Associate Lawyer

About us

Headwaters LLP is specialized law firm based in Treaty 3 territory. Our practice is focused on

supporting the legal needs of Indigenous people, communities, and organizations. Our

offices are based in Kenora Ontario, but we serve First Nation clients and organizations

across Treaty territories 3, 5, and 9.

As our clients and practice are Indigenous-focused, we strongly encourage Indigenous

applicants to apply.

The Associate?s Role

We are looking to add an associate lawyer to our team. In this role, the successful candidate will

advise and support our clients in various ways. The Associate will be engaged primarily on

matters related to employment, administrative and corporate law with an Indigenous lens.

This includes providing strategic advice and legal support on matters relating to labour law,

including policy development, terminations, employment contract drafting and human

resource policy development, litigation, workplace safety and health matters, and privacy.

The Associate will also assume matters related to corporate and economic development of

indigenous and on-reserve businesses, including providing strategic advice respecting joint

venture agreements, limited partnership structures, and commercial agreements.

Although the Associate?s role will focus on employment, administrative and corporate law, the

Associate may be engaged on a variety of files including in governance and stewardship of lands and

waters; negotiations of land claims, and protected areas; negotiations with industry

proponents; design and implementation of nation-based regulatory and

governance processes; work relating to the Crown?s duty to consult and accommodate; and domestic

application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Key Responsibilities

The Associate will assume carriage of small to mid-size litigation and negotiation files. Major

areas of responsibility include, but are not limited, to :

• Advising clients on employment, administrative and corporate matters
• Communicating directly with leadership and management
• Representing clients in negotiations and discussions with third-parties such as government,

corporate entities, and private individuals

• Drafting correspondences, legal memoranda, affidavits, pleadings, briefs, andapplications
• Drafting policies, employment contracts, independent contractor/service

agreements

• Drafting corporate documents and managing business records
• Reviwing, drafting, revising human resource and governance policies for Indigenous

governments and organizations.

• Supporting and leading workshops and training sessions with leadership, management, and

staff

• Assisting in developing and executing legal and litigation strategies
• Interviewing witnesses and preparing evidence and preparing for discovery
• Facilitating community sessions on policy development and law-making, which may

include Elders and knowledge keeper engagement about Anishinaabe law and

teachings in dispute resolution contexts

Qualifications

• Preference for 2+ years of demonstrated administrative, corporate and employment law

experience

• Strong interest or experience in Treaty history, Indigenous self-determination, statutory law

applicable to First Nation reserve lands, and Indigenous rights advocacy

• Proven experience and commitment to working with Indigenous governments to support self-

governance and the restoration and advancement of Indigenous legal orders

• Commitment to the use and reconciliation of both Canadian and Indigenous legal regimes,

and a focus on generating options and solutions for Indigenous nations and organizations that

account for on-the-ground realities in First Nation communities

• Exceptional analytical, research, advocacy and negotiation skills
• Capacity to contribute to regular in-office collaboration and flexibility to travel to our clients?

communities

Assets

• Familiarity with both provincial