About

Chief legal and corporate affairs officer Jeff Davis oversees the legal team at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, an independent organisation that pays defined benefit pensions and invests plan assets on behalf of 323,000 active and retired members. There are 80 members in the division with 25 lawyers, seven law clerks and support staff across Toronto, London and Hong Kong. In the last two years, the corporate affairs division has adopted an integrated advisory service delivery model. Business units can now expect a “one-stop-shop” for integrated advice, combining its different areas of legal expertise when dealing with any group within the corporate affairs division. Davis highlights that, ‘to support the creation of this integrated model, the corporate affairs team focused on the most critical behaviour required for top performance across its advisory functions; empathy – the ability to put ourselves in the shoes of our client in any particular matter’. The team strives to provide strategic advice, and to serve as a trusted advisor. In support of the integrated service model, the team has continued to diversify and add to its strength of lawyers with expertise in a variety of disciplines including corporate and commercial, private equity, M&As, derivatives, securities regulation, privacy, regulatory compliance, labour and employment, immigration and litigation. The organisation is also focused on having a truly global strategic mind-set. The legal team has undergone deep changes in the last two years to match that mind-set by expanding and integrating the legal functions in the company’s Hong Kong and London offices. Lawyers in Ontario Teachers’ corporate affairs division are considered active and proud members of the legal community in Canada and globally, and are recognised experts in their field. Many belong to industry committees, hold specialised designations and or have been invited to participate on countless panels and forums. To support Ontario Teachers’ world class investment division, the legal team has recently been involved in a number of significant transactions across geographies and investment asset classes, including: GCT Global Container Terminals, GFL Environmental, Chicago Skyway Toll Road, Arterra Wines Canada, CDCC Limited Clearing Member Model, Ontario Teachers’ Finance Trust Debt Issuances, TMX Group and more, including activities in Europe and Asia.