Summering | Articling | Meet the Students

2010-11 Articling Students

Devin Anderson

Summering at Lang Michener has served as an outstanding introduction to the legal profession. As a student in the corporate rotation, I have had the opportunity to work on engaging assignments in a variety of practice areas and have been exposed to direct client interaction, research and drafting. The firm’s emphasis on providing students with a well rounded experience in the rotation of their choice has allowed me to gain exposure to fields such as commercial real estate, competition, and banking and insolvency law, as well as affording me the opportunity to play an active role on a number of asset and share transactions. This is a firm where initiative is rewarded and students are encouraged to take ownership of matters under their carriage. In addition to the high-calibre of the assignments, I have been consistently impressed with the supportive and approachable nature of the firm’s partners, associates and support staff. The well-designed and implemented mentorship program, coupled with the thorough orientation sessions and regular social events foster an environment of collegiality that has a real impact on the working culture of the office. I feel confident that summering with Lang Michener has provided an excellent start to my legal career and I look forward to returning to the firm to pursue my articles.

Diana Bloom

My summer at Lang Michener has been a rewarding learning experience. The firm’s collegial environment made me comfortable from day one. Lawyers, staff and students were always willing to give guidance and to help when needed. As a student in the litigation rotation of the summer program, I have had the opportunity to work with lawyers in various practice areas including commercial, insurance, intellectual property, and labour and employment. I have conducted a settlement conference, appeared in court, researched and drafted legal memoranda, facta and pleadings, and prepared motions materials. My experience at Lang Michener has been a time of personal and professional growth. I look forward to returning to Lang Michener to complete my articles.

Aimee Collier

My summer with Lang Michener has been a very rewarding experience. As a student in the litigation rotation, I have had the opportunity to work with lawyers in a number of different areas, including commercial, intellectual property and labour and employment. From researching and preparing legal memoranda, meeting with clients and speaking in Small Claims Court, I am grateful that I have been given a high level of responsibility in my work and an equally high level of support from the partners, associates, students and staff. It has been an absolute privilege to work at a firm with such smart and professional individuals, and I very much look forward to returning to Lang Michener for my articles.

Robert Hester

Lang Michener’s summer law student program proved to be an excellent start to my legal career. The firm’s size meant that at no point during the summer did I feel as if I was lost amongst a crowd of other students and as one of four corporate students, I was directly responsible for work that was sent to clients. My summer experience was also quite varied and I enjoyed exposure to a number of practice areas including insurance, information technology, privacy, banking and restructuring, and of course, general business law. What surprised me the most about the summer program was the level of support the firm offers to its students. Between the mentor program, weekly student meetings, and conversing with the support staff, clerks, and lawyers, I was always comfortable asking for clarification or assistance. I look forward to returning as an articling student next year.

Jonathan Miller

My summer at Lang Michener far exceeded my expectations. Starting a job on Bay Street, for any law student, will undoubtedly be accompanied by a great deal of anticipation, and often a good measure of uncertainty. This was where I found myself, entering the boardroom on the first day. Lang Michener soon proved to be the ideal environment for my immersion in the legal world. I found that my enthusiasm to learn and be a valuable contributor was harnessed and encouraged, while my inexperience was always taken into account. The young lawyers at the firm, acting as student mentors, were a great resource in involving me in work I found stimulating, and provided valuable insight into anything and everything that a student could question. Lang Michener also recruited a great group of like-minded students, who were incredibly bright and engaging, while always supportive and genuine. They were all individuals you would be happy to work a file with, and equally happy to grab a drink with when the hard work was finished. I found this collegial dynamic to be a reflection of the firm itself. Throughout the summer, there was no shortage of interesting issues in which I became involved. I worked closely with a senior employment lawyer, compiling legal research which formed the entirety of an important motion. I spoke both over the phone and in person with numerous clients of the firm, providing answers to their queries and strategizing about trial. I was the sole representative of our firm at a settlement conference, and I attended a labour arbitration where I drafted the final settlement agreement. Incidentally, this level of involvement in a file isn’t a rarity at Lang Michener, and it is ultimately rewarding to be involved in a matter from start to finish. The lawyers always ensured this was accomplished in a supportive environment conducive to comprehension and improvement. I am happy to be returning to Lang Michener next year for my articles.

Christopher Nam

Prior to this summer, I knew little about what the practice of corporate law was really like. I wanted to work at a Bay Street firm with an outstanding reputation not only for the quality of its work, but also for having a collegial and open culture. After interview week, I knew Lang Michener was the perfect fit for me. My summer experience at Lang Michener has provided me with an excellent opportunity to work on a wide variety of complex and interesting work, while providing me with all the necessary resources to succeed. From the very start, I was given a lot of responsibility and support, which made all the difference when starting out my legal career. The type of work was engaging, ranging from closing multi-million dollar deals on my own to researching nebulous points of law. More important was the quality of the people at Lang Michener. Everyone I met, be it the lawyers, students or the support staff were all great to work with. I truly enjoyed spending my summer at Lang Michener, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to return next year for my articles.

Signey Steckel

This has been a truly amazing summer. I felt right at home from the moment that I walked through my office door, and today when I leave, I take with me new friends and a wonderful work experience. Having worked on multi-million dollar transactions and met with many clients, I am excited for the future that lies ahead. Also, I will miss the array of cookies that are available 24/7 in the pantry!

Joanna Vatavu

I thoroughly enjoyed my summer at Lang Michener. The combination of great work and great people created an excellent learning environment and made the experience extremely rewarding. I expressed an interest in the area of intellectual property law and was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with some of the most prominent lawyers in the field of patent law. In addition to intellectual property, I gained a wide range of experience and was exposed to many practice areas including trademark, insurance, commercial, and employment law. The work I did was often challenging but I always felt a lot of support from lawyers, staff and fellow students. A highlight of my summer experience was assisting on a factum for the Ontario Court of Appeal. Generally, I felt included in the firm culture and enjoyed attending the weekly litigation breakfast meetings as well as various firm events. This summer has been a refreshing experience and a catalyst for my professional and personal growth. I am very grateful for the opportunity to work at Lang Michener and I look forward to returning as an articling student next year.

2010 Summer Students

Calie Adamson (Western)

I have had an outstanding summer at Lang Michener. I was exposed to multiple aspects of the litigation process in a wide range of practice areas, and researched cutting-edge issues in insurance, construction, and employment law. In addition to drafting pleadings and affidavits, I assisted a lawyer with the preparation of motion materials and was able to watch him put the argument to the test at the Ontario Court of Appeal. I met with clients on several occasions and had the opportunity to develop my advocacy skills at a settlement conference. At Lang Michener, students are given a high degree of responsibility at an early stage, but are provided with all the guidance needed to help them rise to the challenge. My summer in the litigation rotation was a tremendously rewarding start to my legal career, and I look forward to returning to Lang Michener for my articles.

Paul Boshyk (Calgary)

As a student in the litigation rotation, I have had the opportunity to gain experience in a number of different practice areas including labour and employment, commercial, competition, bankruptcy and wills and estates. The type of work has ranged from research to legal drafting to assisting lawyers during mediations and arbitrations. Regardless of the task, however, the lawyers at Lang Michener are often eager to afford students with a high degree of responsibility. For instance, the highlight of my summer came when I was given the opportunity to represent a client at a consumer proposal meeting as part of a contentious bankruptcy proceeding. While the work is often challenging, the lawyers at Lang Michener are always willing to provide students with valuable advice, support and feedback. Indeed, the firm offers a collegial environment that is the ideal place to develop as a young lawyer. I am very much looking forward to returning to Lang Michener in 2011 for my articles.

Dana Doidge (Toronto)

I have truly enjoyed my summer at Lang Michener. The positive work environment coupled with high-caliber and dynamic cases made my time at the firm stimulating and engaging. The lawyers and staff at Lang Michener took a genuine interest in my progress and ensured that I had the opportunity to work on a variety of matters. Over the summer I conducted off-site due diligence for one of Canada's most prominent corporations, prepared research articles on cutting edge environmental law issues, and drafted articles for an employment law publication. What I enjoyed most over my summer was the collegial and professional work environment at Lang Michener. The firm's size is perfect for those who want high-level work in a place where "everybody knows your name". I am excited and look forward to returning next year for my articles.

 

Annik Forristal (Calgary)

My experience at Lang Michener has been both exciting and challenging. The work given to me as a summer student required that I draw on a wide variety of skills. For example, having expressed an interest in intellectual property, I was given the opportunity to apply my engineering background while helping with patent prosecution. On the other hand, I was also asked to apply my French-speaking skills in a variety of ways, including phoning Quebec court houses and the Montreal Police Service. As a student at Lang Michener you become highly immersed in the work taking place at the firm. The work experience I gained in only a few short months involved research in a variety of legal practice areas - such as employment and labour, commercial litigation, and intellectual property - and required that I learn to draft and prepare many types of legal documents. Lang Michener has a wonderful support group consisting of both individual mentors for each student, and general mentors for students in both the litigation and corporate groups. In addition, partners and associates are very approachable and eager to discuss their practices. Highlights of my summer experience in the litigation group included attending both the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Federal Court of Appeal, as well as assisting in the research and drafting of a memorandum of argument for an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Last, but not least, Lang Michener has a wide variety of social activities that allow students to get to know associates and partners in a more casual setting. This past summer these events included attending horse races at Georgian Downs, going to a Blue Jays game, and playing for the Lang Michener softball team. I look forward to returning to Lang Michener to complete my articles.

Hilary Kwinter (Osgoode)

I am grateful that I was able to start my legal career as a summer student at Lang Michener. Throughout the summer, I was provided the opportunity to gain exposure to a wide range of practice areas while working with friendly and supportive partners, associates and staff. With their guidance, I completed a variety of work assignments in the corporate rotation, including actively participating in asset and share transactions, conducting off-site due diligence, researching various points of law and preparing articles and presentations. With the mentorship program and weekly student meetings, the transition from law school to law firm was made easy. I am very much looking forward to returning to Lang Michener as an articling student next year.

Rosetta Ting (Osgoode)

Being a corporate summer student at Lang Michener has been an invaluable experience. I have had the opportunity to work with renowned lawyers in different fields such as real estate, securities, insurance, competition, and environmental law. Between gaining exposure to large areas of law that were unfamiliar to me and studying interesting niche areas of the law, this summer has been like no other. From day one I have been entrusted with a high level of responsibility and have taken part in high-profile and complex matters. Doors are always wide open for questions at this firm and I have benefited from a strong support network of formal and informal mentors, lawyers, support staff and students. All of the students here are an integral part of the Lang Michener team. My summer experience has been a rewarding one – I have extended my legal knowledge, improved my writing and research skills, hit a baseball, and made new friends. I look forward to returning as an articling student in 2011.