Reporting to the Vice President, Enterprise Legal, you will be accountable for ensuring that OMERS legal risks are well managed while supporting OMERS business teams. As Enterprise Counsel, you will provide legal and business advice and guidance in respect of corporate, commercial, securities, governance, and other general matters arising from OMERS corporate and business operations, as well as support the management and work of the OMERS Corporate Secretariat.
This is an excellent opportunity to plan, execute and supervise a variety of complex legal initiatives and innovative projects, including engaging and managing external counsel, in a collegial and collaborative setting.
You will be responsible for- providing business-focused legal advice in an energetic role that is characterized by partnership across a broad range of functions and includes advising:
- OMERS Investment Management in respect of regulatory, corporate, commercial and transactional matters;
- the OMERS Finance, Tax, Treasury and Risk teams in respect of certain business activities (e.g. credit support documentation review, loan compliance functions, policy review, etc.);
- OMERS Finance Trust on matters as support to the primary OFT counsel, including transactional, disclosure, compliance, governance and day-to-day operating matters; and
- OMERS generally in respect of corporate, commercial and policy objectives;
- assisting the Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary on various legal and governance matters;
- contributing to the OMERS sustainability file, including acting as a RegTrack reviewer for Sustainability/ESG matters, assisting with Key Compliance Indicator reporting, and conducting legal review of sustainability-related communications with a focus on greenwashing risk;
- assisting with the management and oversight of the OMERS Corporate Secretariat, in partnership with the Vice President, Enterprise Legal and the counsel responsible for the OMERS Corporate Secretariat, including oversight of governance matters and legal entity organization charts, as well as team initiatives;
- overseeing legal entity management and modernization initiatives, including the EnGlobe data quality project, the potential transition to new legal entity management software and the minute book digitization project;
- assisting with the implementation of the director training program, including coordinating content, stakeholders and delivery;
- coordinating and advising on director, officer and trustee appointment, resignation, indemnity, and governance-record processes;
- reviewing and advising on updates to governance instruments, including board and committee mandates, by-laws, policies, terms of reference and delegations of authority;
- contributing to investment governance through the review and drafting of investment approvals in accordance with the applicable governance framework;
- overseeing the development and work allocation of the Business Law Summer Student; and
- satisfying Know Your Client inquiries.
Required Capabilities & Experience- Corporate, Commercial & Securities Legal Expertise
- Provides practical legal advice across corporate, commercial, securities, regulatory and transactional matters, with the ability to draft, review and negotiate agreements.
- Corporate Governance & Legal Entity Management
- Applies strong knowledge of corporate governance frameworks and legal entity requirements, including board and committee mandates,
- Business-Focused Legal Advisory & Stakeholder Partnership
- Translates complex legal and regulatory considerations into practical, business-oriented advice, with senior leaders and cross-functional partners.
Preferred Capabilities & Experiences- a legal designation, with a minimum of 3 years of corporate commercial experience gained from a law firm;
- qualified to practice law in Ontario;
- significant commercial experience, including deep experience with corporate and securities matters and strong familiarity with corporate governance issues;
- exposure to the public pension and investment industries;
- sophisticated interpersonal and relationship management skills, including the ability to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders;
- strong business acumen;
- excellent negotiating skills;
- sound judgement and high integrity;
- a bias for action and possess a high degree of initiative; and
- a knack for getting things done.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
