesn ' t have a gym , also no avvo ' s
avvo helps attorneys grow their practice by easily connecting them with the millions of people searching for legal help every month .
avvo was created in 2006 to fill a perceived online void in ratings and referral systems for attorneys . avvo strove to make itself different from ( and in its manager’s eyes , better than ) other systems such as findlaw and lexisnexis martindale .
avvo legal services is the latest stage in a remarkable evolution at avvo , which started life as lawyer directory , then added a question - and - answer facility , before its most recent incarnation as a quasi - provider of legal services .
by the way : don’t forget to submit your bar number . this is an important step that many attorney users on avvo overlook . make sure you submit your bar number to avvo to assist in verifying your identity and improving your rating .
in the past , we have published articles on this blog about how avvo can be effectively used as part of a law firm’s overall online marketing campaign . ( see , for instance , “ tips to boost your avvo attorney rating . ” )
avvo was launched in june 2007 by mark britton , the former general counsel of online travel agent , expedia . com .
find your profile in the avvo directory by typing in your first and last name . the screen should look like this :
josh explained that avvo ratings , unlike a m - h rating , decay . not for everyone , but for some . here’s how josh explained it when i asked him whether a lawyer’s rating decline if they don’t continue to participate in avvo :
john henry browne , et al . , plaintiffs , v . avvo , inc . , et al . , defendants .
attorney ronald burdge said he is aware of some of the negative comments about avvo , but that he has
nothing but good things to say
about it . burdge says that when he does seminars on marketing , he tells lawyers
they need to be on avvo and they need to be active with avvo and they need to be using avvo .
while he acknowledges there is some risk , burge believes this is true of anything online today . avvo presents too great of an opportunity to make people aware of their rights , and in the process of helping people you can pick up new clients too .
1 . free advertising . while lawyers can purchase an upgraded avvo membership with extra benefits , most of the avvo services are available for free . all an attorney needs to do is claim his or her profile to begin using the system . ( note that the love many lawyers have for the free advertising on avvo does not necessarily extend to their paid advertising plan . )
the avvo rating is our effort to evaluate a lawyer’s background based on the information available in an attorney’s avvo profile . we create the rating using a model that considers information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from public sources like state bar associations and lawyer websites . any information that affects the avvo rating is visible in an attorney’s profile .
avvo is a referral company , attorney directory , and lawyer rating service that also offers several other features . as a legal referral service , avvo provides a platform for attorneys to offer fixed - fee , limited - scope , unbundled services to consumers . avvo determines what services will be offered , and attorneys can sign up to provide services in locations for which they are licensed .
“the avvo rating is our effort to evaluate a lawyer’s background based on the information available in an attorney’s avvo profile . we create the rating using a model that considers information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to information we collect from public sources like state bar associations and lawyer websites . any information that affects the avvo rating is visible in an attorney’s profile . ”
michael jacobs , who specializes in auto , workplace and pedestrian accidents , received an avvo ranking of 7 . 0 , or
very good .
but jacobs , who has more than 35 years of legal experience , wondered how avvo derived the score .
so , the fate of previous legal claims against avvo may not give much indication on how these latest court challenges will fare .
further , avvo does not permit attorneys to delete their profiles or to
unclaim
their profiles once claimed . thus , some attorneys feel they are being forced to use avvo against their wills , just to keep incorrect information from being disseminated about them .
avvo also launched a free medical question and answer forum where certified doctors can answer patients’ health - related questions and medical concerns through the avvo website . and , because avvo believes the essence of its offering is the ability to link consumers directly with credible physician resources free of charge , the website also helps doctors to strengthen their medical leadership by inviting them to submit written contributions to avvo’s healthguides ( free research and medical information articles written exclusively by doctors who choose to participate in the avvo website ) . all medical q & a forum answers and healthguides submissions include the featured doctor’s photo and link to his or her contact information – all for free .
further , if a lawyer has been disciplined by his or her state bar association , that information is featured prominently on the lawyer ' s avvo profile . thus , some lawyers are quite pleased that avvo is sharing information that should be known about unethical attorneys .
in the wake of a new jersey ethics opinion prohibiting lawyers in the state from working with online legal service providers avvo , legalzoom and rocket lawyer , the latter two companies have taken steps to right the ship , while avvo says it is considering an exit .
contributor levels , which range from one to 20 , are your “reward” for answering the user - generated questions submitted to avvo’s popular “ask a lawyer” feature . but are they really that rewarding ? in short , is it worth your time to answer avvo questions ?
as to avvo’s possible defense under section 230 of the communications decency act , the judge noted that
[ p ] laintiffs have disavowed any claim based on content that avvo obtained from a third - party and the court need not consider this defense further .
answer box results haven’t shown up heavily in legal . although that might have just changed – specifically for lawyer name searches . google is now pulling data directly from avvo profiles for name search information – pulling titles and work history directly into the search results on a simple name search . this also includes a click through to the avvo website – which could provide avvo with a huge traffic jump .
urltoken is a tremendously powerful tool for attorneys , and having a strong avvo rating — ideally a 10 / 10 — can help direct a significant amount of business to your practice . but in order to harness avvo’s full strength , you need to ensure your attorney profile has been filled out as thoroughly as possible . if you follow these simple tips , your avvo rating should start to climb .
however , you should also be advised that avvo vets each link for quality , authority , and accuracy . if the press release exists only on your website , avvo may reject the link . nonetheless , it’s worth a shot . if avvo accepts the link ( s ) , you’ll see a slight increase in your rating on avvo for each speaking engagement you list successfully . unlike peer endorsements , there does not appear to be a point threshold for how much you can increase your attorney rank on urltoken based on speaking engagements .
let ' s get to the bottom of what avvo is , what ' s to love , and what ' s to hate .
josh king , avvo’s chief legal officer , described bernstein’s lawsuit to the aba journal as being “bizarre” and “completely ludicrous . ” he told the journal that he expects the case to be dismissed . to date , avvo has yet to file an answer to bernstein’s complaint .
if you’re a lawyer , you probably have a profile on avvo at this very moment – even if you didn’t make one yourself . before you can start making changes to your information , the first step you need to take is to claim your profile on avvo .
providing tranparency for the legal consumer… ironically , avvo does provide transparency : it shows which lawyers need to hype themselves to get business .
each lawyer’s avvo rating is derived from a multifaceted mathematical algorithm that weighs many factors . avvo is constantly adapting its system to be as current and impartial as possible , and the algorithm itself is both carefully guarded and regularly updated to prevent attorneys from “gaming” the system .
browne v . avvo , c07 - 0920rsl ( w . d . wash . motion to dismiss granted dec . 18 , 2007 )
healthtap has a similar q & a - style ; service , and will integrate avvo ' s network of doctors into its own . king said avvo had been shopping around the medical side of its business for a little while , and decided healthtap was a good match .
after years of scrutiny from bar association groups , avvo parent company internet brands has decided to scrap the company ' s bespoke service offering .
avvo acknowledges that it does not currently collect criminal records but otherwise
cannot disclose the contents of the avvo rating .
because cnet urltoken agreed not to publish the story until tuesday , we were not able to contact some of the attorneys who received poor scores for comment .
3 . high scores . it ' s probably no coincidence that the lawyers who like avvo the most are the ones who have received relatively high ratings from the system . after all , if your avvo rank indicates you are a mediocre lawyer , how happy could you be with it ? however , if avvo calls you
superb ,
you can ' t help but feel a little flattered . while not all attorneys are going to reach the top scores , with a little work most attorneys can get their avvo ratings up to a reasonable level .
absolutely not . avvo creates a profile for every licensed attorney we are able to locate , and calculates a rating for lawyers who appear to be working with clients . profiles are free to attorneys , and the avvo rating cannot be influenced by advertising or other forms of payment .
if information on your avvo profile is incorrect , out of date , or not dated at all , it’s going to hurt your ranking .
in the beginning , like many curious lawyers , i grabbed my avvo profile and put in some stuff to see what i could make of my rating . it started the day as a 6 . 5 and ended as a 10 , the highest rating avvo gave . we had some fun playing with avvo that day , but our work was done and that was the last time i bothered screwing with my profile .
britton notes that client reviews do not contribute to an attorney’s rating on avvo . although clients can be very passionate about their lawyers , they often have difficulty understanding what constitutes a legal “win” . positive client reviews do , however , help lawyers appear higher in avvo’s sort order .
on june 14 , 2007 , two prominent lawyers in seattle , wa filed a class action lawsuit against avvo inc . , the operator of avvo . com , a website that profiles and rates lawyers and allows users to submit reviews of lawyers they . . . read full description
seattle reviews company avvo announced thursday that it will sell its health business to healthtap , a palo alto company that provides a similar service .
healthtap announced this morning that it has acquired avvo health in an all - cash deal . while the specific terms of the deal weren’t revealed , avvo will be turning over all assets of its health business to they buyer and will be shutting down its health vertical beginning today .
peer endorsements do affect your avvo rating , though reviews do not . this is because peer endorsements - - one lawyer endorsing another’s skills and experience - - are a way to assess industry recognition , which is a factor in how we calculate an attorney’s avvo rating . reviews do play a very important role for people looking to hire an attorney , but we have chosen to not include that information when calculating the avvo rating .
avvo is a website , not a mind - reader . you cannot receive credit for information that isn’t included in your profile . you could be one of the most renowned and accomplished attorneys in your field ; but if avvo doesn’t know that , it won’t help your avvo attorney rating at all . that’s why it’s so critically important to ensure that your profile is as complete as possible . this simply cannot be stressed enough .
it also has been reported that some supreme court justices and law school deans rank lower on avvo than attorneys with little experience or past transgressions .
an attorney may request we remove the rating from their profile , and we honor those requests for attorneys who have not been disciplined and who are not looking for clients . these profiles will read “avvo rating not displayed” , and will not appear on practice area search listings in avvo’s directory .
complaints about the lawyer rating system grew particularly intense in early 2011 when many lawyers discovered their avvo scores had dropped even though nothing had changed in their profiles . avvo indicated that it changed the algorithm used for calculating attorney rankings , which resulted in the ranks of many lawyers being lowered .
avvo’s new medical website offers an easy - to - navigate informational and community forum that delivers patients detailed background on a doctor’s credentials , experience and disciplinary record , as well as a completely unbiased and editorial “avvo rating” for every doctor , and patient and peer ratings , all in one place .
it is free to claim your profile in the avvo directory . avvo pro starts at $ 49 / month and removes competitive ads from your profile page , displays contact information in search results , allows for lead conversion tracking , lets you highlight reviews , and customize your headline . avvo advertising starts at $ 100 / month and gives you sponsored listing at the top of its directory page and a display ad featured on high - traffic pages .
there’s no particular reason not to add a badge , but don’t fixate on this step . an avvo rating badge might have a positive psychological impact on a potential client who’s viewing your profile , but missing a badge won’t affect your ability to achieve a 10 . 0 “superb” rating on avvo . completing your profile will not increase your avvo score , but you cannot attain a perfect 10 rating unless your profile is at least 95 % complete .
well done laura . avvo is a fact for legal professionals so gaining every insight and practice tip is hugely valuable ! thanks for the helpful information .
a second criticism of avvo is their attorney rating system . this aspect of avvo is what makes them stand out the most from other lawyer marketing websites , and has been praised by many non - lawyers . while companies like martindale - hubbell have used a general peer - review system for grading attorneys for many years , avvo goes far beyond a peer - review system and only considers the opinions of other lawyers as one of many factors in evaluating an attorney . avvo gives each attorney a numerical score on a scale of 1 to 10 based on the information in that attorney ' s profile .
avvo goes beyond standard lawyer marketing websites on what it offers to users . while some sites enable lawyers to post their names , addresses , phone numbers , and website ( often for a fee ) , avvo provides a much greater depth of information . avvo allows attorneys to post what is essentially an online resume , providing a place to list academic and employment history , publication credits , awards , and significant cases . lawyers can post links to their own website or to articles they have published ( whether on other sites or on avvo ) , and they can answer legal questions posted by potential clients .
but a heavily funded seattle startup by the name of avvo hopes it can help consumers navigate the legal maze and choose the best attorney for the job .
avvo does not provide any rating in instances where it would not be useful , such as if the attorney is deceased or serving as a public official .
scott , you’re leaving some folks with the impression that your hard - earned honor from the world of bronies contributed to the rise in your avvo rating .
avvo already has strong support from prominent members of the physician community who welcome an online intermediary committed to putting the right information into the hands of patients and ensuring that physician records are validated through a credible third - party channel . supporting avvo’s new medical offering is a world - class board of medical advisors :
for starters , some lawyers discovered that they already have avvo profiles that they did not personally create . avvo mines data that is publicly available to create profiles for attorneys , regardless of whether the attorney is actually using their service . attorneys can then claim ownership of the profile by following a few steps to verify their identities . however , if an attorney fails to claim the profile , then inaccurate or incomplete information about the attorney could be published on the avvo site .
avvo , which also allows consumers and other lawyers to provide feedback on attorneys ' performances , attaches a ranking on a scale from one ( extreme caution ) to 10 ( superb ) . attorneys also are permitted to update their profile pages , though they cannot alter avvo ' s rating or eliminate public record information .
founded in 2006 , avvo has raised $ 132 million to date , including a substantial $ 71 . 5 million round that closed this past july . avvo also offers a q & a forum with more than 9 million questions and answers , along with profiles for 97 percent of practicing lawyers in the united states .
britton is sticking by the rating , saying that browne ' s beef should be
with the public records of the state of washington rather than avvo .
in his complaint , darsky admits that avvo’s attorney listings “may be a permissible first amendment exercise . ” however , he claims , “avvo’s business practices go far beyond that mere exercise” by using the names and likenesses of the attorneys in their directory , without their consent , to sell advertising or marketing services to other attorneys .
additionally , it is the responsibility of attorneys to ensure that any information or advertisements they place on avvo , and any communication they may have with prospective clients through the avvo site , comply with the rules of professional conduct regulating the form , manner , and content of communications with clients , advertising , or other matter .
from a ranking standpoint , probably not . answering questions – and in turn , earning a higher contributor level – will not add points to your attorney score on avvo . com . on a similar note , it is a poor utilization of your time to write legal guides for avvo . considering how time - consuming they are to prepare , review , and submit , avvo’s legal guides yield a poor roi , frequently getting lost in the overwhelming volume of content on the site .
more important to the lawyers actively using avvo is the amount of business it can generate for their law practices . a search for the names of many attorneys will bring that attorney ' s avvo profile up on the first page of google , so the search engine optimization ( seo ) value of their system is very high . some lawyers like having their profiles on a site that has so many consumers looking for information about attorneys , particularly those lawyers who have received a high avvo ranking . other lawyers are discovering that responding to legal questions posted on the avvo website is a great way to get new clients calling or emailing their offices .
on avvo , potential clients can search by specialty and zip code , and they will be presented with a list of ranked possibilities . nothing wrong with that .
avvo will continue to provide their legal answers service , which was their initial focus when they launched in 2007 . they added their health section in november 2010 .
one perceived problem with avvo is that its rating system only takes into account hard facts : time in practice , published cases , and the like . the formula doesn ' t factor in how personable an attorney is , what it ' s like to work with her , and if she returns calls in a timely manner . avvo believes—and states on its website—that to combat this , users must not rely solely on avvo to vet the best possible attorney for any given case . instead , avvo managers encourage those in need of legal advice to look at client ratings , information from the state bar association , and the website or web presence of the attorney . they argue—and i agree—that while an avvo rating should factor into the decision to hire an attorney , it ' s only one piece of the puzzle .
the biggest complaint about avvo is that you are likely listed on the site , whether you approve of the company or want a listing . and more than listed , you are rated . the problem with this is that avvo gets its information from independent internet research , and some of the info has been found to be inaccurate—no shock there ! more than one attorney has checked out their listings on avvo only to find that essential information is incorrect . wrong city , wrong firm name , wrong partner , you name it : avvo can get it wrong . unless you claim your profile , that is . which brings me to my next point .
that means your avvo rating needs to be as high as possible – ideally a perfect 10 / 10 score . whether you’re a bankruptcy attorney , a personal injury lawyer , a criminal defense attorney , or any other type of lawyer , this guide will explain step - by - step how to increase your ranking on avvo .
it ' s the most critical piece of guidance that we provide ,
mark britton , a former vice president of expedia who is avvo ' s chief executive , said about the numeric score .
it ' s our assessment of how good a job that lawyer is going to do for you .
avvo says it has received $ 14 million in funding , including money from benchmark capital and ignition partners , co - founded by microsoft alum and avvo board member brad silverberg .
avvo ' s plan is ambitious : to award a numeric score to every attorney in the united states , along with a profile , client recommendations and peer endorsements .
darsky’s lawsuit points out that , according to a july 2015 bloomberg news article , avvo had a valuation of $ 650 million and raised $ 132 million in funding .
while all endorsements are helpful , it’s important to be aware that some are worth more value than others , depending on their source . avvo endorsements can come from :
when a lawyer is rated av by martindale - hubbell , the rating remains for the rest of his career . yesterday , i learned that avvo ratings don’t work quite the same way . i was told that my avvo rating , 10 as of the end of business on day 1 , had decayed . as of yesterday morning .
“i googled this other guy and he was ranked real high on avvo . your guy had like a 6 . 3 . i went with the better guy . ”
attorneys can lose their licenses for falsifying data , and we don’t believe they will take that risk on their avvo profile . we also rely on our community of users to ensure data on avvo is as accurate as possible . if you see information on an attorney profile that you know to be incorrect , please contact us and we will investigate the issue . if an attorney is found to have intentionally posted false information , it will impact their level of professional conduct and negatively impact their avvo rating .
if you have an avvo rating of “no concern” or “attention” , you can receive a numerical rating by claiming your profile . when you claim your profile on avvo , we will automatically calculate the numerical rating and display it on your profile and in search results . a profile cannot be unclaimed once you have claimed it as your own .
essentially , both lawsuits allege that avvo has been using the identities and likenesses of attorneys who do not advertise or market on urltoken to generate revenue without the attorneys’ consent .
for obvious reasons , endorsements from other attorneys are the most valuable . here’s how many points your avvo score will increase from endorsements , depending on who they come from :
fix mistakes in the public record . if you claim your profile and find that avvo has inaccurate information from your state , you will need to address this with the appropriate organization within your state , asking them to have your record changed . you can alert avvo to the change , or simply wait until they do one of their periodic updates .
one important thing to keep in mind : when linking to your avvo profile from your website , make sure you add the rel = ”nofollow” attribute to the links . this will help ensure that they are not viewed as reciprocated links , and you can retain as much of the benefit of having links from your activity on avvo to your website .
avvo is on a mission to make it easier for everyone to get the legal help they need . but you don’t need to be an attorney to join our . . .
if you type without thinking , you too could be reprimanded by your state bar , something that would most defiantly show up on avvo—and across the web—and negatively impact your image .
avvo started out in 2005 as a lawyer rating and legal question - and - answer forum , and added the doctor reviews and health q & a ; two years ago .
avvo’s legal business is booming , and . . . we’ve decided to focus 100 percent of our attention on expanding our consumer legal services and helping lawyers grow their business ,
mark britton , founder and ceo of avvo , said in a statement .
just as avvo is the premier destination for people looking for legal advice , healthtap is the leading source for trusted answers to health questions and peer - reviewed medical professionals , which makes healthtap the right choice to carry on the conversation between consumers and medical professionals .
i think they will continue doing well in legal ,
gutman said of avvo .
they were excited to sell and it was a quite a competitive deal .
namely , you will only earn avvo points for speaking engagements if you are able to supply a link back to the event . ( supplying links makes the process more transparent and lends credibility for viewers who are browsing through your profile . ) you will gain 0 . 1 point toward your avvo rating for each speaking engagement you are able to link to .
still , because avvo attempts to affix a rating to every lawyer - - just as zillow attempts to place a value on every home - - it is bound to generate controversy .
a venture capital - backed web site called avvo that launches tuesday claims to offer a
game - changing
alternative to the yellow pages for anyone interested in hiring a lawyer .
you should watch these cases as they develop to see if they end up striking at the heart of avvo’s business model – or fare as poorly as previous claims against the company .
as both lawsuits note , avvo has compiled a free online directory of lawyers from states across the country based on information from public records such as bar admissions . each listed lawyer receives an avvo profile page , regardless of whether the lawyer has asked for one . a lawyer can claim the profile and manage the information that is listed or simply leave it alone .
what this means is that if you claimed your avvo profile in the beginning , then did what every thoughtful attorney does and ignored it since , there is a good chance that you’re rating will slide . if you weren’t a baby lawyer back when , and want to keep your rating , you have to go back to avvo and tweak it with new blood .
by now , almost all lawyers know about martindale hubbell’s lawyer ratings , but not everyone is aware of avvo’s ratings . do you know that there might be a profile about you on www . avvo . com , which might display peer and client reviews as well as rating you as a lawyer ? if you know about it , are you happy with your rating ? not all attorneys think their rating is accurate , so i interviewed mark britton , avvo’s founder and ceo , to gain some insights on his company and its lawyer rating system .
plaintiffs ' primary challenge is to the accuracy and validity of the numerical rating system used by avvo to compare attorneys . defendants assert that the opinions expressed through the rating system , (
avvo reports that its directory contains information on more than 95 percent of licensed attorneys in the united states . to come up with a rating for each attorney it lists , avvo takes public information from across the internet ( including your website ) and plugs that data into its ranking algorithm . their algorithm is made up , in part at least , of the following :
we will not change numerical ratings upon request . because the avvo rating is based on a mathematical model that is applied in the same way to every attorney , we are unable to change individual ratings . when you update your profile with more information , your rating may change : the more we know about you , the better we can determine your numerical avvo rating .
both lawsuits seek an injunction that would stop avvo from using the likenesses and identities of the named plaintiffs and other putative class members . they also seek statutory , compensatory and punitive damages .
fees . avvo sets a flat fee for the services attorneys can offer and facilitates a referral to a lawyer who contacts the consumer directly . avvo handles payment processing and transfers fees to a lawyer once the work is complete . lawyers are charged a marketing fee based on the services provided . lawyers perform their own conflict checks and are encouraged to have clients sign a representation agreement .
on june 14 , 2007 , two prominent lawyers in seattle , wa filed a class action lawsuit against avvo inc . , the operator of urltoken , a website that profiles and rates lawyers and allows users to submit reviews of lawyers they have worked with . plaintiffs also sued mark britton , avvo ' s ceo , and 25 anonymous
john doe
users of the site .
having an attorney profile on urltoken is great . if you have any external profiles that you can link to , that’s even better . try to provide the most comprehensive view of yourself possible , showing that you’re active and reliable outside of avvo , too . if you belong to any other groups that rate attorneys , like urltoken or superlawyers . com , let avvo ( and your potential clients ) know . it shows that no matter where or by whom you’re being rated , you’re consistently found to be skilled and knowledgeable , and that can boost your avvo ranking significantly .
britton said that client reviews are just
one leg
of the avvo stool , whose ratings also are generated through peer reviews and information compiled from attorneys ' web sites and other sources .
instead , according to the lawsuits , avvo makes money by selling advertising and marketing space on the lawyer profile pages . the two marketing services that are specifically at issue in the lawsuits are :
mr . browne said he had lost two potential clients thanks to his avvo rating . he would not name the lost clients because , he said , “they have not been indicted yet . ”
beyond the rating basics , avvo offers some other , more
advanced
options . one of these is the ability to pay to have your ad displayed on the website . if you choose , you can also pay to get a premium membership . a premium membership would allow you to come up higher in search results on avvo and remove other attorney advertisements from displaying on your profile .
in interviews with the seattle p - i , browne has called the avvo service a
joke
and said that the poor rating has damaged his reputation and business . the p - i reported friday that browne was pursuing litigation against avvo , but he had not yet retained counsel . with berman in his corner , the criminal defense attorney expressed confidence in a positive outcome in the matter .
the avvo rating is based only on the information we have collected and that the attorney has provided , so we don’t recommend the avvo rating as the only piece of information you use to evaluate whether an attorney is right for you . the rating is a tool that provides a snapshot assessment of a lawyer’s background , and should be considered alongside other information such as client reviews and peer endorsements .
however , in case you don’t want to watch the video , here’s how to request a peer endorsement on avvo . it’s incredibly fast and easy , so there’s no excuse not to do it .
whether avvo , the self - proclaimed lawyer rating service , justified by its altruistic claim that it would bring transparency to lawyers for the benefit of legal consumers , would survive . it’s still there .


the agricultural research institute of ontario is an ontarian government crown corporation , established in 1962 , by the ario act , to " advocate areas of research for the betterment of agriculture , veterinary medicine and consumer studies " and " increase the production efficiency and marketing of agricultural products by stimulating interest in research " .

it is located adjacent to the university of guelph campus .

agricultural research institute of ontario act , r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13
2 ( 1 ) the agricultural research institute of ontario , a body corporate responsible to the minister , is continued under the name agricultural research institute of ontario in english and institut de recherche agricole de l’ontario in french . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 2 ( 1 ) .
the agricultural research institute of ontario provides advice to the minister on strategic directions for research activities that contribute to prosperous , competitive and sustaina ble agricultural and food sectors and rural communities in ontario . ario is also an advocate for the future of omafra ' s research system .
the agricultural research institute of ontario ( ario ) was created in 1962 and continues its mandate under the agricultural research institute of ontario act . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 as amended ( ario act ) and reports to the minister of agriculture , food and rural affairs ( omafra ) .
increase the production efficiency and marketing of agricultural products by stimulating interest in research .
1 . foot note : kpmg . development of a comprehensive agri - food r & d infrastructure strategy for the agricultural research institute of ontario : background research paper . march 7 , 2008 .
the agricultural research institute of ontario is a corporate body which reports directly to the minister of agriculture , food and rural affairs . it was created in 1962 by the ario act to :
( 6 ) a majority of the members of the research institute constitutes a quorum .
the agricultural research institute of ontario ( ario ) is classified as a board - governed provincial agency reporting to the minister of agriculture , food and rural affairs . ario is focused on ensuring ontario maintains its competitive advantage in agri - food and agri - products research and innovation and concentrates its efforts in these four ways :
established in 1874 , the ontario agricultural college ( oac ) is a founding college of the university of guelph and is canada ' s largest and most renowned agricultural college . oac is a global leader in education , research and service focusing on agriculture , food , the environment and communities .
“research institute” means the agricultural research institute of ontario . ( “institut de recherche” ) r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 1 ; 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 1 ) ; 2009 , c . 33 , sched . 1 , s . 3 ( 1 ) .
12 ( 1 ) there shall be a comptroller for the research institute who is responsible to the director of research .
ongoing discussions with beef farmers of ontario regarding the consolidation of beef research at elora and new liskeard continued throughout 2015 .
( 4 ) the director of research may direct the research institute to exercise its powers under subsection ( 3 ) and the research institute shall comply . 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 6 ) .
( 3 ) an easement or covenant entered into by the research institute may be assigned to any person designated by the director of research .
investments in research and innovation will enhance the sustainability and profitability of ontario ' s agri - food and rural sectors , strengthen ontario ' s economy and create more good jobs for the people of this province .
research stations and infrastructure are an important platform for conducting agri - food research . ario owns 14 research stations and 3 agricultural colleges located across ontario . these facilities provide the capacity for research on a wide variety of agri - food issues . an ario - led reinvestment strategy is currently being implemented to revitalize research infrastructure to support demand - driven research . more about the properties .
a world - wide scan of how other jurisdictions organize and manage agricultural and agri - food research and development infrastructure was completed by kpmg on behalf of ario 1 . this scan concluded that jurisdictions around the world who lead in agricultural research and innovation have these success factors for agri - food and agri - products research and innovation strategic business planning and infrastructure capacity :
advisory body providing strategic direction for research activities that support competitive , sustainable agriculture , food and rural sectors in ontario .
the institute provided the foundation for , and is a key component of , the omafra research advisory network ( oran ) . the network identifies priorities for omafra funded research and guides research program development .
( 5 ) when the term of a member of the research institute expires , he or she continues to be a member until a successor is appointed .
14 lieutenant governor in council may make regulations defining agricultural lands for the purposes of this act . 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 12 ) .
for a full listing of research institutes , centres and groups at the university of guelph , visit the office of research website .
( 2 ) the research institute may take by gift , grant , donation or bequest money for use in research or the conservation , protection or preservation of agricultural lands . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 4 ( 2 ) ; 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 5 ) .
under the ario act , the institute may accept gifts , grants , donations or bequest money for use in research and the director of research holds and administers these funds received
in trust
.
welcome to the new e - laws . it’s now easier than ever to find ontario laws . we welcome your
( 6 ) a sale , lease or other disposition made by the research institute under this act may be for purposes unrelated to the objects of this act if any proceeds or benefits obtained by the research institute as a result are used for those objects . 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 6 ) .
mission : ario ' s mission is to facilitate leadership and investment in research infrastructure that is fundamental to the enhancement of ontario ' s rural and agri - food value chain .
( 5 ) an easement or covenant granted to , entered into with or assigned to or by the research institute shall not be modified or discharged without the written agreement of the director of research or the research institute’s assignee , as applicable , and the owner or subsequent owners of the real property against which the easement or covenant is registered . 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 7 ) .
the director of research of ario is appointed under the ario act to administer the business and affairs of the institute . the director of research is the adm of research & corporate services division . continued training & orientation of ario membersensure ministry staff & ario members are familiar with ario - omafra memorandum of understanding ( mou ) which details all roles & responsibilities as defined in the ario act
advises minister of agriculture , food and rural affairs on strategic directions for research activities . * advocates for future of omafra ' s research system * key component of omafra research advisory network ( oran ) ; identifies priorities for funded research and guides research program development comprised of ario director of research and up to 15 members who reflect ontario ' s agri - tech industry ; a director from agriculture and agri - food canada serves as ex - officio to ario . research and innovation branch of the ministry of agriculture , food and rural affairs provides secretariat support to ario and administers research programs on behalf of ario .
the lric at elora : the livestock research and innovation corporation ( lric ) , representing the primary livestock commodity groups ( beef farmers of ontario , ontario pork , dairy farmers of ontario and the poultry industry council ) have confirmed 20 % support for the capital costs of redevelopment of elora into the livestock research and innovation complex . this has established a new model of shared investment between industry and government that will be used for all future centres under the ario ' s infrastructure strategy and is demonstrated through the dairy industry contribution of $ 5million ( 20 % ) towards the $ 25 million new dairy research facility recently completed .
planning continues on a new facility for the guelph turfgrass institute and the relocation of research plots with detail design underway . a transfer payment between the university of guelph and ario was signed and initial funds transferred .
the agri - food and agri - products industry contributes more than $ 33 billion ( thirty three billion dollars ) to the ontario economy and employs approximately 700 , 000 people . research and innovation are key contributors to the strength of ontario ' s agri - food industry . ontario is a top innovator in agri - food , developing value - added products and providing industry solutions that contribute to a competitive and sustainable agri - food sector .
raise industry and the public ' s awareness ( through outreach events such as canada ' s outdoor farm show ) of ontario ' s agri - food research priorities and strategic partnerships that align with stakeholders ( e . g . industry , aafc , and universities , particularly the uofg ) and that strengthen ontario ' s agri - food research and innovation system .
omafra engaged infrastructure ontario on behalf of ario to acquire additional land to expand the elora research station to support current activities and future development . this acquisition is expected to be completed during the first half of 2016 .
in conclusion , to continue enabling ontario ' s economic growth , ontario needs to focus its agri - food and agri - products research and innovation , on the development of innovative products , safe food and sustainable and efficient production . to do so effectively , ontario ' s agri - food and agri - products sectors must have the appropriate research and innovation infrastructure platforms , with oversight by new governance models that reflect increased industry investment , access , and involvement in partnerships between government , industry and academia .
( 1 . 1 ) the corporations act does not apply to the research institute . 2017 , c . 20 , sched . 7 , s . 76 ( 1 ) .
5 except with the approval of the minister , the research institute shall not incur any liability or make any expenditure that is not provided for in the income for the research institute unless provided for by money appropriated therefor by the legislature or for which funds otherwise have been furnished therefor . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 5 .
in addition , ario is collaborating with omafra , agriculture and agri - food canada ( aafc ) and other innovation partners to leverage opportunities under gf2 , a federal , provincial and territorial agricultural policy framework . gf2 in ontario was announced jointly by canada and omafra on april 2 , 2013 and focuses on innovation , competitiveness and market development initiatives .
in addition , innovative projects are receiving a higher level of government support through ontario ' s gf2 cost - share programs for producers , processors and collaborations and organizations .
ario presented the following recommendations to the former minister of agriculture , food and rural affairs
defining an infrastructure strategy for agri - food and rural research , discovery , adaptation and commercialization in ontario
in 2008 .
( 3 ) the research institute shall include such additional content in the annual report as the minister may require . 2017 , c . 34 , sched . 46 , s . 3 .
currently ario receives industry funding as a condition of previous capital investments to industry by the province under the ontario ethanol growth fund ( oegf ) to be used to support omafra ' s open research programs administered by ario .
( d ) perform such other duties and functions as may be assigned to him or her from time to time by the director of research or by the research institute . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 12 .
ario continues to seek out non - government sources of capital investment from agricultural and agri - food related industry partners . the livestock sectors have agreed to the current model being used to develop the dairy research facility at elora , whereby , industry will provide 20 % ( twenty percent ) of the capital costs of any construction / redevelopment projects .
significant upgrades to the winchester site ( eastern ontario component of a network of integrated field crop sites ) including people , equipment and land ( tiling ) were put in place for the 2015 growing season .
10 the director of research shall have supervision over every program for which funds have been supplied by the research institute . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 10 ; 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 11 ) .
champions will define the infrastructure requirements to support the value - added vision for agri - food research , discovery , adaptation and commercialization in ontario , expecting that they include provincial , federal and other infrastructure capacity .
9 ( 1 ) there shall be a director of research appointed by the minister who shall be the administrator of the business and affairs of the research institute . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 9 ( 1 ) ; 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 8 ) .
6 the accounts of the research institute are subject to audit by the auditor general . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 6 ; 2004 , c . 17 , s . 32 .
the research and innovation branch of the ministry provides secretariat support to ario and administers research programs on behalf of ario . the following staff play a key role :
provide operational and managerial oversight of the 17 agri - food research properties comprised of over 300 buildings , 6 , 500 acres of land and over 40 tenants ( both government and non - government ) to ensure effective and efficient management of the research property portfolio in support of the various research programs .
ario and its members undertake focused activities to generate increased awareness of omafra ' s agricultural , agri - food and agri - products priorities and generate buy - in for the ario ' s infrastructure strategy through increased ario member engagement with agri - food industry stakeholders .
( 1 . 1 ) the not - for - profit corporations act , 2010 does not apply to the research institute . 2017 , c . 20 , sched . 8 , s . 62 ( 2 ) .
4 . 1 ( 1 ) an easement or covenant entered into by the research institute under subclause 3 ( f ) ( i ) may be registered against the real property affected in the appropriate land registry office .
7 ( 1 ) the research institute shall prepare an annual report , provide it to the minister and make it available to the public . 2017 , c . 34 , sched . 46 , s . 3 .
( 8 ) the members of the research institute shall receive such remuneration and expenses as the lieutenant governor in council determines . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 2 ( 4 - 8 ) .
the ontario ministry of agriculture , food and rural affairs ( omafra ) is the provincial lead overseeing ontario ' s thriving agri - food industry . omafra works to advance the government ' s efforts to promote a more competitive and productive agri - food and agri - products sector , and economic growth and opportunities for rural ontario . omafra supports rural and urban communities and a high quality of life for all ontarians . keys to achieving success include strong rural communities , thriving agriculture and food sectors , and , safe food , healthy animals and a healthy environment .
ario provides operational and managerial oversight of the infrastructure portfolio to ensure effective and efficient management of the research property portfolio in support of the various research programs . ario also provides oversight and the effective administration of current omafra open research programs and all financial operations / programs including all aspects of financial consolidation of ario with omafra with respect to these activities .
8 the research institute shall submit to the minister such reports on its financial affairs and the progress of its work as the minister from time to time requires . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 8 .
the risk of loss is low . ario has owned the research properties since 2007 . there are no significant property losses or destruction on record during ario ' s ownership or during the previous ontario government ownership of these properties . leases and occupancy agreements require tenants ( including the uofg ) to carry adequate liability insurance . tenants are required to include ario and the government as additional insureds on their policies . ario as an agency of the government is included in the government of ontario ' s self insurance scheme per ontario government policy . if ario ' s existing resources are insufficient a request for funding for repair of damage would be made to the ministry . lease revenue and capital tp are available to assist with repair of major and uninsured damage when it occurs .
provide operational and managerial oversight of the 17 agri - food research locations comprised of over 300 buildings , 6 , 500 acres and over 40 tenants ( both government and non - government ) to ensure continuing effective and efficient management of the research property portfolio in support of the various research programs .
( 5 ) money received by the research institute under subsection ( 2 ) or ( 3 ) shall be held in trust by the director of research and be used for the purposes of this act in accordance with the terms , if any , on which it was given . 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 6 ) .
advance the ario ' s infrastructure strategy through internal and external communication opportunities and materials that provide progress updates on efforts working with industry stakeholders / partners to modernize research infrastructure that supports ontario ' s agri - food sector ' s competitiveness .
( 4 ) an assignee may enforce the easement or covenant against the owner or subsequent owners of the property as if it were the research institute even if the assignee owns no appurtenant land or real property that would be accommodated or benefited by the easement or covenant .
the ario director of research administers the business and affairs of ario and is appointed to the position by the minister of agriculture , food and rural affairs .
( 6 ) the authority to delegate under subsection ( 4 ) does not apply with respect to the director’s duty to hold in trust money received by the research institute . 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 10 ) .
while continuing the work of managing the research infrastructure portfolio and the administration of omafra ' s open research programs , ario recognizes the importance of continuing with implementation of the ario ' s infrastructure strategy and looks forward to the next phases of development and implementation of the ario ' s infrastructure strategy in the year ahead .
the advice provided to the minister by ario is an important part of setting the direction & resource allocation for agricultural and agri - food related research in the province . ministry staff work closely with and assist ario members in developing recommendations made by ario to the ministry . ario only provides advice to the minister . all decisions on research direction & resource allocation are the responsibility of the ministry & take into account ario recommendations & other stakeholder recommendations / feedback .
ario ' s strategic priorities in supporting the omafra ' s current goals and objectives are described in section d and are summarized under four main categories as : 1 ) strategic advice 2 ) leadership - implementation of the ario ' s infrastructure strategy 3 ) promoting ontario agri - food and agri - products research & innovation 4 ) managerial oversight - of the ario owned research infrastructure .
vineland research and innovations centre ( vric ) at vineland : construction of a new research greenhouse facility was completed in the fall of 2015 . vric is planning a grand opening for june 2016 .
ongoing effective administration and managerial oversight of the current research infrastructure portfolio is provided by the secretariat .
( 2 ) the research institute shall consist of not more than fifteen members appointed by the minister . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 2 ( 2 ) ; 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 2 ) .
7 . 1 the minister shall table the research institute’s annual report in the assembly and shall comply with such directives as may be issued by the management board of cabinet with respect to when to table it . 2017 , c . 34 , sched . 46 , s . 3 .
continue ongoing support to research priority setting by providing advice via participation in omafra research advisory network ( oran ) on new and existing research for the agri - food and agri - products sectors .
continued to support modernization of research program administration through ongoing development of the research management system ( rms ) . focus continued to be on increasing functionality and capacity of rms to capture and retrieve more research results data , and to accelerate knowledge translation and transfer , thereby , increasing adaptation and commercialization opportunities .
ario plays an important role in modernizing the agri - food and agri - products research and innovation system . for example , ario has recommended an approach to the minister that omafra is adopting to modernize the agri - food research and innovation system . omafra has begun implementing some of the various phases of this strategy . the ario ' s infrastructure strategy initiative is the road - map for modernizing research infrastructure and strengthening innovation in ontario by providing state of the art , modern research platforms necessary to support development of new value added products and technological innovation and commercialization according to the following key criteria of the stakeholder - endorsed policy framework :
continue to provide effective and efficient administration of financial operations / programs including all aspects of financial reporting , consolidation with omafra , and administration of open research programs and other transfer payment agreements on behalf of omafra .
under the research and innovation designated program ( canada - ontario gf2 bilateral agreement ) , support is being provided to the agri - technology commercialization centre ( atcc ) , innovation centres ( such as vric , the livestock research and innovation corporation and others ) and the university of guelph ( uofg ) knowledge translation and transfer , highly qualified personnel and commercialization activities through the catalyst centre .
rib provides all secretariat , administrative and managerial support functions for ario . with respect to research programs , enters into research funding agreements with research institutions . the structure of these agreements was developed and continues to be reviewed / modified by the legal services branch of the ministry of the attorney general assigned to support ario .
through focused outreach opportunities for the chair and members , build relationships between ario and industry stakeholders to broaden awareness , engage and seek support for omafra ' s research and innovation priorities and the research infrastructure renewal necessary to maintain and strengthen ontario ' s local , national and global competitiveness in the agriculture and agri - food and agri - product sectors .
4 ( 1 ) all property heretofore or hereafter granted , conveyed , devised or bequeathed for purposes of research to , or to any person in trust for , any institution of the ministry of agriculture , food and rural affairs that is engaged in research is vested in the research institute , subject to any trust affecting the same . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 4 ( 1 ) ; 2009 , c . 33 , sched . 1 , s . 3 ( 2 ) .
ario director of research is appointed by the minister under the ario act and is responsible for the business and affairs of ario . the current ario director of research is the assistant deputy minister , research and corporate services division and chief administrative officer of omafra . omafra ( rib ) provides administrative , operating and managerial support and acts as the ario secretariat . operational decision - making and approvals are made by the ario director of research , or his / her authorized delegate ( s ) . the duties of the director of research are detailed in the ario act , as well as in the mou between ario and omafra .
through focused outreach opportunities for the chair and members , build relationships between ario and industry stakeholders to broaden awareness , engage and seek support for omafra ' s research and innovation priorities and the research infrastructure renewal that is necessary to maintain and strengthen ontario ' s local , national and global competitiveness in the agriculture and agri - food and agri - product sectors .
provide advice on the renewed uof g / omafra partnership agreement and on emerging research centre governance models e . g . livestock research & innovation corporation ( lric ) and the vineland research and innovation centre ( vric ) .
( 3 ) the minister shall appoint from the persons appointed under subsection ( 2 ) a chair and a vice - chair of the research institute . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 2 ( 3 ) ; 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 3 ) .
continue to look for opportunities for achieving operational efficiencies to support a world class integrated network of research platforms / facilities .
sponsor the creation of new partnerships across governments , with universities , research institutions and the private sector , where appropriate .
ario is consolidated for financial reporting purposes with omafra due to its close relationship , the ario ' s reliance on omafra for research program funding and administrative support , and due to the
financial materiality
of ario resulting from the transfer of 17 agri - food research properties that had an approximate $ 60 million ( sixty million dollars ) book value in 2007 at the time of the transfer of the properties from the then ontario realty corporation to ario . ario is required to provide a three - year financial outlook to omafra for financial consolidation purposes .
( g ) to develop and maintain programs for the conservation , protection or preservation of agricultural lands . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 9 ( 2 ) ; 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 9 ) ; 2009 , c . 33 , sched . 1 , s . 3 ( 3 , 4 ) .
implementation of the infrastructure strategy has been a catalyst for new , industry - influenced governance models that support the strong research and innovation capacity and boost ontario ' s economy . the vineland research and innovation centre ( vric ) at vineland and more recently , the livestock research and innovation centre ( lric ) at elora have demonstrated industry ' s increased commitment to supporting the agri - food innovation system in partnership with governments and the research community . these two centres and the proposed remaining centres ( bioeconomy , food and health , and field crop production ) will continue to drive the modernization of relationships between innovation partners - governments , industry and the research community , and lead to necessary operating efficiencies across ario and non - ario infrastructure .
provide effective and efficient administration and managerial oversight of current omafra open research programs ( currently new directions , food safety , germplasm reinvestment , proof of principle etc . )
raise awareness to industry , government and the public ( e . g . at stakeholder annual meetings , conferences ) of the contributions that ontario ' s agriculture sector ( agri - food and agri - products research , innovation and knowledge transfer ) makes to the province ( in areas such as the economy ; health ; environmental protection ; social good and job creation ) .
provide effective and efficient administration and managerial oversight of all financial operations / programs including all aspects of financial consolidation of ario with omafra .
( 2 ) any easement or covenant registered against real property under subsection ( 1 ) runs with the real property and such easement or covenant , whether positive or negative in nature , may be enforced by the research institute against the owner or subsequent owners of the real property even if it owns no appurtenant land or real property that would be accommodated or benefited by the easement or covenant .
in addition to
increasing consumption of local food
and
open for business
, the omafra ' s current strategic priority that most directly aligns with the ongoing work of ario is
increasing the competitiveness and productivity of ontario ' s agri - food and agri - product businesses through market focused innovation
. for more information on ario ' s on - going work see the attached appendices .
( 4 ) the director of research may delegate any of his or her duties , responsibilities or powers under this act to an employee or officer of the ministry of agriculture , food and rural affairs . 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 10 ) .
research and innovation : creates new opportunities for the agri - food sector , supports enhancement of the public good by providing safe and healthy food and supports the sustainability of agriculture and the environment .
continued effective administration of omafra ' s open research programs ( new directions and food safety including additional specific calls related to bee pollinator health and climate change ) and other research programs ( e . g . plant germplasm royalty reinvestment ) by research and innovation branch ( rib ) staff ( ario secretariat ) . total annual expenditures of approximately $ 3 million ( three million dollars ) .
continue to provide effective and efficient administration of current omafra open research programs ( e . g . new directions ; food safety , germplasm reinvestment )
agri - food produces substantial economic returns . the greatest returns come from enhancing the value of food products and processes through research , innovation and knowledge transfer
a key role of ario is to provide strategic advice to the minister on agri - food and rural research . the current focus is on the ario ' s infrastructure strategy , the partnership including ongoing research themes and priorities , and the emerging governance models under the ario ' s infrastructure strategy ( e . g . lric ) and on the strategic direction of agri - food research in the province .
risk option : accept rationale : industry has helped to establish a precedent by committing to contributing 20 % of the cost of the new elora dairy research facility now under construction . industry contribution will be one of the determinants in future decisions on which projects to support .
( 7 ) the director of research may appoint persons to advisory committees to assist him or her in the discharge of his or her duties . 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 10 ) .
inability to effectively & efficiently operate & manage the infrastructure portfolio . all of the ario owned properties are operated & managed under agreements with third parties . the university of guelph operates & manages all of the properties except the vineland research station which is operated & managed by vric .
all ario business decisions are the sole responsibility of the director of research for ario . the ario director of research is currently an omafra assistant deputy minister ( minister ' s appointment ) . ario has no staff and all secretariat functions are provided by omafra through the rib . funding for programs and properties administered by ario is provided largely through omafra and the government ' s budget process .
11 the director of research shall prepare and submit to the minister an estimate of all expenditures required during the next ensuing year . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 11 .
legal review of all agreements before they are finalized to ensure liabilities are minimized where possible . standardization of agreements where possible
governments around the world , including here in ontario , are faced with a sharply increased focus on public governance , transparency and accountability and value for money when delivering services and programs to citizens and businesses . new partnership models joining industry with governments and academia are key to the long - term success of the agri - food and agri - products industry , and are necessary for sustained economic prosperity and growth .
continue to advise the minister on research priorities and issues related to the agri - food and agri - products sectors .
academic institutions such as universities with an interest in agriculture , agri - food , and / or rural research priorities ( e . g . u of g and trent university ) ;
inherent government liability in ario agreements ( e . g . leases , research funding etc . ) allowing exposure to legal actions
13 subject to the approval of the minister , the research institute may purchase or arrange for the use of any invention or any interest therein , or any rights in respect thereof , or any secret or other information as to any invention , and apply for , purchase or otherwise acquire , any patents , interest in patents , licences or other rights conferring any exclusive or non - exclusive or limited right to make , use or sell any invention or inventions and to use , exercise , develop , dispose of , assign or grant licences in respect of or otherwise turn to account the property rights or information so acquired , and possess , exercise and enjoy all the rights , powers and privileges that the owner of any invention or any rights in respect thereof or the owner of a patent or invention or of any rights thereunder may possess , exercise and enjoy . r . s . o . 1990 , c . a . 13 , s . 13 .
working with the turfgrass industry and the university of guelph to develop detailed plans and begin implementation of relocating from the guelph research statiocontinue to refine , develop and implement investments in the three remaining centres ( enhanced field crops ; bioeconomy ; food for health ) .
revenues from ario ' s property portfolio ( tenants ) are used to partially offset the cost of ownership and maintenance of the portfolio .
construction of the new dairy research facility at elora which began in the summer of 2013 was completed with a grand opening and open house held in may 2015 . the barn was commissioned and the dairy herd moved in the fall 2015 and is now fully operational .
risk option : accept rationale : ario provides advice on research needs and resource allocation & is only 1 component of the decision making process . all decision making authority rests with the ministry . ario is only one part of the advice informing priority setting & resource allocation .
effective and cost efficient management of ario infrastructure / property portfolio achieved by the ario secretariat and the uofg ( on behalf of ario ) .
ario secretariat ( research and innovation branch ) is governed by omafra emergency and business continuity planning which is considered adequate for ario purposes .
scientists at our research centres work on projects to benefit canadian farmers , industry and canadians . we also maintain biological collections and resources .
providing administrative and managerial oversight of open competitive research programs ( e . g . new directions , food safety ) , and the 17 ario owned research properties with over 6 , 500 acres , 300 + buildings with a book value of approximately $ 83 million ( eighty - three million dollars ) ( including capital projects under construction ) , and over 40 tenants that include government , not for profits , industry and private .
establish and enhance working relationships among key partners and stakeholders ( e . g . lric , vric , agri technology commercialization centre [ atcc ] ) to strengthen strategic partnerships to leverage communications / research / promotional opportunities to advance agri - food and agri - product research and innovation .
continue implementation of the infrastructure strategy leading to a modern , integrated agri - food and agri - products research and innovation system with industry - influenced governance models and infrastructure capacity , some owned by government and some by industry . upcoming activities related to the infrastructure component of the innovation strategy includes :
quorum for meetings is defined by the ario act as 50 % of the appointed members the ario act allows members to continue to serve past the end of their term until they are replaced . appointments are at the sole discretion of the minister . ensure appropriate advertising of open positions through the pas system .
implement plans to ensure cross - training of staff occurs when needed . annual review of branch plans will pinpoint any required improvements in documentation for ario purposes .
( 7 ) the vice - chair shall , in the absence or disability of the chair , possess and exercise the powers and duties of the chair .
the ario ' s infrastructure strategy is based on principles that include : i . a shared financial commitment with industry on all research infrastructure capital construction projects ii . an increased level of industry participation in priority setting and overall governance
level of funding from non - omafra sources that goes toward investment in infrastructure .
challenging regions across the province to develop concepts for regionally / sector - championed and supported centres for agri - food research , discovery , adaptation and commercialization .
this statement of investment policy expresses the investment objectives and constraints of the ario . in addition to providing a framework for general direction of the portfolio , it provides a basis upon which to periodically review and evaluate portfolio performance relative to appropriate asset class benchmarks .
a director from agriculture and agri - food canada serves as ex - officio to ario . he or she gives ario a federal perspective about research activities across canada .
ario is classified as a board - governed provincial agency under the agencies and appointments directive ( aad ) , with a mandate to , among other things , provide strategic advice to the minister on agri - food research and related issues and interests , manage and hold funds ( ario manages open , competitive research funds and other trust funds ) and to acquire , maintain and dispose of real property in the manner described in the ario act .
tenants and delivery agents are carefully screened to ensure that they are compatible with ario ' s mandate and direction . sublet agreements require director of research approvalall new leases / licences / operating agreements contain a clause that states that if assessments / pils increase as a result of the tenant / occupant ' s activities they are liable for the increase . approval of new buildings to consider operating budget impacts including pils . in the case of a tenant owned building on ario property a land use agreement will be completed to spell out responsibilities & cost allocation .
continue to provide advice on the renewed the partnership including ongoing research themes and priorities , and the emerging governance models under the innovation strategy ( e . g . lric ) .
the long - term funding agreement and relationship between omafra and the uofg ( the partnership agreement ) is the primary vehicle for delivering omafra ' s agri - food and agri - products innovation agenda and the supporting the ario ' s infrastructure strategy put forward by ario . the agreement provides the research and innovation capacity to help attract and retain investment by government and industry for both discovery and applied scientific research . the uofg as the primary user of the ario properties has an active role in the new agri - food and agri - products research and innovation centres emerging under the ario ' s infrastructure strategy and supported through gf2 .
ario is an operational services agency of the government and as such has a memorandum of understanding ( mou ) with omafra . the mou outlines the roles and responsibilities of both parties and how the ario act and the various government policies and directives apply to the relationship between ario and omafra .
ario shall engage the services of a professional investment firm for investment advice through a competitive process .
resources to meet ario ' s goals and objectives are being provided through transfer payment funding from omafra as well as through secretariat services provided by the research and innovation branch ( rib ) of omafra . ario also receives some revenues from leasing land and buildings within its property portfolio . funding for major capital projects ( implementation of the ario ' s infrastructure strategy ) is requested and approved annually as a key component of omafra ' s prrt : program review , renewal and transformation process .
performance target : - average 20 % of capital investment to come from non - provincial government sources .
instruments offered by the five major chartered banks , namely , royal bank , td canada trust , bank of montreal , canadian imperial bank of commerce and bank of nova scotia including gics , term deposits and bankers acceptances ( note : investments can be greater than the $ 60 , 000 cdic limit ) .
the portfolio should be diversified , within constraints of ario investment policy , to reduce risk to capital .
funds are invested with a
conservative
strategy as required by the financial administration act to safeguard form capital losses of public funds . investment management firm ( rbc as of april 2015 ) fees are based on the value of investments , so the firm has incentive to maximize value and returns and avoid losses .
centres will share in the direction of effort and results , providing regionally - championed , sector - oriented solutions .
infrastructure committee : committee membership currently includes members from ario and secretariat staff . the committee reviews proposals related to the properties , addresses operational issues affecting the ario infrastructure portfolio , and makes recommendations that are then presented to ario as a whole for discussion and ratification . recommendations are then made to the director of research for decision .
focus of the 2015 - 16 programs continued to be the completion of a number of existing large renovation projects . in addition , animal and human safety , regulatory and equipment failure issues were addressed on a case by case basis . over 70 projects were undertaken during the year including numerous physical infrastructure upgrades at ridgetown , huron , alfred , winchester and vineland .
the decision to consolidate ario with omafra for the purposes of financial reporting and budgeting and the very significantly increased focus on agency governance , transparency and accountability have greatly impacted financial and operational reporting activities of the secretariat resulting in a need for additional resources .
( b ) acquire property or any interest therein by purchase , lease or otherwise and may dispose of all or any part of such property or interest therein by sale , lease or otherwise . 1994 , c . 27 , s . 5 ( 6 ) .
risk option : mitigate rationale : rib is focusing on developing succession plans . rib is in the process of implementing a pilot kms .
executive committee : provides long term strategic leadership to the ario including coordination of any other ario committee activities and , strategic advice to omafra .
the cost to administer the programs within ario ( including the proportionate cost of salaries and benefits for omafra staff that spend varying portions of their time on ario issues ) are paid from omafra ' s budget within the allocation assigned to the rib . the current estimate cost to provide the ario secretariat functions is approximately $ 1 . 3 million ( one million three hundred thousand dollars ) ( part of rib budget ) .
the ario comptroller ( currently manager , corporate controllership in omafra ) shall have responsibility to ensure the statement of investment policy is adhered to .
ario is comprised of up to 15 members appointed by the minister for omafra and this membership has been maintained at a level between seven and nine for many years . members of ario are recognized as leaders in the agriculture , food and rural sectors . they have been drawn from a broad cross section of commodity and business interests and geographic areas . members do not represent any particular organization but hold their position in their own right .
funding for the necessary staffing and operating resources required to support the administration of ario have been , and will continue to be , provided through rib budget allocations within omafra . these costs are estimated at approximately $ 1 . 3 million ( one million three hundred thousand dollars ) annually . . ario has no staff of its own and rib provides all secretariat functions for ario . the actual cost of ario member per diems and travel related costs is relatively insignificant and is approximately $ 50k / yr of the $ 1 . 3 million ( one million three hundred thousand dollars ) total .
provide liquidity , with a portion of the portfolio available to adequately meet short - term ( up to 1 year ) individual program and capital reinvestment cash flow requirements . investments may include treasury bills , government of canada / provincial bonds or coupons , and bankers acceptance paper maturing within one year .
ario provides advice to the ministry on program resource requirements and allocation . decisions on allocations are the responsibility of ministry . program : continue to identify allocation needs through the annual results - based planning ( rbp ) process , leverage additional funds from other levels of government ( gf2 ) , industry partners , & academia . infrastructure : continue to identify capital allocation needs through the annual results - based planning process , leverage additional funds from other levels of government , industry partners & academia . as part of 2014 - 15 prrt ( rbp ) process $ 15 million re profiled to fiscal 2018 and 2019
greater utilization of infrastructure across both ario portfolio and non - ario infrastructure , e . g . industry , government and academia achieve improved access and collaboration
the investment advisor shall prepare and provide a detailed monthly statement showing the composition of the portfolio at month end and shall report all transactions during the month .
note : on the day subsection 4 ( 1 ) of the not - for - profit corporations act , 2010 comes into force , subsection 2 ( 1 . 1 ) of the act is repealed . ( see : 2017 , c . 20 , sched . 7 , s . 76 ( 2 ) )
note : on the day subsection 4 ( 1 ) of the not - for - profit corporations act , 2010 comes into force , section 2 of the act is amended by adding the following subsection : ( see : 2017 , c . 20 , sched . 8 , s . 62 ( 2 ) )
( 4 ) an appointment under subsection ( 2 ) shall be for a term of not more than three years but any person is eligible for reappointment .
the risk is low given the uofg ' s experience in managing the same properties for many years . the licence agreement between ario , uofg & the ministry & the management agreement between ario & vric details all roles and responsibilities of each party for operation , management and maintenance of the properties . the uofg & vric submit an annual prioritized capital plan that details need property maintenance & repairs . decisions on funding are the responsibility of ario . there is a very good working relationship between ario , uofg , vric and the ministry . notice requirements in the licence agreement and management agreement provide ario adequate time to contract a replacement property manager if required . ario secretariat ( research and innovation branch ) is governed by omafra emergency and business continuity planning which is considered adequate for ario purposes .
need for an integrated research and development models , e . g . from producer to processor to consumer ; or from basic , to strategic , to applied , to demonstration , to scale - up , to financing and commercialization . also means that different scientific disciplines are integrated into the overall model as appropriate
a comprehensive portfolio review and performance evaluation shall occur annually including performance of the portfolio , as well as updates on the current and future economic outlook and investment strategy .
below is a report on achievements in accordance with the current performance measures framework outlined in the ario mou and includes the current focus of the ario ' s innovation strategy .
in december 2012 , agriculture and agri - food canada ( aafc ) announced the federal - only agri - innovation program . this program includes the industry - led research and development agri - science cluster and agri - science project initiatives . the agri - science initiatives will mobilize scientific expertise across industry , academia and government .
continue to advise the minister and omafra senior management regarding the implementation and strategic positioning of the ario ' s infrastructure strategy including both new investments and opportunities to achieve operational efficiencies .
note : on the day subsection 4 ( 1 ) of the not - for - profit corporations act , 2010 comes into force , subsection 2 ( 1 ) of the act is amended by striking out “body corporate” and substituting “body corporate without share capital” . ( see : 2017 , c . 20 , sched . 8 , s . 62 ( 1 ) )
ensure safety of capital over a 1 to 3 year time horizon by investing in high quality fixed income securities , including government bonds and / or professionally - managed pension level bond portfolios .
given the role and decision making structure of ario , overall risk ( operational , financial , political etc ) is very low ; however , the ability to maintain financial commitments for the multi year nature of capital infrastructure construction projects can be impacted by changes in government and changes in government funding priorities , neither of which can be predicted with confidence over such a time frame . this risk is mitigated by the fact that the ario ' s infrastructure strategy is now well underway and that significant funds for future phases have been transferred to ario and have been committed to individual projects .
other transfer payment initiatives administered by ario on behalf of omafra are developed in consultation with ario ' s assigned legal support and omafra ' s bpfmb ensuring compliance with transfer payment and accountability directives where appropriate .
the infrastructure renewal ( program - related ) portion of the program supports projects addressing animal care , including health , safety and well - being , program needs and priorities as well as some dedicated equipment replacements .