Venture for Canada, a not-for-profit organization that recruits, trains and supports recent graduates to work at leading Canadian startups, has announced a partnership with McInnes Cooper.

Through this new partnership, McInnes Cooper will provide legal training to Venture for Canada fellows on employment issues and matters related to launching their own businesses. In addition, McInnes Cooper will host and sponsor a series of events and provide pro-bono legal services.

“We are proud to partner with McInnes Cooper as Venture for Canada’s Atlantic Canadian Legal Partner,” Venture for Canada Executive Director Scott Stirrett said in a statement. “This partnership enables us to help more Atlantic Canada based startups gain the talent they need to grow, while strengthening the retention of entrepreneurial recent graduates in Atlantic Canada.”

Venture for Canada’s work aligns with the federal and provincial governments’ Atlantic Growth Strategy, which emphasizes the need to “enhance the region’s capacity to develop, deploy and retain a skilled workforce” as well as to “foster greater business innovation by supporting the scaling up of small firms.”

“McInnes Cooper is delighted to support Venture for Canada,” said Sandra Goodwin, McInnes Cooper’s Managing Director of Client Development. “We’re seeing more and more great startups in Atlantic Canada. Our lawyers are passionate about helping this sector grow, and Venture for Canada is an ideal partner to help boost the talented young people who will make it happen.”

With rich ties to Atlantic Canada’s history, McInnes Cooper serves clients across North America and abroad from six offices in Halifax, St. John’s, Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John, and Charlottetown. The firm has more than 500 employees, including 200 lawyers.

Venture for Canada Fellows spend two years working at a Canadian startup, in addition to a four-week Training Camp, and ongoing mentorship and professional coaching. Through the program, recent graduates gain the experience, network, and training to successfully launch their own firms. For the most recent cohort, more than 2200 Canadian youth applied for only 60 fellowships.