Solicitor (Corporate)

The Role

Provides legal advice, services, and recommended courses of action to Regional Council and Committees, and staff. Protects and advances the corporation’s legal interests by advocating and defending its position in negotiations with external parties and stakeholders. Ensures the Region’s actions, policies, programs, and regulations are legal, enforceable, and functional within the existing political and legal system. Participates in corporate decision-making bodies, and negotiates and drafts legal documents to implement Council decisions.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Supervises a Legal Assistant, and assigns work to other administrative staff. Directs, monitors, and advises retained outside Counsel for assigned area of responsibility.
• Provides legal advice, services, and recommended courses of action regarding real estate, planning, corporate, and commercial matters to client departments and affiliated organizations.
• Attends assigned Council and Committee meetings and provides legal advice, opinions, recommendations for action, information pertaining to legal matters, and services to Council, Committees, and staff. 
• Provides leadership and participates in recommending new practices, policies, and initiatives.
• Ensures legal services provided do not contain material errors that could create potential liability for the Region.
• Exercises discretionary judgement regarding legal advice. Develops and implements proactive strategies, and anticipates and identifies legal issues to protect the Region’s interests.
• Advises on, drafts, and reviews contracts/agreements, leases, licenses, precedents, and original compositions, including term negotiations; researching and synthesizing information; analyzing impacts on the Region’s interests; and conducting inter-departmental consultations.
• Drafts and reviews legal documents, including by-laws, Council reports, corporate documents, legal opinions, and other special applications.
• Has carriage of residential and commercial real estate transactions and corporate and commercial transactions related to financing, postponements, assignments, discharges, purchases, sales, and amalgamations. Provides legal advice, and reviews, drafts, and negotiates documentation. Reviews external parties’ documentation, reviews title searches and surveys to identify issues, reviews due diligence searches, and negotiates legal documents related to transactions. Liaises with and ensures governmental requirements are met. Supervises the preparation and coordination of legal documents and approvals. Resolves legal issues with lenders, property owners/their counsel, and government bodies.
• Supervises and authorizes funding for real estate and corporate transactions, legislative holdbacks, and release of performance bonds.

Additional Duties/Responsibilities

• Ensures the Region’s compliance with applicable legislation, regulatory requirements, by-laws, policies. Ensures compliance with Law Society of Ontario Rules and Professional Conduct and by-laws related to legal practice.
• Updates precedents for use in contracts and legal documents, and contributes to continuous improvement, procedures, and processes relating to file management and completion.
• Provides solicitor-client privilege to the Region for communications between the solicitor and the Region and maintains confidentiality of legal records and information.
• Participates on project teams and meetings to provide legal input and advice.
• Responds to complex, politically sensitive freedom of information requests with legal implications, on behalf of the information and privacy team. Pulls records and prepares for disclosure, per MFIPPA. Researches Information & Privacy Commissioner (IPC) orders as needed. 
• Assists with administrative law matters and proceedings before the Information & Privacy Commissioner (IPC) and Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).
• Assists the Director to develop, implement, and prepare the Division’s strategic plan and budget by compiling information and making recommendations. Makes recommendations for office supplies, equipment, and library resources.
• Has signing authority for documents pursuant to the Region’s by-laws and has unlimited signing authority to requisition cheques related to and required for area of assigned work, including contractual obligations and real estate transactions.
• Represents, defends, and advances the Region’s interests, including evaluation and management of risk, negotiations, explaining the Region’s position, and provides legal advice and services to affiliated organizations. 
• Deals with Regional Council, staff, committees, lawyers, agents, government officials, special interest groups, the media, and the public.
• Performs related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Must have a law degree from a recognized law school and fulfilled Bar Admission requirements. Must be registered as a lawyer in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario.
• Must have extensive experience in residential and commercial real estate, corporate, and commercial law, including independent carriage of files.
• Knowledge and skill in analytical techniques, negotiation, mediation, communication, and applying professional judgment to anticipate, identify, and resolve legal issues. 
• Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, and applicable legislation (e.g., Municipal Act, privacy (including health information), construction, intellectual property, aeronautics). 
• Ability to apply policies and procedures to any conceivable set of facts or circumstances to achieve the corporation’s goals and objectives, or change them per legislation. 
• Knowledge and understanding of the Region’s organizational structure, powers, jurisdiction, authority, and constraints on freedom of action.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities; plan and develop objectives/goals; develop and implement strategies and continuous improvements; and contribute to developing divisional and program goals.
• Leadership skills to train, develop, motivate, and support staff.
• Political acuity, communication, and human relation skills to present and explain complex and politically sensitive issues to Council, senior management, staff, associated agencies, the public, and the media; negotiate and mediate in politically sensitive and/or conflict situations; present cases and legal arguments; build and maintain positive relationships; and participate as an effective team member.
• Ability to analyze and synthesize legal and other documents, including research and statutory interpretations. 
• Ability to write complex technical legal opinions, reports, correspondence, contracts, and other legal documents. 
• Computer skills using software such as Microsoft Office and legal databases.
• Ability to work irregular hours, evenings, weekends, and holidays. 
• Ability to travel within and outside Waterloo Region. 
• Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.