General Counsel and Corporate Secretary - Dye & Durham Corporation - Toronto, ON
(2025-03)
Lead legal strategy through leadership transition, regulatory engagement, and multi-jurisdictional portfolio rationalization. A publicly traded legal technology and financial services company operating in Australia, Canada, UK, Ireland and South Africa.
- Trusted advisor to the Board and CEO during periods of heightened shareholder activism, leadership transition and regulatory scrutiny, supporting decision-making on governance, disclosure and enterprise risk.
- Lead legal execution of complex cross-border M&A and divestitures across five jurisdictions, including diligence, regulatory approvals, integration planning, and post-closing risk mitigation, for transactions valued in the hundreds of millions.
- Primary legal interface with regulators, external counsel, auditors, and lenders, ensuring alignment across legal strategy, capital markets disclosure, investor relations, and enterprise risk.
- Built and lead a high-performing legal team recognized for agility, collaboration, and business acumen, delivering outcomes that balance compliance excellence with commercial objectives.
- Provide strategic legal guidance on corporate initiatives, disclosure obligations, commercial expansion, and enterprise risk in a highly regulated securities and payments infrastructure environment.
- Oversee enterprise-wide privacy and data protection program across five jurisdictions for a portfolio of more than 50 companies.
- Lead group-wide litigation and risk management strategy, overseeing claims and disputes with an aggregate exposure exceeding $200 million, resulting in material cost savings and improved risk outcomes.
Vice President Legal and Corporate Secretary - Dye & Durham Corporation - Toronto, ON
(2023-10 - 2025-03)
- Supported the Board and executive leadership in implementing governance, regulatory, and enterprise risk frameworks across a multi-jurisdictional, publicly traded SaaS platform.
- Led execution of M&A, including seven bolt-on acquisitions and the repurchase of a franchise network of businesses, and oversaw post-acquisition integration to align governance, commercial frameworks, and regulatory compliance in support of identified synergies.
- Acted as a strategic business partner to finance, product, and operations teams, translating corporate objectives into scalable legal structures, policies, and processes.
- Served as Corporate Secretary to the Board and its committees, managing Board and committee meetings, policies, minutes, and disclosure processes to support effective oversight and compliance with securities and exchange requirements.
- Designed and implemented legal operations enhancements, including contract lifecycle management tools, global privacy compliance frameworks (privacy risk assessments, DSR workflows), and regulatory tracking systems, improving efficiency and risk visibility.
- Oversaw corporate records, entity management, and statutory filings to ensure audit readiness, investor confidence, and strong corporate governance.
- Oversaw governance and statutory compliance for a global portfolio of subsidiaries across multiple jurisdictions, ensuring adherence to corporate governance and securities law requirements.
Senior Legal Counsel & Director of Compliance - Dye & Durham Corporation - Toronto, ON
(2021-06 - 2022-02)
- Led enterprise-wide privacy and compliance programs across product and operational teams, including GDPR, PIPEDA, CASL, and Australian Privacy Principles, in a multi-jurisdictional SaaS environment.
- Established scalable legal and compliance frameworks, including legal playbooks, contract templates, and policies to support portfolio growth and operational consistency.
- Designed and delivered compliance training and education programs to business teams, strengthening regulatory awareness and risk management across the organization.
- Oversaw public and private procurement processes, advising on contractual risk, regulatory requirements, and commercial terms.
Legal Counsel - Dye & Durham Corporation - Toronto, ON
(2020-10 - 2021-06)
- Supported cross-border M&A transactions by leading legal due diligence and integration efforts across Canadian, UK, and Australian acquisitions.
- Drafted and negotiated a broad range of SaaS and technology agreements, including customer, partner, white-label, and API integration agreements, supporting platform expansion and commercialization.
- Advised on post-acquisition integration of acquired entities, contributing to legal, operational, and commercial alignment across the portfolio.
Senior Legal Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary (Acting General Counsel, as required) - HomeEquity Bank - Toronto, ON
(2022-03 - 2025-03)
A federally regulated financial institution specializing in reverse mortgages.
- Assumed Acting General Counsel responsibilities during periods of transition, serving as primary legal and regulatory advisor to senior management and the Board.
- Advised on the legal and regulatory design of federally regulated consumer lending products, including reverse mortgages, title insurance arrangements, payments processing, and related financial transactions, within OSFI and FCAC regulatory frameworks.
- Provided technical legal guidance on credit structuring, debt restructuring, governance, and commercial contracting, with a focus on regulatory risk, consumer protection, and operational resilience.
- Acted as a strategic legal partner to cross-functional business, risk, compliance, and product teams on complex initiatives involving regulatory compliance, enterprise risk management, and intellectual property strategy.
- Managed consumer complaints, litigation, and regulatory matters, including supporting regulatory audits, examinations, and investigations.
- Supported Board and committee governance as Assistant Corporate Secretary, overseeing regulatory filings, statutory records, and corporate governance processes to ensure compliance with banking and corporate law requirements.
Legal Assistant - Fidelity Investments Canada - Toronto, ON
(2018-08 - 2020-09)
A global investment management firm.
- Supported legal and compliance teams on securities law and regulatory matters relating to mutual funds and ETFs, including preparation and review of public disclosure documents and regulatory filings.
- Assisted in drafting and reviewing commercial and procurement agreements, contributing to contract governance and operational compliance within a regulated asset management environment.
- Gained foundational experience in capital markets regulation, disclosure standards, and institutional risk controls within a highly regulated investment management platform.
Senior Associate - Corporate, Energy, Infrastructure and Maritime Practice - F.O. Akinrele & Co (LLP) - Lagos, Nigeria
(2011-12 - 2018-05)
A full-service commercial law firm.
- Advised multinational clients in the energy, infrastructure, and maritime sectors on complex cross-border matters involving regulatory compliance, risk allocation, and large-scale capital projects.
- Drafted and negotiated high-value commercial, infrastructure, and technical agreements, including joint ventures, asset acquisitions, drilling and services contracts, equipment leasing, and project finance arrangements.
- Worked closely with foreign law firms, lenders, insurers, and technical advisors on M&A transactions, debt restructurings, public-private partnerships, and strategic investments involving multiple jurisdictions.
- Advised on transactions governed by international conventions and regulatory regimes, including environmental, safety, and maritime obligations (MARPOL, SOLAS), requiring sophisticated risk and liability management.
- Acted on significant corporate and financing transactions, including equity acquisitions, bond issuances, and infrastructure developments involving multinational sponsors and sovereign counterparties.
- Served as Corporate Secretary to corporate clients, advising on governance, statutory filings, and regulatory compliance matters.
- Managed claims and incident response for protection and indemnity clubs and title insurers, including environmental incidents and salvage operations.
