Corporate Legal Counsel

Northland Properties; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Northland Properties is seeking a Corporate Counsel for its Restaurant Division to support legal matters related to real estate, franchising, and corporate development. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in contract negotiation, legal risk assessment, and a passion for the hospitality industry. This role offers the chance to grow within a dynamic team and contribute to the company's expansion in Canada and internationally.

Qualifications

• 2 to 8 years of legal experience in hospitality, retail, or commercial real estate.
• Member in good standing with the Law Society of British Columbia or equivalent.
• Experience advising on construction and commercial contracts is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Support North American restaurant development in real estate and franchising.
• Draft, negotiate, and prepare corporate and commercial agreements.
• Manage legal aspects of leasing and franchising for restaurant locations.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Job description

Proud to be 100% Canadian-owned, Northland Properties' are recognized as one of the most trusted names in hotels, restaurants, resorts, sports, construction, and asset management. Our well-known and loved brands have been bringing people together to celebrate unforgettable experiences across Canada, the US, Ireland, and the UK for over 50 years. As Canada's fastest-growing hospitality group, we believe the foundation of our continued success is our people and their ability to take great care of our guests.

The Role

Reporting to the General Counsel, Northland Properties Corporation, the Corporate Counsel, Northland Restaurant Division will support North American restaurant development mainly in Real Estate, Franchising and Corporate Development.

There are over 200 domestic and international locations within the restaurant portfolio with the following brands :

• Chop Steakhouse & Bar
• Denny's Restaurants
• MOXIES
• Shark Club Sports Bar & Grill
• Bar One
• Rockford Bar & Grill
• The Tavern Collective
• The Signature Group of restaurants (including Wild Blue, Published on Main, and Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar)

The Corporate Counsel will be a key contributing member to the legal team, providing service and expertise to the company specializing in real estate, leasing, franchising, licensing, and corporate structuring, and other corporate and commercial matters relating to the business, such as commercial contracts and HR. Our ideal candidate will focus on drafting, negotiating, and executing business-critical contracts while also handling the franchise aspects of the restaurant division. Our ideal candidate will grow into the role of handling all legal aspects for the Restaurant Division.

This role requires strong contract and negotiation skills and the ability to assess and mitigate operational legal risks in overseeing the administration of a diverse lease portfolio. The candidate must be able to work closely with other counsel and a dedicated legal assistant to drive forward, finalize, and organize all legal arrangements needed for both corporate and franchised restaurants.

This is an exciting opportunity to work as a strategic partner, responsible for advising the restaurant group on a broad range of legal matters as Northland Properties continues to grow in Canada and internationally.

The preference is for a candidate who is interested in learning and contributing to the other divisions and aspects of Northlands business.

Specific Responsibilities

This role supports North American Restaurant Development in the following areas :

• Provide advice and contract support to the asset management, planning and design teams constructing or renovating restaurant sites.
• Negotiate, draft and prepare general corporate and commercial agreements including service contracts, vendor agreements, equipment purchase agreements, technology contracts, consulting agreements and licenses.
• Central legal contact for all required corporate structuring and governance support with respect to the national and regional marketing fund corporations.
• LOI review and collaboration on new sites- We have a standard template that we use and have often been the final form. Leasing new sites; All things leasing related to new sites from start to finish.
• Sub-leasing to franchises. Northland has templates for leases and sub-leases. However, counsel must also be able to deal with landlords' preferred lease forms.
• Lease renewals for existing sites; Tracking of lease renewals and options remaining for all brands.

Franchising

This role supports North American Restaurant Development and Brand Development in the following areas :

• Franchise Disclosure Documents- Annual review and update for all brands, all provinces, all countries. Submission of FDD's to incoming franchisees. Ensure compliance with Canadian and U.S. franchise laws.
• Franchise Agreements- Draft, negotiate, and oversee the execution of all franchise agreements.
• General Advice- Advise on franchise-related disputes, ensuring alignment with legal and business objectives.

Corporate

• Create and structure corporate entities for (i) new locations (ii) leasehold entities (iii) partnership restaurants.
• Manage the corporate structure and entities for the various brands, and for the entities which own the brand names.
• NDA's and Financial Docs- Create and submit NDAs to landlords and others. Share financial performance documents once an NDA is signed.

Other

• Managing outside counsel : selecting, retaining, and instructing outside counsel as needed.
• Developing strategies to achieve efficiencies and reduce potential areas of risk.
• Perform special projects for senior leadership as required.

Background, Skills and Experience

• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited Canadian law school.
• Is a member in good standing with the Law Society of British Columbia or equivalent and licensed to practice law in Canada with a willingness to become licensed in British Columbia.
• 2 to 8 years of legal experience, preferably in hospitality, retail, franchise, and / or commercial real estate, gained either in private practice or in house.
• Prior experience advising on construction, development and other general commercial contract related matters would be an asset.
• Proven experience in contract negotiation, lease agreements, and commercial transactions.
• Strong business acumen and interpersonal skills are important as you will have extensive interaction with various business groups.
• Strong organizational and planning skills to manage legal initiatives and ensure compliance
• Excellent negotiation skills to drive favorable contract outcomes.
• Analytical and problem-solving abilities to assess legal risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Ability to delegate and manage workload effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to grow in a company and a role with tremendous future possibilities.
• Passionate about hospitality and Northland's brands!

Leadership and Personal Attributes

• Commercial results-driven with a high level of ownership, accountability, and initiative.
• A winning attitude and excellent influencing skills with the ability to form deep relationships across all levels of the organization.
• Attracts, develops, inspires and mentors the best talent to build high-performing teams who drive business growth.
• Authentic team leader with a collaborative, inspiring approach.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; an excellent presenter.
• An autonomous self-starter who has the ability to nimbly solve issues as they come up as well as take advantage of new opportunities.
• A strategic thinker and great executer in a performance-based culture.
• Strong analytical abilities with a data-driven decisioning bias.
• Confident, hands-on, assertive and thrives in a competitive, fast-changing environment.
• Adept at handling multiple complex projects at once, structuring work-flow, prioritizing and delivering on multiple deadlines in a fast-paced and sometimes ambiguous environment.

At Northland Properties, we are committed to building a network of talented professionals who can help to provide exceptional hospitality experiences. As an equal opportunity employer, we are constantly seeking motivated and enthusiastic individuals to join us in various fields, including Construction, Finance, IT, HR, Marketing, and Support Center. To join our dedicated team and be a part of our thriving hospitality community, explore the exciting career opportunities available at .

Job Family Legal

Hiring Min Rate 110,000 CAD

Hiring Max Rate 165,000 CAD

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