Director, Legal Full Time

DIRECTOR, LEGAL

CreateTO is shaping Toronto’s future through impactful real estate solutions. A City of Toronto agency, CreateTO works collaboratively with internal stakeholders, external partners and community members to create more livable, sustainable and inclusive communities. CreateTO is here to increase the social, cultural and economic value of our city’s $27-billion real estate portfolio, ensuring positive impacts for residents and a bright future for Toronto. If you’re passionate about contributing to the best use of one of North America’s largest and most valuable real estate portfolios, we’d love to have you on the team.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Director, Legal Services serves as a strategic advisor to CreateTO, ensuring legal compliance and mitigating risks. The role includes:
• Leading the legal aspects of the assigned portfolio of teams, projects and corporate functions;
• Providing guidance and advice on the legal implications of CreateTO’s strategic initiatives;
• Navigating legal and regulatory challenges to achieve CreateTO’s broad business and policy objectives; and
• Advising the EMT and senior management on all legal matters affecting CreateTO’s operations and governance, including legal advice on risks and implications of projects and business arrangements to support strategic and operational decision-making.

PRINCIPAL FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintains a deep understanding of CreateTO’s business and industry and provides leadership in strategic business decisions from a legal perspective.
• Provides expert and strategic legal advice and opinions to the Chief Legal Counsel and Executive Management Team as well as other senior members of the CreateTO Team on a variety of legal topics, with a primary focus on real estate development, planning, long-term leasing, and construction, and with a secondary focus on other matters including governance, freedom of information, procurement, litigation management, low carbon and sustainability initiatives, and corporate secretarial matters.
• Oversees and manages legal needs on multiple complex and high-profile real estate development transactions involving many stakeholders, including the provision of advice on deal structure, drafting and negotiation support and legal due diligence.
• Drafts, reviews and negotiates major and critical agreements including long-term land leases, purchase and sale agreements, development agreements, construction management agreements, partnership agreements and reciprocal rights and operating agreements.
• Identifies potential legal risk and develops and implements effective risk mitigation strategies.
• Serves as a trusted advisor to the Chief Legal Counsel and the Executive Management Team.
• Monitors and provides strategic advice regarding legislative environments in which the organization operates to ensures compliance with applicable laws.
• Manages assigned senior law clerks and interns, providing leadership, oversight, mentoring and training.
• Directs, manages and supervises workflow to external counsel, providing leadership and ensuring that matters are efficiently addressed, and objectives are met on time and on budget.
• Manages litigation for the organization, from initial risk assessment to final resolution, including managing external counsel, developing case strategies, and ensuring that all legal proceedings align with the organization’s objectives.

CANDIDATE ATTRIBUTES

• A seasoned lawyer with 10-15+ years of broad real estate experience including development, leasing, planning, purchase and sales, joint ventures, and construction.
• Previous experience includes practicing at a senior associate or partner level at a law firm or in house counsel at a public or private company with a heavy real estate and development focus.
• Ideally will have had exposure to public and private sector real estate interests and land use planning, as well as gained corporate governance experience and board experience.
• Aptitude for detail, with a high level of accuracy and superior legal drafting skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills necessary to coordinate a variety of responsibilities, in an often-changing environment, to achieve stated goals and objectives.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to exercise good judgment, tact and discretion.
• Ability to work with highly confidential information with both maturity and professionalism.
• A high degree of competence in verbal and written communication.
• A seasoned professional with the ability to perform duties with a minimum of supervision.
• Ability to solve problems and take the initiative.

RELATIONSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

• Works collaboratively and develops and maintains good working relationships within CreateTO.
• Manages relationships with external counsel.
• Develops and maintains effective and positive working relationships with various City departments and agencies as well as external contacts, City Councillors, service providers, financial institutions, professional organizations, and clients.
• Develops and maintains positive relationships with community groups and stakeholders in the City of Toronto.

With a highly engaged team, CreateTO scores well above benchmarked organizations in terms of its employees’ passion, commitment, diversity and pride. As part of the organization’s Strategic Plan 2023-2027, “Inspire internal success” was named as one of five priority objectives.

CreateTO wants its team to reflect the City we represent, and we strive to provide an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, and perspective, all of which are proven to build better companies. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work and be themselves.

We provide equitable treatment and accommodation to ensure barrier-free employment in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Candidates can request accommodation related to the protected grounds at any stage of the hiring process.

Interested and qualified candidates are required to submit their resume and cover letter. This posting is for an existing vacancy. Submissions that don’t include the requirements noted above will not be considered. Only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted. No agencies at this time please.

Please note that this is a hybrid working environment. For more information on CreateTO, please visit our website at www.createto.ca.