Legal Counsel (Employment Law)

Legal Counsel (Employment Law) – Societe Generale

Reference: 25000PL5

Responsibilities

The mission of the Legal Department is to protect Societe Generale from legal, regulatory, reputational, and other risks, while at the same time assisting the business units in the achievement of their legitimate business interests by providing effective and quality legal services and advice, drafting and reviewing legal documentation and ensuring that business is conducted in compliance with relevant laws and regulations. The Legal Department is also responsible for overseeing litigation, enforcement actions and investigations; promoting strong and ethical legal culture within the Americas; and identifying and mitigating legal risk arising. The members of the Canadian Legal Department work closely with the American Legal Department as part of the Americas Legal Group, collaborating on regional projects and aligning on key principles, policies and procedures for cross‑border transactions.

What will be your day‑to‑day?

• Working with the Human Resources department and business clients to provide guidance and practical solutions for labor and employment law issues;
• Providing experienced legal advice on a variety of employment‑related matters under Quebec, Ontario and Federal employment laws;
• Drafting and reviewing a wide range of agreements, including offers of employment, severance agreements and other types of agreements such as non‑disclosure agreements and service agreements (including agreements with third‑party vendors);
• Reviewing or advising on Compliance, HR and Compliance policies, and the interpretation of HR and Compliance policies and programs related to employees (including whistleblowing matters);
• Preparing and reviewing investigation files, and participating or leading (as may be required) employee investigations relating to conduct and behavior (and may be called upon to participate in other types of investigations as well);
• Reviewing different aspects of privacy and data protection laws;
• Assisting the HR department in reviewing legal questions and governmental forms related to immigration laws;
• Consulting with outside legal counsel when required on various topics;
• Assisting the General Counsel to work on and complete internal controls and other projects involving the Legal Department;
• Participating in the Legal Department’s legal watch, conducting research and drafting legal memoranda and notices on a variety of topics;
• Establishing and maintaining relationships, credibility and trust with business clients, stakeholders, legal team members and outside counsel;
• Partnering with the Human Resources department to promote company values, standards and culture;
• Performing other tasks as assigned by the General Counsel from time to time.

The candidate must also have the ability to prioritize several simultaneous requests in a high‑pressure environment, while maintaining a fast and logical approach and speed of execution. The person must also be comfortable with new technologies and have an open mind to innovate to increase efficiency and execution of the work performed by the legal department.

This person will need to be results driven, mindful of organizational and business objectives, have excellent communication (oral and written, in both English and French) and interpersonal relationship skills within and across departments and externally, including with SG colleagues in the USA and Europe.

Qualifications

Must Haves

• The person must have obtained a Bachelor of law from a Canadian University;
• 5 to 9 years of experience in a Canadian law firm or the legal department of a company operating in a relevant industry;
• 4+ years of experience practicing labor and employment law in Canada.

Competencies

• Strong knowledge of applicable provincial and federal employment and related laws including but not limited to the Act respecting Labor standards (Quebec), applicable occupational health and safety legislation, and provincial and federal human rights legislation.

Nice to Haves

• Prior in‑house counsel experience;
• Experience in the financial services industry, and litigation and dispute resolution experience.

Language

Ability to communicate in English, both orally and in writing, is a requirement as the person in this position will need to collaborate regularly with colleagues and partners in the United States. Due to US Federal Securities law applying to this position, candidates who will apply for this position will be required to submit to an enhanced background screening, including the collection of their fingerprints by a third‑party vendor selected by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Benefits

• Competitive compensation & benefits, including but not limited to: minimum of 20 vacation days + 4 personal days;
• Supportive maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave policy;
• Health spending ($2,000/year) and personal spending ($1,000/year) accounts with 75+ eligible reimbursement categories (health, training, electronics etc.);
• Fully sponsored virtual healthcare assistance and Employee Assistance Program for you and your immediate family;
• Various Employee Resource Groups (ERG) to engage with such as Pride and Allies, American Women Network, Black Leadership Network, One Planet, etc.;
• A culture of continuous development by encouraging our employees various training programs (online training and coaching platform such as Coursera, GoFluent, Pluralsight, First Finance, and others).

Culture & Inclusion

Societe Generale is committed to offering an inclusive recruitment experience to all candidates. If you require any reasonable accommodations during the recruitment process, please let our recruiters know. At Societe Generale, we live by our 4 core values of commitment, responsibility, team spirit and innovation. We are engaged and demonstrate consideration for others. We act ethically and with courage. We focus our talent and energy on collective success. We experiment and propose new ideas. This way, we maximize our ability to serve client needs and anticipate market changes. Societe Generale is committed to strengthening bonds with colleagues, communities, and the world in which we live, because relationships are at the heart of how we operate. For more information about our Culture and Conduct initiatives, please visit https://americas.societegenerale.com/en/careers/get-know-culture/.

Diversity & Inclusion Mission: Recruit, develop, advance, and retain a diverse workforce that is united in our efforts to enhance our competitive position and deliver innovative solutions to our clients.

Diversity & Inclusion Vision

• Engaged workforce that is demographically diverse in a way that reflects the communities in which we operate;
• Inclusive culture and workplace that recognizes employees' unique needs and utilizes their diverse talents;
• Engage our community and marketplace, and position the organization to meet the needs of all its clients.

Societe Generale is an equal‑opportunity employer and we are proud to make diversity a strength for our company. We are committed to recognizing and promoting the talents and achievements of our employees and staff, regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, and any other characteristic or status protected under applicable law. We strive to write our postings as inclusively as possible. If, however, one gender is used alone in this display, it designates persons of all gender identities.

Seniority level

Not Applicable

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Legal

Industries

Financial Services and Investment Banking

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