Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

The Canadian model of nationwide full-service reach, premier intellectual property leadership, and institutional scale is defined by Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG). Formed in 2000 through the historic merger of five prominent regional firms—Borden & Elliot in Toronto, McMaster Gervais in Montreal, Ladner Downs in Vancouver, Howard, Mackie in Calgary, and Scott & Aylen in Ottawa—BLG has grown to become Canada's largest law firm by headcount, fielding more than 800 lawyers, IP agents, and advisors across five major Canadian business hubs. Led by National Managing Partner and CEO John Murphy, the firm consistently commands national Band 1 rankings in Chambers Canada across Intellectual Property (Litigation & Prosecution), Construction Law, Public Procurement, Transportation/Maritime, and General Commercial Litigation, while serving as core corporate counsel to domestic financial institutions, public utilities, and Fortune 500 corporations.

BLG distinguishes itself by combining comprehensive corporate dealmaking and high-stakes advocacy with the country's preeminent IP and technology boutique capability. Its intellectual property group acts as the Canadian patent and trademark protector for the world's leading life sciences, artificial intelligence, and manufacturing giants. To drive efficiency across multi-jurisdictional files, the firm deploys BLG Beyond—an integrated legal innovation arm that combines specialized e-discovery, managed legal services, automated contract review, and legal project management to handle high-volume workflows without burying junior teams in manual admin.

On the recruitment front, BLG runs one of the largest and most multi-faceted student programs on Bay Street, welcoming cohorts of 20 to 23 2L summer students and roughly 20 to 22 articling candidates in its Toronto office. Steered by Director of Professional Resources Geneviève Bergeron, the Toronto program is anchored around comprehensive rotations across Specialized Litigation, Business Law, and Financial Services/IP. Students are immersed in real client files from day one—participating in cross-border transaction closings, drafting motion materials, and preparing court filings under structured partner and associate mentorship. Operating out of the Bay Adelaide Centre East Tower at 22 Adelaide Street West, the firm balances national scale with a collegiate culture, flexible hybrid working policies, and consistently strong articling retention.