Patrick Simon Email & Phone Number

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Led pension-related legal/policy team for the administrator of a 93,000-member pension plan
• Co-ordinated organizational efforts on all legal- and policy-driven projects, including responding to legislative developments, plan text amendments and collectively-bargained benefit changes
• Worked closely with employers and bargaining agents to ensure compliance with pension plan terms in a manner that is harmonious with labour, employment and human rights legislation and case law, and applicable.
• Provided policy and legal perspective on myriad initiatives including member communications, plan mergers, onboarding of new participating employers and replacement of IT systems
• Policy and legal lead on all member complaints and pension-related litigation
• Directed OPB’s advocacy efforts to federal and provincial governments and regulators

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Senior in-house policy and legal advisor specializing in pension, employment, labour, human rights, public, corporate and commercial law
• Policy and legal lead on various projects, including establishment of a retirement compensation arrangement in 2022, which entailed drafting trust agreement, plan text and other instruments
• Lead advisor on employment, human rights and labour law matters, including administration of pension plan in compliance with Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Human Rights Code
• Developed policies on myriad aspects of pension administration, with a view to enhancing the experience of OPB’s clients while complying with applicable legal requirements
• Drafting plan text amendments, working closely with government legal counsel
• Managed response to escalated client complaints regarding pension entitlements

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• In-house policy and legal advisor specializing in pension, employment, labour, human rights, public, corporate and commercial law
• Lead advisor on employment, human rights and labour law matters, including administration of pension plan in compliance with Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Human Rights Code
• Developed policies on myriad aspects of pension administration, with a view to enhancing the experience of OPB’s clients while complying with applicable legal requirements
• Drafting plan text amendments, working closely with government legal counsel
• Managed response to escalated client complaints regarding pension entitlements
• Represented OPB in proceedings in the civil courts and the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and in regulatory matters before the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario

Toronto, Canada Area

Toronto, Canada Area

I practised all aspects of labour, employment and human rights law. I also advised public bodies on issues of administrative law including governance and legislative compliance. The firm acted as counsel to a statutory tribunal, and in supporting this role I regularly advised on hearing procedure and the rules of evidence.

Toronto, Canada Area

• Thesis: “Termination of Employment in England and Canada”
• Honours: Ontario Graduate Scholarship, $15,000, awarded for academic excellence; top student in labour and employment lawI was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in Ontario in January 2014.

London, United Kingdom

• In-house employment and administrative lawyer for the UK’s largest government department
• Drafted and advised on a wide range of commercial and employment agreements
• Defended the DWP in litigation as both solicitor and advocate, at first instance and in appeals
• Managed relationships with external counsel
• Provided written and oral advice to ministers and senior officials on a range of employment law issues, including sensitive, high-profile and complex matters
• Practised various aspects of administrative law, including interpretation of social security legislation, drafting new legislation and advising on policy initiatives

London, United Kingdom

• Associate in London Employment Group
• Researched and advised on employment, data protection and business immigration law
• Conducted due diligence on, and drafted agreements for, both asset and share sales
• Acted for employers in employment litigation, as both solicitor and advocate
• Drafted employment contracts, settlement agreements, international secondment agreements, bonus schemes and other contracts in respect of both junior and senior employees
• Advised on small- and large-scale restructurings, employee transfers and redundancies in Britain and Europe, and conducted consultation exercises with affected employees

London, United Kingdom

• Associate in Litigation & Arbitration Department
• Assisted on Court of Appeal litigation relating to construction and rectification of a lease
• Made interim applications, appeared before High Court masters and negotiated consent orders
• Conducted due diligence on regulatory and compliance issues including bribery and corruption
• Acted for an employer in proceedings for recovery of expenses from a former employee
• Edited the Pensions Ombudsman Focus, a quarterly publication sent to clients

London, United Kingdom

• Equivalent to articles; my seats (rotations) were:
• Litigation & Arbitration Department, London, England: assisted on various stages of litigation including legal research and advice, letters before action, disclosure and witness statements
• Structured Finance Group, London, England: drafted documents for securitisation transactions and security registrations; delivered presentations to clients on new securities regulations
• Capital Markets, Paris, France: drafted agreements, prospectus documents and filings for bond listings and related transactions, acting for both issuers and financial institutions
• Pensions Group, London, England: advised on various aspects of pension law including age discrimination; drafted deeds, handbooks and other scheme documents

Master Of Philosophy (Mphil), Politics

• Thesis: “Institutional Management of Nationalism in Québec and Scotland” • Honours: Overseas Research Scholarship, approximately.

Master Of Laws (Llm), Law

• Thesis: “Termination of Employment in England and Canada” • Honours: Ontario Graduate Scholarship, $15,000, awarded for academic.

Bachelor Of Arts (Honours) With High Distinction, Political Science And French, High Distinction

Honours: 15 scholarships, including the Suzanne and Edwin Goodman prize for the University of Toronto’s top graduating student in.

Legal Practice Course (Distinction), Law, Distinction

• Professional program designed specifically for solicitors joining large corporate firms • Covered private acquisitions, corporate.

Postgraduate Diploma In Law (Commendation), Law, Commendation

• Equivalent to Bachelor of Laws • Honours: ranked 39th of over 500 students; full tuition and maintenance grant from Linklaters LLP