Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

The Canadian model of high-velocity transactional dealmaking, premier natural resources leadership, and entrepreneurial business advisory is personified by Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. Tracing its foundational origins back to 1888 in Toronto, the firm has expanded into one of the country's most active and dynamic business law platforms, deploying more than 300 lawyers across offices in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary. Led by Managing Partner Kristin Taylor, Cassels consistently commands top-tier Band 1 rankings in Chambers Canada and Chambers Global across Mining (Corporate & Finance), Cannabis Law, Restructuring & Insolvency, and Franchising, while fielding powerhouse benches in Corporate/Commercial, Securities, and Commercial Litigation.

Cassels is recognized globally as a dominant legal architect in the natural resources and emerging industries sectors. The firm acts as primary transactional, project development, and securities counsel to hundreds of mining exploration and production companies operating across the Americas, Africa, and Australia, routinely leading the country in TSX- and TSXV-listed equity offerings, stream/royalty financings, and cross-border M&A mandates. In addition, the firm played a pioneer role in structuring Canada's commercial cannabis industry and commands one of the most prominent corporate restructuring teams on Bay Street, advising debtors, secured lenders, and court-appointed monitors in high-profile cross-border insolvencies.

On the recruitment and student development front, Cassels runs a comprehensive, high-touch student program in its Toronto headquarters, welcoming cohorts of approximately 18 to 23 2L summer students alongside roughly 23 to 24 articling candidates each year. Steered by Counsel and Director of Professional Resources Bethany McKoy, the curriculum emphasizes direct file integration and early transactional responsibility. Rather than being siloed into narrow administrative tasks, students cycle through core practice groups—drafting deal documents, participating in live transaction closings, preparing court materials, and attending hearings under the guidance of formal partner and associate mentors. Operating from the 32nd floor of the Bay Adelaide Centre North Tower at 40 Temperance Street, Cassels pairs intensive transactional pacing with an approachable, entrepreneurial culture and dedicated professional development.