TORONTO, July 24, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- While European soccer powers prepared for the commencement of the Euro 2008 Soccer Championships, 1500 lawyers, judges, and law students, comprising 75 teams from 35 countries, gathered together to battle for bragging rights as the world's best footballing lawyers. Alicante, Spain played host to the 14th Mundiavocat Lawyers World Football Cup, where the Toronto team, along with teams from Vancouver and Quebec, competed against teams from around the world for the right to be crowned as the best in the world.
Toronto competed and excelled against some formidable opponents, beating teams from Potenza, Italy; Rosario, Argentina; Haifa, Israel; and Osaka and Tokyo, Japan. Finishing with a 5 win, 2 loss record, Toronto won its consolation group and was therefore the highest placed Canadian team.
While soccer and competition is foremost at the Mundiavocat, the tournament is not without its social and networking element. Accommodated in a few hotels, the players regularly gather together for meals and socializing. Friendships are made discussing soccer strategy and results, contacts are forged discussing opportunities, deals and the law. When a lawyer from Tokyo requires assistance with an immigration issue in Canada, he'll remember Rick Lamanna, the Toronto lawyer from Greenberg Turner, with whom he traded jerseys, and who specializes in business immigration law.
Of course, much of this would not be possible without the generous sponsorship from the law firms and organizations which partnered with the Toronto team. Special thanks go to Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP and Borealis Infrastructure as the platinum sponsors. As well, our sincerest thanks go to Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, Greenberg Turner, Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP, Torys LLP, ZSA Legal Recruitment, KPMG Canada, Davis LLP, Manulife Financial, RSM Richter, Cedar Infrastructure Products Inc., HBC, Gaucho Gourmet Foods, Admiral Canada and The Ossington for their generous support. In the tradition of trading jerseys, much of the team's apparel, emblazoned with our sponsors' logos, has been exchanged with players from other teams and is making its way around the world, promoting the brand and services of these organizations to lawyers and organizations worldwide.
Following upon the successes achieved in Alicante and in preparation for future tournaments, the Toronto team continues to train and compete throughout the Greater Toronto Area, displaying our sponsors' logos to the local community.
The opportunity for this group of Toronto lawyers to live out their international soccer dreams was largely due to the efforts of a number of people: Ted Maduri (Davis LLP), Michael Kelly (Borealis Infrastructure), Andrew Salem (Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP), Rick Lamanna (Greenberg Turner), Jeff Zabalet (Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP), Steve Maio (The Regional Municipality of York) as well as Ned Jeric and Brad Lawson.
For more information about the Mundiavocat and Toronto's team, contact Ted Maduri at 416-365-3500.