Legal Counsel – Litigation, Insurance Claims & Dispute Management
Real Estate, Construction, Insurance Coverage & Business Disputes
Evertrust Development Group Inc. | Full-time | Permanent | In person
The Opportunity
Evertrust Development Group Inc. is seeking an Ontario-licensed lawyer to join our team and provide legal support on a variety of active disputes and insurance claims arising from our real estate development, construction and business operations.
This position offers hands-on involvement in civil litigation, insurance coverage and complex claims matters where legal analysis needs to be translated into practical action. You will work directly with management and internal teams to assess disputes and claims, develop strategy, prepare legal and claim materials, negotiate with insurers and other parties, and coordinate the steps required to move matters toward resolution.
Our matters may involve construction projects, development activities, contractual obligations, property interests, condominium issues, insurance losses, coverage disputes, enforcement proceedings and other commercial disputes.
The successful candidate should have strong Ontario civil litigation experience together with substantial experience acting for insureds or policyholders on complex construction, property and real estate insurance claims. Experience should not be limited to defence-side liability work.
What You Will Be Doing
· Analyze active and potential disputes and insurance claims and identify the important facts, legal issues, evidence, policy provisions and procedural requirements.
· Develop practical recommendations on litigation strategy, insurance coverage, legal risk, claim strategy, settlement options and enforcement measures.
· Review and interpret insurance policies and assess available coverage for construction, property, liability and business-related losses.
· Take ownership of insurance claims from initial coverage analysis and claim preparation through insurer negotiations, dispute resolution and, where required, litigation.
· Prepare, organize and advance claims involving Builder’s Risk / Course of Construction, property insurance, CGL and other liability coverage, OBIO / business interruption, Delay in Opening and delayed-completion coverage.
· Assess and prepare construction-loss claims involving hard costs, soft costs, rental-income loss, expediting costs, professional fees and uninsured-loss issues.
· Deal directly with insurers, adjusters, brokers, coverage counsel, experts, consultants and other professionals involved in the investigation, evaluation and resolution of claims.
· Advise on policy interpretation, coverage disputes, reservation-of-rights issues, insurer conduct and potential insurer or broker negligence claims.
· Draft and review pleadings, affidavits, motion and application materials, factums, legal correspondence, demand letters, coverage submissions and settlement documentation.
· Prepare and organize supporting evidence, project records, insurance documentation, financial information and other materials required for litigation and insurance-claim proceedings.
· Participate in or assist with discoveries, motions, applications, mediations, negotiations, hearings and settlement discussions.
· Track limitation periods, procedural deadlines, notice requirements, undertakings and other important file or policy requirements.
· Work with management, project personnel, accounting staff and other internal departments to obtain information and develop a clear factual and financial record.
· Coordinate with external counsel, experts, consultants, opposing counsel and other parties involved in a matter.
· Help determine when disputes and claims should be pursued, defended, negotiated, escalated or resolved from both a legal and commercial perspective.
· Manage several active litigation and insurance-claim matters simultaneously while maintaining organized and accurate files and moving matters forward efficiently.
What We Are Looking For
· An LL.B. or J.D. from a recognized law school.
· Current membership in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario.
· Strong practical experience handling Ontario civil litigation and insurance coverage matters.
· Substantial experience acting for insureds or policyholders in complex insurance claims, particularly claims arising from construction, real estate or property losses.
· Experience should include policyholder-side coverage analysis, claim preparation, insurer negotiations and insurance disputes, and should not be limited to defence-side liability work.
· Experience drafting court documents and other materials for contested proceedings.
· A sound understanding of the Ontario Rules of Civil Procedure.
· Strong ability to interpret insurance policies, identify coverage issues and develop practical strategies for maximizing and protecting available coverage.
· Experience dealing directly with insurers, adjusters, insurance brokers, coverage counsel and technical or financial experts.
· Strong legal writing, research, analytical, negotiation and advocacy skills.
· The ability to evaluate large volumes of legal, insurance, construction, project and financial documentation and identify the information most relevant to a dispute or claim.
· Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple active matters, deadlines and priorities.
· Good professional judgment and the ability to communicate complex legal and insurance issues clearly to non-legal business stakeholders.
· A practical and commercially minded approach to resolving disputes and advancing claims.
· The ability to work independently and take ownership of matters while collaborating effectively with management and other departments.
Relevant Experience
Experience in one or more of the following areas would be particularly valuable:
· Builder’s Risk / Course of Construction insurance claims
· Property insurance claims
· CGL and other liability coverage
· OBIO / business-interruption coverage
· Delay in Opening or delayed-completion coverage
· Construction-loss claims involving hard costs, soft costs, rental-income loss, expediting costs and professional fees
· Policy interpretation and insurance coverage disputes
· Reservation-of-rights issues
· Insurer or insurance-broker negligence claims
· Surety and lien-bond matters
· Construction-project insurance
· Commercial and contractual disputes
· Construction-related litigation
· Real estate and property disputes
· Development-related claims
· Condominium matters
· Construction lien matters
· Mortgage enforcement or power of sale matters
· Contract enforcement
· Debt or judgment enforcement
· Other civil litigation involving businesses or property
Previous experience practising at a law firm and representing policyholders in complex insurance matters is strongly preferred.
Previous experience working in-house, with a real estate developer, construction business or corporate client is considered an asset but is not required.
Why This Role
This position provides an opportunity to work closely with business decision-makers and become involved in disputes and insurance claims from both a legal and operational perspective.
Rather than working only on isolated litigation tasks, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to understand the underlying projects, insurance issues and commercial considerations, contribute to strategy and help determine practical solutions for active claims and disputes.
The role offers direct involvement in complex construction and real estate matters and the opportunity to take meaningful ownership of claims, negotiations and litigation strategy.
Employment Details
· Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent
· Compensation: $60,000-$90,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications
· Work Arrangement: In person
· Office Location: The assigned Ontario office location may include Markham, Muskoka or Niagara Falls, depending on operational requirements.
Candidates must be able to work from the assigned office and attend other Ontario locations when reasonably required for business, insurance-claim or legal matters.
Pay: $60,000.00-$90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Markham, ON: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Experience:
- Legal drafting: 3 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person
