Legal Counsel, Legal Services

Why Join Us?

Are you looking to join an innovative global real estate company that builds communities and connects people to exceptional places? If so, we'd love to share our story.

At Oxford, our culture is truly unique. Across business lines and around the world, we embrace complexity and tackle opportunities with speed and agility. We are ambitious yet humble, forward-looking, and service-focused. We get things done and have fun doing it! We take great pride in contributing to the communities where we live and believe that what is good for the environment is good for business. Together, we deliver exceptional experiences to over 2 million daily customers.

The Role

As a key member of our team, your primary role will be to provide legal support and strategic advice on all aspects of leasing within the retail, industrial, and office portfolios in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). You will also assist the legal teams overseeing development and construction projects and operational agreements across our Canadian portfolio. Responsibilities include managing external legal counsel, liaising with other professional advisors, and supporting Leasing, Asset Management, Operational, Development, and Construction teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice to various internal business units on legal, regulatory, and compliance matters, as well as ongoing operational issues in the retail, office, and industrial portfolios. This includes reviewing and negotiating contracts, leases, and lease-related documents, advising on legal disputes and litigation, and providing input on internal reports and strategy documents related to commercial leasing, development, and construction.
• Develop expertise on subjects with enterprise-wide impact and support cross-functional teams on OMERS strategic initiatives.
• Represent the Oxford Legal Services team on various enterprise-wide legal, regulatory, policy, and compliance issues.
• Direct external counsel in preparing and negotiating documents and lead teams on specific transaction components.
• Mentor junior law clerks and managers within the legal services team, as well as junior members of various business teams.
• Build relationships with external law firms and other professional advisors, as well as internally with legal professionals and business colleagues within Oxford and OMERS.

Qualifications

• Law Degree (LLB) from a Canadian University and membership in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario.
• 1 to 3 years of experience in real estate, development, construction, and/or commercial leasing in an in-house or mid-sized to large law firm setting.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well under pressure.
• Exceptional organizational skills, multitasking abilities, and the capability to manage competing priorities and meet tight deadlines with attention to detail and accuracy.

Our Story

Oxford Properties Group ("Oxford") is a leading global real estate investor, asset manager, and business builder. Since its establishment in 1960, Oxford and its portfolio companies have managed approximately C$87 billion of assets across four continents on behalf of their investment partners. Oxford’s owned portfolio includes office, logistics, retail, multifamily residential, life sciences, hotels, alternatives, and credit in global gateway cities and high-growth hubs. As a thematic investor with a committed source of capital, Oxford invests in properties, portfolios, development sites, debt, securities, and real estate businesses across the risk-reward spectrum. Together with its portfolio companies, Oxford is one of the world’s most active developers, with over 80 projects currently underway globally across all major asset classes. Oxford is owned by OMERS, the Canadian defined benefit pension plan for Ontario's municipal employees.

For more information, visit Oxford Properties.

OMERS is committed to having a workforce that reflects the communities in which we live and work. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to a barrier-free recruitment and selection process. At OMERS, inclusion and diversity mean belonging. Our Employee Resource Groups, focused on various passions such as gender, pride, and visible minorities, make a difference in all our lives.