Please note: this program is on hold during 2016-17.

The Faculty of Law’s International Business Law Summer Internship Program provides students with a unique opportunity to gain valuable experience at the foreign offices of one of our partner firms. All positions will include a monthly stipend and up to $1,000.00 CAD to cover the costs of a return flight.

Currently, we have at least 1, and possibly more, guaranteed positions at the Beijing offices of King & Wood Mallesons. Additional partnership agreements may be finalized for future years.

The opportunity in Beijing will involve a student working for a partner at the firm and joining a team of between 2-5 associates. In the last few years, a number of U of T students have worked at the firm. Examples of their past work include:

  1. Researching differences between the foreign investment regimes of Canada and the US. This involved providing memos on the operation of the Investment Canada Act and the Committee for Foreign Investment in the United States for the Oil & Gas Group;
  2. Providing research memos to support a case involving an international arbitration matter between a Chinese client and a Finnish corporation in a conflict over a cap-and-trade system;
  3. Providing research on US tax law and general due-diligence on a matter involving a proposed M/A between a Chinese SOE and a major American pharmaceutical corporation.
  4. General editing of foreign correspondence and contracts..

The opportunity is open to 1L and 2L JD students. Chinese language skills, or other local language skills when other partners are added, are not necessary. Students who can only speak English will be at no disadvantage.

To apply to the program please forward a cover letter expressing your interest in international business law (FDI/M&A, arbitration, tax etc), your CV and transcripts (or grade report) to alexis.archbold@utoronto.ca. The deadline for the application is March 19th, 2014 and successful candidates will hear before the start of the examination period.

The internship program's duration is variable and depends on the agreement between the student and KWM. However, past students at KWM have commonly worked at the firm for approximately three months.