Legal Counsel - Strategic Transactions, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)

Requisition ID: 203839

Join a purpose driven winning team, committed to results, in an inclusive and high-performing culture.

Reporting to the Senior Legal Counsel, the Legal Counsel provides expert legal, transactional, structuring, strategic and tactical advice and counsel to Scotiabank’s senior executive management team, each of its principal business lines, its strategic transactions and review team and various key support functions in connection with domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, equity investments, complex commercial arrangements, reorganizations and other transactions of strategic importance to Scotiabank (“Transactions”).

Contributes to the overall success of the Legal Department in Canada ensuring specific individual goals, plans, initiatives are executed / delivered in support of the Bank and team’s business strategies and objectives.

Is this role right for you? In this role you will:

• Champion a customer focused culture to deepen client relationships and leverage broader Bank relationships, systems and knowledge.
• Provide expert legal, transactional, structuring, strategic and tactical advice and counsel to Scotiabank’s senior executive management team, each of its principal business lines, its strategic transactions and review team and various key support functions in connection with domestic and international Transactions, complex commercial arrangements, and regulatory matters with a view to the Bank's values and objectives and an awareness of the need to minimize reputational, legal, financial and regulatory risk.
• Legal lead/team member on high volume of internal corporate reorganizations and restructurings.
• Make strategically important decisions in the context of a demanding, time sensitive, and complex transactional environment, including with respect to deal strategy and tactics, transactional terms and conditions and legal and structural significance, which have the potential to significantly impact Scotiabank’s position.
• Review, draft and negotiate complex legal documentation that protects Scotiabank’s interests and has the potential to generate significant revenue and avoid significant financial loss.
• Perform complex evaluations of acquisition candidates in high volume due diligence exercises to identify and assess legal, commercial and reputational risks and contingencies that impact valuation, pricing, the ability to complete a transaction and ensure Bank objectives are met.
• Lead sell-side transactions involving Scotiabank subsidiaries and assets.
• Conduct complex, highly sophisticated legal research and analysis in connection with Transactions and commercial arrangements.
• Engage, direct and manage teams of external legal counsel, which often include specialists in the areas of corporate/commercial, securities, regulatory, competition, tax, real estate, employment and labor, pensions and benefits, intellectual property, litigation and information technology.
• Develop and maintain subject matter expertise in multiple jurisdictions in the complex fields of mergers and acquisitions, corporate and commercial law and other specialty areas relevant to Scotiabank’s Transactions.
• Assist with the settlement and resolution of legal disputes relating to Transactions.
• Improve transactional efficiencies and ensure significant cost savings by internalizing the initial stages of a transaction process and creating sophisticated template transactional documents.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal business units and external industry groups.
• Understand how the Bank's risk appetite and risk culture should be considered in day-to-day activities and decisions.

Do you have the skills that will enable you to succeed in this role? We'd love to work with you if you have:

• Graduate of a recognized law school
• At least 4 years private practice or in-house experience
• Membership in the law society of one of the provinces of Canada
• Exceptional analytical, leadership, problem solving, relationship building, negotiating, communication and project/people management skills are critical
• Extensive experience evaluating, negotiating, structuring and leading complex cross-border M&A transactions from a leading international law firm are essential
• Significant experience with various complex specialized areas of law, including corporate, commercial and securities law
• Requires expansive deal experience and experience with strategic transactions in the financial services sector
• Located in Toronto

This is a hybrid position. Currently, employees in the Legal Department in Canada are expected to work from the office a minimum of 3 days per week (with at least 1 day being a Monday or a Friday) and subject to and determined based on business needs.

Location(s): Canada : Ontario : Toronto

Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future", we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets.

At Scotiabank, we value the unique skills and experiences each individual brings to the Bank, and are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible interview site, alternate format documents, ASL Interpreter, or Assistive Technology) during the recruitment and selection process, please let our Recruitment team know. Candidates must apply directly online to be considered for this role. We thank all applicants for their interest in a career at Scotiabank; however, only those candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.