Ke-Jia (KJ) Chong - Business Lawyer

About Me

Ke-Jia (KJ) Chong is a seasoned lawyer called to the Ontario and New York State Bar since 2015, specializing in business law. Her variety of skills were honed from 10+ years of practice, with a foundation in litigation that broadened into a corporate/commercial practice. Her years of in-house counsel experience have made her a trusted advisor to the C-suite in issues critical to multi-million dollar businesses.

KJ holds a Bachelor of Civil Law/Bachelor of Laws (B.C.L./LL.B.) from McGill University, where she studied both common law and Quebec civil law in English and French. A native English speaker, she is fluent in French and conversant in Mandarin. Additionally, KJ graduated from the International Bachelor of Business Administration program at the Schulich School of Business, York University, equipping her with a strong understanding of finance, economics, strategy and accounting.

Areas of Expertise

Corporate Law

Advising on corporate governance, mergers, acquisitions, and financial agreements.

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Representing clients in civil, commercial, arbitral and mediation disputes.

Contract Drafting & Review

Crafting and reviewing contracts, from standard agreements to bespoke technical documents.

Compliance Law

Ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements across industries.

Employment Law

Handling workplace disputes, policies, and compliance issues.

Negotiation & Strategy

Developing strategic approaches for settlements and business negotiations.

Nuclear Industry

Technical experience in medical isotopes, nuclear projects, nuclear lifecycle and waste management.

Agriculture Industry

Expertise in global grains, pulses, animal feed and food

Logistics Industry

Technical experience in Incoterms, international trade, shipping, cross-border transactions

Selected Experience

Laurentis Energy Partners - Senior Counsel
Exposure to: Corporate law, partnerships, compliance, privacy, contracts (from master service agreements to highly bespoke technical agreements), intellectual property, construction law.
BroadGrain Commodities Inc. - General Counsel
Exposure to: Corporate law, corporate finance (financial credit agreements, trade financing, guarantees), management of Canadian and international subsidiaries, compliance, contracts (purchase and sale of goods, technology, equipment purchase, confidentiality), employment law, litigation, arbitration, mediation, dispute and claims management, settlement negotiations, regulatory matters.
Walker Law Professional Corporation - Associate
Exposure to: Civil & commercial litigation, landlord and tenant issues, property law, assessments, construction liens, creditor claims, condo law, employment law, director and officer liability, franchise law.
Appeared at: Ontario Court of Appeal, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Small Claims Court, Landlord and Tenant Board.
Ricketts Harris LLP - Associate
Exposure to: Civil & commercial litigation, professional negligence, product liability, employment law, insurance law.
Appeared at: Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
McMillan LLP - Articles and Litigation Summer Student
Completed 10 months of articling with rotations in litigation, corporate law, and financial services.
Exposure to: Civil & commercial litigation, fraud & foreign corruption law, bankruptcy, securities law, contracts, tax, competition law, insurance law, arbitration, employment law.
Appeared at: Ontario Superior Court of Justice and Commercial List.
RWE Innogy GmbH (now acquired by E.ON SE) - Intern, M&A and Corporate Law
Exposure to: Mergers & acquisitions, contracts, corporate law in a renewable energy company.

Selected Non-Profit Work

National GC Network - Treasurer, Board of Directors Member
Managed financial and treasury strategy in early-stage charitable organization, requiring significant involvement to establish processes and monthly board reporting.
CBA In-House Lawyers (formerly Canadian Corporate Counsel Association) - Treasurer, National; Past-Chair, Ontario; Member at Large, National & Ontario
Led legal executive boards of 20+ persons, financial subcommittees and annual event planning
Project Genesis, Community Legal Information Clinic - Volunteer Advisor
Provided guidance on housing (landlord/tenant) law, pension rights, and welfare rights.
Innocence Project at McGill - Vice President Finance
Contributed to criminal law initiatives, focusing on wrongful convictions.

Selected Speaking Engagements

Speaker - Strategies for Being Effective In-House Counsel in a Turbulent Economy
Topics: Contracts, Compliance, Social Media and Financing
Speaker - The New Normal: Practicing Law in the Digital Age
Topics: Professional Development
Speaker - Agricultural Law on Lawyered - the Podcast
Topics: Contracts, NAFTA, Shipping, International Trade, In-House Counsel Practice
Speaker - In the House with In House Series by CBA In-House Lawyers (formerly Canadian Corporate Counsel Association)
Topics: In-House Counsel Practice, Agricultural Industry, COVID

Publications

"What to do as In-House Counsel when Litigation Strikes!" (April 2021): Ontario Bar Association by KJ Chong
"Department of One: How to Succeed as a Solo In-House Counsel" (November 2020): Canadian Corporate Counsel Association, The In-House Edition by KJ Chong
"Reducing Risk of Cannabis Issues in the Workplace: Disclose, Test, Train" (November 2018): Ontario Bar Association by KJ Chong
"Navigating the Waters: How to Better Embrace Change" (Fall 2018): Canadian Corporate Counsel Association National Magazine by KJ Chong
"How Saskatchewan Bill 177 will affect insurance brokers" (April 2015): Canadian Underwriter by Carol Lyons and Ke-Jia Chong
"A Matter of Principle: Litigants Must Follow the Sedona Principles in E-discovery" (April 2015): Ontario Bar Association by Calie Adamson and Ke-Jia Chong
"CSA Adopts Amendments to Accredited Investor and Minimum Amount Investment Prospectus Exemptions" (February 2015): McMillan Securities Bulletin by Jason A. Chertin, Money Khoromi, and Ke-Jia Chong
"TSX Proposes New Listing Requirements for Exchange Traded Products, Closed-End Funds and Structured Products" (February 2015): Canadian Securities Law News republishing McMillan Securities Bulletin by Jason A. Chertin, Money Khoromi, and Ke-Jia Chong
"Can't We All Get Along?: A Federal and Provincial Tribunal as Part of Securities Reform" (November 2014): Ontario Bar Association, Administrative law section by Ke-Jia Chong and Adam D.H. Chisholm
"Canada-China investment treaty enters into force after 30 month wait" (September 2014): McMillan International Trade Bulletin by Robert Wisner and Ke-Jia Chong

Connect with Me

To get in touch, please connect with me on LinkedIn or send an email to .

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