Position Summary :
The Legal Counsel position is primarily responsible for providing day-to-day commercial and employment legal support. He / she will provide legal oversight with respect to contracts and customer, supplier, vendor relations, mergers and acquisitions, and support other corporate functions. The ideal candidate will be able to provide practical, business-minded advice that assists in accomplishing objectives while mitigating legal risk.
The position is located in Montreal.
The Legal Counsel partners with different areas of the business including, but not limited to, procurement, real estate, technology, HR, finance, and operations.
Responsibilities include :
- Serve as point of contact for all legal matters in Canada and the US.
- Provide legal and business guidance to management and other functional areas in connection with day-to-day operations.
- Draft, review, and assist on a wide range of contracts and legal documents that include real estate, liens, sub-contracts, master contracts, and work visas.
- Provide advice and assistance with requests for proposals and bids.
- Manage claims and litigations.
- Develop, implement, and / or review internal legal governance policies and monitor compliance.
- Play a key role in managing risk including insurance portfolio management.
- Legal administration and compliance such as assisting with regulatory requirements.
- Corporate secretarial / governance documents, property records, general file management, and legal administrative and record-keeping functions.
- Participate in the development of compliance programs (corporate policy drafting, review, and implementation).
- Anticipate stakeholders’ needs and proactively develop solutions to meet them.
- Keep abreast of changes in legislation and jurisprudence, etc.
- Manage relationships with external legal counsel and work with them on various business matters such as litigation, acquisitions, compliance, etc.
- Responsibilities include all the above, though other duties may be assigned in jurisdictions where the company operates.
Required Skills :
Sound judgment and business acumen.Proactive, problem-solving approach with a passion for taking initiative and achieving company objectives.Strong work ethic with the willingness to take on tasks as needed with respect to a variety of legal issues.Excellent writing, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills and ability to interact and gain credibility with stakeholders at varying levels of the organization and with external partners.Ability to multi-task and manage a substantial workload in a fast-paced environment.Ability to think both strategically and critically, and give practical advice, appropriately weighing legal and business objectives.A high degree of professionalism, discretion, and business judgment.Qualifications :
Minimum 5 years of corporate / transactional / commercial / real-estate law experience with a law firm or in-house legal department.Juris Doctor (JD) or Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree and a registered member of a provincial bar association.Licensed to practice law in Canada and a lawyer in good standing with a provincial law society.Bilingualism (English and French).Must be able to work autonomously and with little supervision.Must have influential skills and demonstrated ability to effectively apply legal practices to diverse business situations.Experience in a fast-paced environment.Knowledge of applicable laws including but not limited to commercial, corporate, real-estate, and employment law.Proficient with Microsoft Office tools.Strong sense of urgency and priority management.Be collaborative, execution and customer-focused, and comfortable with ambiguity.Builds strong partnerships to foster trust and accountability with all stakeholders.Ability to travel.