Job Description:

Position: Law Clerk

Type: Full-Time | Contract

Location: Markham, ON

Reports to: Commercial Real Estate Lawyer

About Us:

Pet Valu is Canada’s leading pet specialty retailer, dedicated to strengthening the bond between dedicated pet lovers and their pets. With 50 years of animal care expertise, we operate over 800 stores across Canada under several banners, including Pet Valu, Bosley’s, Total Pet, Paulmac's Pet, Tisol & Chico. Guided by our mission to deliver products, care, expertise, and memorable moments, Pet Valu is a place where people build meaningful careers while making a positive impact on pets and communities.

What is the role?

Reporting to the Commercial Real Estate Lawyer. This role will primarily support real estate leasing functions of the Company and its affiliates and, secondarily, provide expertise in a broad range of law clerk and administrative areas. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced individual with exceptional skills, who thrives in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment. 

What will you do?

• Draft, negotiate, review and finalize retail leases and other legal documents with various landlords and/or their legal advisers in all areas of Canada.  Responsible for updating the Document Status Tracker.

• Prepare sublease acknowledgements and coordinate with franchisees in order to finalize estoppel requests from landlords.

• Prepare and/or review a variety of legal documents including estoppel certificates and SNDAs and correspondence relating to lease negotiations and other on-going lease and/or other legal documents and issues

• Manage files from the offer-to-lease stage through to the execution of the final lease form

• Organize and expedite the flow of work, initiating any follow-up action as appropriate. Meet strict deadlines

• Manage trade-mark files, IP matters, review and revise contest rules and related documents

• Contracts and agreements - drafting and reviewing standard corporate documents 

• Interpret specific provisions in retail leases and identify their ramifications
   

What will you need to succeed?

Education and Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years relevant experience in a commercial leasing department of a major Canadian law firm or a large corporation specializing in retail shopping center leasing from a major tenant’s perspective; - prior retail lease negotiation experience is essential

• Experience in subleasing in a franchisor context would be an asset.

• Law Clerk or paralegal certification from an accredited program; member of the Institute of the Law Clerks of Ontario

Knowledge and Skills:

• Excellent written communication skills with ability to present complex matters clearly and concisely; able to communicate legal concepts and explain complex documents in ordinary language

• Excellent interpersonal skills to work effectively with other staff and professionals as part of the company team

• Ability to handle multiple tasks at the same time and prioritize tasks appropriately to meet targets and hard deadlines

• Sound judgment and practical application of legal principles and procedures 

• Exceptional organization and time-management skills to work efficiently in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment

• Ability to focus and work in an open office concept; detail oriented with necessity to give ultimate attention to complex legal wording in a variety of documents while adhering to strict timelines and deadline dates

• Strong computer skills, including MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook, MS Access, PDF applications

Compensation:

The targeted salary range for this position is $90,000 - $95,000 annually. The final offer will be based on factors such as market location, relevant skills, experience and internal equity.

Ready to join the team?

We’re looking for passionate people who bring strong skills and live our core values of safety, compassion, expertise, and efficiency every day. If you’re energized by doing meaningful work, taking pride in what you deliver, and making a real impact for pets, people, and communities, you’ll feel right at home here. Join us and build a career where purpose, care, and excellence come together - because love lives here™.

Why work for us?

 At Pet Valu, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We’re passionate about creating an environment where you feel supported, included, and empowered to grow - both personally and professionally. Some of the perks of working with us include:

• Hybrid, Flexible Work Options

• Learning and Development support tailored to you

• An inclusive, collaborative culture where your voice matters

• Fun company events that keep us connected

• Generous employee discounts on our products

Pet Valu is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusion and accessibility. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

At Pet Valu, we are committed to transparency and fairness in our hiring practices. This posting is for an existing vacancy. Pet Valu may use AI enabled technology to assist in the recruitment process for positions. The use of AI helps us ensure we are providing an equitable and streamlined recruitment experience for all applicants. While AI tools support our recruitment process, all decisions throughout the process are made exclusively by Pet Valu’s hiring team. At no stage does AI determine recruitment outcomes