Shaping Tomorrow’s

Legal Minds

Thornton Grout Finnigan LLP (TGF) is a specialty firm that occupies a unique space in the high-end legal services market in Canada.  TGF specializes in finding creative, efficient, and persuasive solutions to the most complex business disputes, consistently achieving precedent-setting results.

The firm is nationally recognized for its expertise in complex commercial litigation, restructuring, insolvency litigation, public-private partnership disputes, securities-related matters, director & officer liability, and M&A litigation across various industries. Many of the firm’s cases have a cross-border component, and TGF plays a leading role in many of the highest-profile cross-border and multi-jurisdictional insolvencies.  TGF is listed in the Top 100 Restructuring Firms worldwide in the annual ranking compiled by Global Restructuring Review (GRR) and is one of only a handful of Canadian-based firms that are included. 

Student Program

As a summer student at TGF, you will dive straight into the practice of restructuring and litigation. You will have the opportunity to work closely alongside leading professionals in the field. You’ll collaborate with top industry professionals and be actively involved on the front line in high-profile and challenging insolvency litigation matters. The learning curve is steep, but with your abilities and the support from your mentors and colleagues, you will be ready to rise to the challenge. Throughout your time at TGF, you will be exposed to valuable opportunities across the firm’s practice areas.

Articling students at TGF will have these same opportunities and engagements, but the longer articling period allows you to become even more immersed in the firm’s mandates, seeing more of the full picture of our firm’s fast-paced, high-stakes engagements.

TGF does not have a formal rotation system, so students will work on both restructuring and litigation files throughout their time at the firm.

Students at TGF earn $2,000.00 per week.

What Sets Us Apart

  • At TGF, we prioritize giving responsibility and practical experience to students as soon as they are ready for it. We involve our students in every part of our client files, including assessing the strengths and weaknesses of legal positions, negotiating deals during restructurings, drafting pleadings and motion materials and legal arguments, gathering evidence, consulting directly with clients, managing discovery processes, formulating case strategies and attending trials and hearings. Students who thrive at TGF are proactive, take responsibility for their files and take the initiative to demonstrate their skill and dedication to their colleagues.  In return, you will form meaningful connections and gain invaluable hands-on experience that will shape your legal career.

  • We carefully pair each summer and articling student with a mentor. The mentor will be an associate who will focus on providing day-to-day guidance and offer strategic, big-picture advice. Each mentor-mentee relationship is unique and tailored to the individual. Our mentor selection process is thoughtful, ensuring the best possible match for every student. While mentors occasionally work with students on client matters, their primary role is to guide and support. Great mentors collaborate with their mentees to set clear goals and create a roadmap to achieve them. These mentor relationships often evolve into long-term relationships, offering support and advice well beyond the summer/ articling experience. We know TGF students are given more responsibilities than their peers, and we make sure to give them the support they need to excel. Articling students will have the additional support of a partner who will serve as their articling principal. Mentorship is built into the fabric of TGF: every lawyer is a mentor to other lawyers, and we assign our students a mentor to support their growth and development.

  • Twice during the summer, we conduct formal evaluations for our summer students. Each reviewing lawyer provides detailed feedback on the student’s performance, assessing key skills and attributes such as communication, legal research and analysis, drafting, judgment, and client focus. In addition to these formal reviews, our lawyers provide ongoing informal feedback throughout the program. We also encourage students to request feedback after completing assignments, fostering continuous growth and improvement during their time at TGF.

  • At TGF, our students participate in a variety of social and client events designed to foster strong connections with their colleagues. Past events have included attending Blue Jays games, industry networking events, student/mentor dinners, and events specifically elected and proposed by students. These gatherings create a relaxed atmosphere, allowing students to bond with peers and mentors alike, helping to cultivate a collaborative and supportive work environment. Building these relationships not only enhances the overall work culture but also provides invaluable learning opportunities through informal interactions with experienced professionals.

Students

“I’m immensely grateful to have been given the opportunity to take on responsibilities far beyond the traditional summer student role”
“TGF offers the perfect environment for a summer of dynamic, hands-on experience in complex restructuring and litigation”
“My summer at TGF offered unparalleled, hands-on experience learning directly from leading lawyers in commercial litigation and restructuring”
“My summer at TGF highlighted a true culture of growth, where my curiosity was encouraged and learning was treated as a core value”
“TGF offered the opportunity to work on challenging files while learning from exceptional mentors committed to student growth.”

What Sets You Apart?

At TGF we focus on the long-term, and that means we take great care in our hiring process. We are not just seeking individuals who will excel as students, but also as future colleagues and lawyers at TGF. We value thoughtful candidates with strong academic credentials and a demonstrated interest in advocacy, but equally, we prioritize life experience and interpersonal skills, understanding that these qualities contribute to a well-rounded and successful legal professional. The nature of our work and the size of our firm also create an atmosphere that is ideal for students.  Students are often given responsibilities and tasks at earlier stages of their careers than their contemporaries at other firms. On a practical level, this means, that students can learn and grow at an accelerated pace, and also that our students are always viewed as valuable members of the TGF team.

 

Success Stories

Learn More

TGF typically participates in the 1L and 2L summer student recruitment process in accordance with the LSO’s recruitment procedures for Toronto Summer Students.