Senior Corporate & Commercial Lawyer / Department Lead
Prudent Law | Mississauga, Ontario
Full-Time | Permanent
Senior Leadership Opportunity | Profit-Sharing Potential
About Prudent Law
Prudent Law is a growing, full-service law firm based in Mississauga, Ontario, providing practical, strategic and business-focused legal solutions to individuals, entrepreneurs, corporations and investors.
As part of our continued expansion, we are seeking an accomplished Senior Corporate & Commercial Lawyer to lead, manage and grow our Corporate & Commercial Law Department.
This is not a traditional associate position.
We are looking for a senior lawyer with the experience, judgment and entrepreneurial mindset to take ownership of the department and operate the practice with a high degree of independence.
The successful candidate will be responsible for managing corporate and commercial matters, overseeing junior lawyers and support staff as the department grows, maintaining strong client relationships, developing new business and contributing to the strategic growth of the firm.
For the right candidate, Prudent Law is open to discussing performance-based compensation, profit-sharing and other long-term incentive structures.
The Role
The Senior Corporate & Commercial Lawyer / Department Lead will have primary responsibility for the day-to-day management and growth of the firm's Corporate & Commercial Law Department.
The successful candidate will be expected to:
- Independently manage sophisticated corporate and commercial transactions from inception through closing
- Lead and oversee the Corporate & Commercial Law Department
- Establish and maintain appropriate systems, precedents, workflows and quality-control standards for the department
- Supervise, mentor and delegate work to associate lawyers, junior lawyers, law clerks and other support staff
- Review work product and ensure files are handled efficiently, professionally and in accordance with firm standards
- Manage client relationships and act as a trusted legal and strategic advisor to business owners and corporate clients
- Develop and implement strategies for growing the firm's corporate and commercial practice
- Participate actively in business development, networking and referral-source development
- Identify opportunities for cross-referrals between the firm's practice areas
- Assist management with recruitment and development of additional lawyers and staff as the department expands
- Work collaboratively with the firm's leadership on departmental strategy, financial performance and growth
Corporate & Commercial Practice
The successful candidate should have significant experience advising clients on matters including:
- Share purchase and sale transactions
- Asset purchase and sale transactions
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Shareholder agreements
- Partnership and joint venture agreements
- Corporate reorganizations and restructurings
- Incorporations and corporate organizations
- Amalgamations
- Corporate governance
- Commercial agreements
- Franchise agreements
- Financing and investment transactions
- Private company transactions
- Investor arrangements and investment documentation
- Due diligence
- Letters of intent and term sheets
- Confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements
- Employment and consulting arrangements arising in connection with corporate transactions
- Vendor and purchaser representations and warranties
- Indemnification and risk-allocation provisions
- Transaction structuring and succession planning
- General corporate and commercial advisory matters
The successful candidate should be comfortable advising entrepreneurs, privately held companies, investors and established businesses on both transactional matters and their ongoing corporate legal requirements.
Department Leadership
A significant component of this position is practice leadership.
We are seeking someone capable of effectively operating the Corporate & Commercial Department with limited day-to-day supervision from the firm's principals.
Responsibilities will include:
- Taking ownership of departmental files and workflow
- Ensuring appropriate delegation and supervision
- Maintaining high standards of legal work and client service
- Developing precedents and internal processes
- Managing deadlines and departmental capacity
- Assisting with staffing and resource requirements
- Mentoring and developing junior lawyers
- Monitoring file progress, billing and collections
- Helping establish departmental revenue and growth objectives
- Developing new institutional, corporate and referral relationships
- Building a scalable corporate practice within Prudent Law
The successful candidate will have substantial autonomy to help shape the future direction of the department.
Business Development & Book of Business
Prudent Law is particularly interested in candidates who have demonstrated an ability to originate and retain client relationships.
An existing portable book of business is strongly preferred, although exceptional candidates with a proven history of business development will also be considered.
The successful candidate will be encouraged to continue developing their own professional profile, referral network and client base with the support and resources of Prudent Law.
We are looking for someone who thinks like a practice builder, not simply a file handler.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have:
- An LL.B. or J.D. from an accredited Canadian law school
- Membership in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario
- Ideally 8+ years of significant corporate and commercial law experience
- Strong transactional experience, preferably gained at a respected mid-sized or large law firm or established corporate practice
- Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex corporate transactions
- Strong drafting, negotiation and transaction-management skills
- Excellent commercial judgment and the ability to provide practical, business-oriented advice
- Experience supervising or mentoring junior lawyers and staff
- Strong leadership and organizational abilities
- Excellent client-management and relationship-building skills
- A demonstrated interest in business development and practice growth
- The ability to operate independently while collaborating effectively with firm leadership
- A polished and professional demeanor suitable for sophisticated corporate clients
Previous experience leading a practice group or department would be a significant asset.
An existing portable book of business is highly desirable.
Compensation & Profit-Sharing
Prudent Law recognizes that the appropriate compensation structure for a senior lawyer depends on the candidate's experience, leadership responsibilities, existing client relationships and ability to generate business.
Compensation starts at $150,000 +++
Accordingly, we are open to discussing a customized compensation arrangement that may include:
- Competitive base compensation
- Performance-based bonuses
- Origination incentives
- Compensation tied to collected billings
- Departmental performance incentives
- Profit-sharing opportunities
- Enhanced compensation for a significant portable book of business
- Potential long-term leadership opportunities within the firm
For a candidate who can successfully lead and materially grow the Corporate & Commercial Department, we are prepared to structure compensation that appropriately rewards both individual production and departmental growth.
Why Join Prudent Law?
This opportunity is suited to an established lawyer who wants greater autonomy and the ability to build something meaningful within a growing firm.
Rather than stepping into a narrowly defined associate position, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to lead a practice, build a team, grow revenue and participate in the financial success they help create.
Prudent Law will provide the platform, infrastructure and support necessary for the successful candidate to develop the Corporate & Commercial Department into a significant practice within the firm.
We are interested in speaking with senior lawyers who are entrepreneurial, commercially minded and ready to take the next step from senior practitioner to practice leader.
All discussions and applications will be treated with strict confidentiality.
