Legal Counsel

Legal Counsel

Location of Position: Oakville

Legal Counsel will report to the Director, Enforcement & Legal (MACD)

General Accountabilities:

Lead and conduct all legal processes related to enforcement of the Ontario wholesale market rules, including legal analysis and litigation services. Provide effective and timely advice and consultation on legal matters generally. Provide strategic legal guidance, legal services and problem-solving on a full range of critical issues, activities, negotiations and operations related to Company or employee requirements, including policy and business development, with emphasis on MACD’s mandate.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead and conduct all legal processes related to enforcement of the Ontario wholesale market rules, including legal analysis and litigation services with particular emphasis on:

• Analyzing events, activities and conducts in the wholesale electricity market in relation to the Ontario market rules, covering a wide variety of market, reliability and technical matters.
• Drafting complex assessments recommending findings, determination and orders, including the issuance of substantial financial penalties.
• Leading and supporting the negotiation of resolutions to enforcement matters with senior counsel and executives of Ontario market participants.
• Supporting the Director of MACD in the drafting of determinations and orders at the conclusion of complex investigations.
• Leading and supporting litigation processes, including mediation, arbitration, Ontario Energy Board hearings and court proceedings when MACD determinations are disputed by market participants.
• Providing effective and timely advice and consultation on a wide variety of complex, significant and multidisciplinary legal matters.
• Provide advice and direction to be followed by IESO staff, including ongoing legal support and legal services directed to a wide variety of Company or employee matters.
• Anticipate issues and assess risk strategically.
• Provide proactive, preventive legal advice on potentially significant legal matters involving the Company and employee matters, and mitigate risk.
• Review and interpret case law, statute law, regulations and orders that relate to the IESO’s market oversight mandate.
• Prepare legal opinions
• Review letters of intent and Request for Proposals (RFPs) and assist in the review of Proposals and resulting contracts. Provide guidance, recommendations and support adherence to established policies and practices.
• Leading and participating in company committees and working groups.
• Interpreting policy requirements and problem-solving potential conflicts of interest and identifying appropriate safeguards.
• Supervise and direct as required legal staff including junior counsel, students, and external counsel.
• Provide direction to analysts, investigators and other staff in MACD in relation to enforcement and litigation matters.
• Undertakes problem resolution requiring review, analysis, and interpretation of case law, statute law, regulations and orders that relate to those governing the company’s activities
• Requires influencing, consulting or negotiating with stakeholder groups who have different goals and/or may be resistant. Leads others to reach consensus on different points of view and positions.
• Provides strategic advice and guidance in a consulting capacity with professional in depth expertise including knowledge of conceptual/theoretical underpinnings. Anticipates customer’s concerns and issues; works with customers to solve potential issues. Follows through to ensure compliance and conformance to legal necessities pertinent to the subject area.
  

Selection Criteria:

• Member in good standing of the Law Society of Upper Canada
• Minimum of 5 to 12 years of experience as Counsel in house or in private practice specializing, to the greatest extent possible, in the following relevant areas:

• • Energy or electricity law
  • Administrative law/ Regulatory law
  • Freedom of Information and privacy law
  • Litigation and litigation management
    
• Experience in the Energy Sector (electricity or gas); working knowledge of Ontario’s electricity/utility market is an asset
• Superior communications skills; verbally and in writing; ability to think and respond/speak quickly “on your feet”
• Excellent legal research, drafting and communication skills
• Ability to manage competing priorities
• Ability to identify risks and potential solutions
• Strategic thinker
• Detail oriented; attention to accuracy
• Strong listening and responding skills
• Excellent negotiator; good influencing skills
• Solid personal drive and perseverance
• Ability to build relationships; excellent interpersonal skills
• High level of honesty and integrity

Values:

• Expertise with Humility
• Commitment & Accountability
• Genuine Caring
• Purposeful Engagement
• Openness to Change
• Collaboration & Teamwork
  
  Competencies:

• Expert Knowledge & Capacity
• Leadership: Informing
• Priority Setting
• Initiative & Creativity: Action Oriented
• Judgement & Problem Solving
• Professionalism & Self Development
• Standing Alone
• Directing Others
• Service Orientation & Business Development: Customer Focus
• Adaptability & Flexibility: Learning on the Fly
• Interpersonal Skills/Team Participant/Active Communication: Approachability, Interpersonal Savvy & Peer Relationships
  

What the IESO Offers:

• Competitive market wages
• Comprehensive benefit programs
• Programs and policies to support a balanced lifestyle
• A challenging fast-paced team environment
• Opportunity to work with some of the brightest people in the industry

Deadline for submitting your application is January 31, 2021 at 11:59 PM EST

While we appreciate your submissions, we regret that we can only contact those candidates selected for interviews.

We thank all candidates for their interest in opportunities with the IESO. Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

The IESO is an equal opportunity employer.

Please note the successful candidate must be eligible to work in Canada and will be subject to a background check.