The Construction Law Club has great success at their first ever event
The Construction Law Club was founded this year by Ethan Wilkinson (3L) and Daniel Jolic (3L). The founding duo then reached out to me, their friend Olivia Schenk (3L), to form the initial executive team. The three co-executives share a passion for construction law based on their experience working in the field during their 2L summers and experience in U of T’s construction law course.
The Club’s first event took place on Tuesday, October 29. The goal of the event was to introduce students to the rapidly growing area of practice. The panel featured four associates from a variety of firms with large or exclusive construction law practices. The panelists answered questions about how they got involved in construction law and their experiences working in the field.
The panelists consisted of Drew Black, Lauren Gruenberger, Jacob Jones, and Simren Sihota.
Drew Black is an associate at Lenczner Slaght LLP. His practice is about 50% construction with the other half comprising other general litigation areas. Black received his JD from Dalhousie University and was called to the bar in 2021.
Lauren Gruenberger is a construction associate at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. Her practice covers a wide range of construction disputes, including complex claims related to public infrastructure projects, traditional litigation and alternative forms of dispute resolution, and the preparation and negotiation of construction documents for clients across various sectors. Gruenberger received her JD from Queen’s University and was called to the bar in 2021.
Jacob Jones is an associate at Glaholt Bowles Construction Lawyers. At Glaholt, he has actively participated in matters ranging from large multi-stakeholder infrastructure projects to Small Claims Court files. Jones received his JD from the University of Toronto and was called to the bar in 2024.
Simren Sihota is an associate at Margie Strub Construction Law. He joined the firm at its inception. Sihota maintains a wide practice including both front-end contract drafting and negotiation advice, as well as back-end assistance including interim dispute resolution, litigation, and private arbitration. Sihota received his JD from the University of Western Ontario and was called to the bar in 2020.
The Club is very pleased about the turnout to the panel event. The student attendees were all highly engaged and asked the panel many thoughtful questions. The room burst into laughter several times over the panelists’ clever quips and funny experiences in the industry. Pizza was provided for all in attendance.
The executive team appreciated having female representation on the panel. Construction law has a reputation as a male-dominated area of law. It was Jolic’s idea to ensure the panel instilled in attendees that construction is an area of law for everyone.
Jolic found the panel an ideal representation for students of what working with construction lawyers is like in practice: “I think that the event showed the human side of construction lawyers. Genuinely, the associates were so friendly and interactive with the audience. I think it showed students that it is a fun bar to join.”
Wilkinson expressed his enthusiasm and gratitude for the panel’s success: “[a] huge thanks to the associates that volunteered their time and gave an honest insight into working as a construction lawyer. It was great to see students networking with firms before the 2L recruit.”
For those interested in construction law, the executives have several recommendations to learn more. First, if you are interested in attending upcoming Club events, please reach out to Wilkinson at ethan.wilkinson@mail.utoronto.ca to be added to the Club’s mailing list. Second, feel free to reach out to the construction law community– any of the executives would be happy to chat about the field or point you towards construction lawyers to chat with. Finally, consider taking the construction law course, which was last offered in spring 2024 and should be offered next in the 2025–26 school year.
Editor’s Note: Olivia Schenk (3L) is a part of the Constructive Law Club executive team.