Senior Legal Counsel Lawyer Job in Toronto, Canada
**This opportunity has been filled and is now closed. Please visit our job board to view our current opportunities.**
Our client, Meridian, is Ontario’s largest credit union and the second largest in Canada. They pride themselves on having an agile approach, an adaptive culture and strong financial soundness. With more than 75 years of banking history, Meridian has helped to grow the lives of 375,000 Members, with more than 9,000 new members in 2020 alone. Meridian has $27.2 billion in assets under management (as of June 30, 2021) and delivers a full range of financial services online, by phone, by mobile and through a network of 89 branches across Ontario. Meridian cardholders also have access to over 43,000 surcharge-free ABMs in North America with THE EXCHANGE® Network and the Allpoint Network in the US.
This is in incredible opportunity for a talented lawyer to join an adaptive, collaborative, and innovative organization poised for growth.
Meridian committed to promoting an inclusive, accessible environment, where all employees and customers feel valued, respected, and supported. They are dedicated to employing a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities and Members in which they live and serve.
Job Description – Senior Legal Counsel Lawyer
Due to ongoing growth, Meridian is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel lawyer to join its team in Toronto. Reporting to the Director, Legal, the Senior Legal Counsel will support the Director in the fulfillment of legal tasks including third party vendor contract negotiation, review and drafting, risk identification and mitigation, legal research, and the evaluation, development and execution of strategic business opportunities and transactions.
The role sits within the Meridian legal department, a highly collaborative team focused on enabling business growth and mitigating risk for our member-centric organization. Success in this position requires the experience and capability to handle a broad range of legal, compliance and transactional matters including litigation and M&A.
Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities
- Support the Director in identifying legal, regulatory and compliance requirements and risks associated with Meridian’s business initiatives and developing and implementing appropriate mitigation strategies.
- Review, draft, and negotiate a wide range of agreements with vendors, Members and other third parties, including data licenses, services agreements, software and intellectual property agreements and other complex commercial agreements.
- Research and respond to general legal inquiries from internal clients that relate to corporate, litigation, strategy, intellectual property, and compliance matters, including CASL and privacy-related matters, and advise business on appropriate legal action to be taken.
- Provide practical and insightful business and strategic advice, leveraging experience in the practice of law and the legal profession.
- Assist the business with mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures.
- Provide pre-litigation advice and supervise ongoing litigation.
- Coordinate legal matters handled by outside counsel.
- Provide general legal support to all areas of Meridian.
Education and Professional Skills/Knowledge
- LL.B. or J.D. degree (or equivalent).
- Good standing with a Canadian Law Society.
- Minimum 6 years post-call experience in private practice and/or as in-house corporate legal counsel; industry experience an asset.
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills and attention to detail.
- Strong interpersonal skills, business acumen, and common sense,
- Ability to take initiative and a practical approach to the law.
- Solid experience in drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, including vendor agreements.
- Ability to think strategically and creatively and to identify and resolve legal issues.
- Ability to successfully work in a team environment and ability to build rapport and trust with a wide variety of both internal and external stakeholders.
- Ability to juggle multiple matters at once and work independently in a fast-paced environment and prioritize accordingly.
- Ability to exercise good judgement on when to seek help and where to find appropriate resources to solve problems.
This is an exclusive search.
The Counsel Network is committed to building a diverse legal community through our inclusive business and recruitment practices. We value diversity of experience, expertise, and background, and strive to eliminate barriers historically encountered by marginalized groups. We recognize that an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workforce benefits and enriches both the legal profession and the greater community.
For more information or to apply for this position, contact:
OR
416.364.6654 / 604.643.1708
Visit our job board to view all of our current opportunities.