Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP is one of Canada’s leading business law firms. Advising many of Canada’s corporate leaders, as well as U.S. and international parties with extensive interest in Canada, our more than 1,000 firm members are based in offices in Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary and New York.
Osler prides itself on attracting and maintaining some of the brightest talent in the legal arena. Our lawyers, students, management and staff have created a unique firm culture which nurtures mentoring and the exchange of ideas. Osler is a dynamic and exciting place to further your career or carve out a new path.
Osler is seeking a conscientious and proactive lawyer to join Osler’s Office of the General Counsel. This is a multi-faceted role with many opportunities to do a variety of challenging work. This role will require strong negotiation and communication skills and will involve working autonomously as well as part of a collegial and supportive cross-functional team, including the General Counsel, Assistant General Counsel, legal counsel and members of Osler’s risk, finance and information security departments. This role reports into the General Counsel.
While the role will include exposure to other areas such as vendor contracting, policy development, and broader risk and compliance initiatives, the primary focus will be on Outside Counsel Guidelines (OCGs) and risk training, making strong negotiation, communication, presentation, stakeholder management, and drafting skills essential for success.
This job posting is for an existing vacancy.
Major Responsibilities:
- Dedicate approximately 50% of your time to the negotiation and management of Outside Counsel Guidelines (OCGs) and related client engagement documentation, including client guidelines, policies, codes of conduct, and RFPs. Liaising directly with Firm clients, partners, risk analysts, and subject matter experts, you will be responsible for negotiating, revising, and finalizing OCGs, as well as summarizing and communicating key engagement terms to stakeholders across the Firm, including members of the risk, billing, privacy, and information security teams.
- A significant portion of your remaining time to the development and delivery of communications and risk-related training programs for partners, associates, and business professionals. This aspect of the role requires someone who enjoys public speaking, is comfortable presenting to diverse audiences, and possesses exceptional written and verbal communication skills. The successful candidate will be responsible for translating complex risk concepts into practical, engaging, and accessible training content.
- Coordinate with the other Legal Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel in managing the OCG review demands, reviewing playbook responses, and identifying trends.
- Support the Assistant General Counsel in enhancing processes and procedures relating to the management of Outside Counsel Guidelines and vendor contracts.
- Assist in the negotiation and drafting of agreements on behalf of the Firm and provide internal business clients with legal advice on commercial agreements.
- Research legal and regulatory developments and prepare memoranda and guidance materials.
- Update, development, implementation, and communication of Firm policies and procedures.
- Provide practical, solutions-oriented advice on Firm operations, strategic initiatives, and risk management matters.
- Contribute to high-priority initiatives relating to privacy, incident management, policy governance, compliance, and workflow improvement.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders, client counterparties, and business partners.
- Participate in the ongoing development, efficiency, and continuous improvement of the Firm's risk function.
Position Requirements
Education and Experience
This position requires a law degree and that the candidate be a member of the Law Society of Ontario in good standing. Specific expertise and relevant experience in the following areas would also be considered an asset for this role: Insurance, Litigation, Privacy, Professional Ethics, Risk Management and/or Procurement.
Knowledge and Skills
- A law degree and membership in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario.
- 3-4 years of combined experience in a leading business law firm and/or an in-house legal department.
- Experience negotiating, drafting, and advising on commercial agreements, engagement terms, policies, and related legal documentation.
- Demonstrated experience developing and delivering training, presentations, or educational programs, with the confidence and presence to facilitate discussions and engage stakeholders at all levels.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex legal and risk concepts into practical, business-focused guidance.
- A highly responsive, client-service-oriented approach, with strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience reviewing, interpreting, and negotiating contractual risk provisions and balancing legal, business, and operational considerations.
- Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize competing deadlines and manage multiple workstreams simultaneously.
- Collaborative and able to develop and maintain strong working relationships with partners, business professionals, clients, and other internal stakeholders.
- Experience developing legal, compliance, risk, or professional responsibility training programs within a law firm, company or professional services environment.
- The ability to balance risk management objectives with practical business judgment and commercially focused solutions.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, managing large volumes of information efficiently and effectively.
- Responsible, conscientious, proactive, motivated, and solutions-oriented, with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
- A confident communicator who enjoys public speaking and engaging with diverse audiences.
- Experience reviewing and negotiating Outside Counsel Guidelines (OCGs), client engagement terms, or similar contractual documentation.
We are currently working in a hybrid work arrangement, which includes a requirement to work primarily in the office and flexibility to work remotely up to 2 days per week.
Compensation
The range of expected compensation for this position is $155,000 - $165,000 annually. Compensation offered will be based on a variety of factors including job-related knowledge, education, skills and experience.
Accessibility and Accommodation
We thank all applicants for their interest in Osler; however, only chosen applicants will be contacted. Osler is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, and we welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities and people with diverse backgrounds, identities, and cultures. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates in all phases of the selection process.
Background and Reference Checks
Please note that any offer of employment will be conditional upon background and reference checks, including a criminal record check, credit check, and employment and educational verifications.
If you have the required background with the ability to provide exceptional customer service and wish to work in one of Canada's leading law firms, please reply in confidence with a cover letter and résumé by the closing date.
Please note that we use artificial intelligence to screen, assess or select applicants for the position.
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