Goodmans LLP

The Bay Street model of high-conviction dealmaking, entrepreneurial autonomy, and single-roof agility is exemplified by Goodmans LLP. Unlike its multi-office Seven Sisters counterparts that span national and international networks, Goodmans has maintained an intentional single-office headquarters in the Bay Adelaide Centre West Tower at 333 Bay Street. Housing approximately 200 lawyers under one roof, the firm operates with unmatched agility, eliminating inter-office bureaucracy and fostering a uniquely tight-knit, cross-practice culture. Chaired by prominent Canadian business and sports law titan Dale Lastman, the firm balances high-stakes corporate dominance with top-tier board advisory mandates across major national sports franchises, retail conglomerates, and commercial REITs.

Goodmans has earned a reputation as Canada's undisputed leader in restructuring and insolvency, maintaining a consecutive Chambers Global Band 1 ranking for more than two decades. The firm has guided the outcome of nearly every landmark Canadian cross-border insolvency and corporate recapitalization in modern history, including proceedings for Nordstrom Canada, WeWork, Cirque du Soleil, Tacora Resources, and Comark. Beyond restructuring, Goodmans commands premier market standing in corporate M&A, private equity, complex IP litigation, and commercial real estate development, frequently acting for high-profile market leaders such as RioCan REIT, MLSE, Roots Corporation, and leading institutional funds.

On the recruitment front, Goodmans runs a deliberately boutique-sized, high-touch student program, welcoming cohorts of approximately 10 to 13 2L summer students and 11 to 12 articling candidates each year. Student talent development is co-directed by Co-Chief Legal Talent Officers Michel Lederman and Ali Richardson. Rather than placing juniors through rigid, automated work pools, Goodmans uses a personalized case-by-case rotation structure that allows students to actively shape their workflow across transactional, restructuring, and litigation files. The firm's intense deal exposure and collegial retention focus are reflected in its market-leading articling hireback record, achieving a consecutive 100% retention rate in both 2025 and 2026.