Crown Counsel

ELIGIBILITY FOR THIS COMPETITION IS RESTRICTED TO STEP 1 CANDIDATES INCLUDING OPS ALOC AND OCAA LAWYERS living or working within 125 km of this location. Note: Eligible lawyers from outside the Area of Search may apply but will not be entitled to relocation or travel expenses for the transfer as set out below.

Step 1: All regular/fixed-term OCAA and ALOC lawyers on staff, current Redeployment List Members and current Articling Student Hireback Pool Members.

Step 2: In the absence of qualified applicants at Step 1 the competition may be reposted so that external applicants or non-members of the above-mentioned groups would then be eligible to apply.

The Civil Law Division, Ministry of the Attorney General has an exciting and challenging opportunity for an experienced counsel to provide legal advice and services to Invest Ontario, an agency of the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT)

OPS Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Anti-Racism:

We are committed to build a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and to promote a diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, accessible, merit-based, respectful and equitable workplace.

We invite all interested individuals to apply and encourage applications from people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black, and racialized individuals, as well as people from a diversity of ethnic and cultural origins, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.

Visit the OPS Anti-Racism Policy and the OPS Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint pages to learn more about the OPS commitment to advance racial equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in the public service.

We offer employment accommodation across the recruitment process and all aspects of employment consistent with the requirements of Ontario's Human Rights Code. Refer to the "How to apply" section if you require a disability-related accommodation.

What can I expect to do in this role?

In this fast-paced and collegial work environment, the successful candidate will work with the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary to:

• Support the provision of financial support from the Invest Ontario Fund through the drafting, negotiation and settlement of non-disclosure agreements, letters of intent, term sheets, and definitive agreements for loans, convertible debentures, and grants;
• Provide general commercial advice in connection with the operationalization of Invest Ontario including procurements, transfer payment agreements, service level agreements and employment agreements;
• Develop and update, with the assistance of external commercial counsel, precedent documents and processes for the provision of financial support from the Invest Ontario Fund by way of grants, loans, and convertible debentures;
• Instruct external counsel on commercial and other matters, where required.

How do I qualify?

Mandatory

• Membership in good standing as a lawyer with the Law Society of Ontario

Knowledge and Skills

• Demonstrated experience in negotiating, drafting and reviewing corporate and commercial documents including secured lending documents, procurement documents, grant agreements, and other commercial legal documents with varying levels of complexity
• Familiarity and experience with corporate law, lending, and bankruptcy and insolvency
• Experience with agency governance
• Ability to recognize and assess legal implications in proposed and existing programs and initiatives and able to provide innovative, strategic, risk-based and solutions-oriented legal advice on complex, time-sensitive and high-profile issues that arise
• Demonstrated business acumen and ability to provide practical advice
• Ability to handle a high-volume practice with short turnaround times while working proactively, professionally and cooperatively with sophisticated clients and with colleagues
• Conversant with the law, government policies and practices relating to government grants, procurements, lending and corporate and commercial law
• A proven record of valuing and contributing to a diverse and inclusive workplace
• Demonstrated political acuity and issues management skills
• Demonstrated oral and written communication skills, as well as demonstrated research and opinion writing skills
• A proven track record of client service orientation, and a demonstrated ability to be proactive on files, responsive to client requests and inspire client confidence