Legal Counsel

University of Ottawa; Gatineau; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading Canadian university is seeking a Legal Counsel to represent it in legal matters, focusing on corporate and commercial law. The role involves negotiating contracts, advising on research collaborations, and conducting legal research. Candidates should have an LL.B or J.D., at least 10 years of legal practice, and strong bilingual communication skills. The position demands excellent judgment, planning skills, and the ability to manage legal issues independently. Commitment to diversity and inclusion is essential.

Qualifications

• 10 years of practice in law, including 8 years in corporate and commercial law.
• Knowledge across various areas of law affecting the University.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate, draft, and review contracts and legal documents.
• Advise on research collaboration agreements and procurement matters.
• Conduct legal research and provide opinions.

Skills

Strong oral and written communication skills in both English and French

Ability to handle complex legal issues

Strong planning skills

Excellent judgment and reasoning skills

Skilled at interpersonal relations

Education

LL.B or J.D. and member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario

Minimum 10 years of practicing law

Job description

Position Purpose

Reporting to, and under the direction of, the General Counsel, and working in close consultation with University senior administrators, the Legal Counsel represents the University in legal proceedings and provides legal services to the University in the conduct of its activities.

Primary accountabilities

The primary areas of practice include the following: corporate and commercial law and business transactions, with a focus on the University in its research activities, including but not limited to, institutional and industry research collaborations, intellectual property, commercialization of research, research funding and in other corporate / commercial matters that are not related to the University’s research activities.

General accountabilities

• Negotiate, drafts, reviews, provides legal advice on contracts and other legal documents associated with corporate commercial matters and business transactions.
• Advises on complex research collaboration agreements, research procurement matters, intellectual property issues, commercialization of research, creation and management of entities, such as property trusts, corporate subsidiaries.
• Drafts, reviews and provides legal advice on University policies and procedures.
• Conducts legal research and provides legal advice and opinion.
• Remains current on legislation and legislative changes affecting the University and on developments at common law and provides legal advice on appropriate operational, compliance and/or policy responses.
• Manages outside counsel retained by the University or by the University’s insurer, as required.
• Establishes and prioritizes goals and objectives in connection with the primary areas of practice of this position and general responsibilities.
• Assists with the development of training on legal aspects for University staff.
• Handles other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• LL.B or J.D. and member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario
• Minimum 10 years of practicing law, including at least 8 years’ prior experience in the primary areas of practice identified above
• Knowledge and experience across a variety of areas of the law affecting the University, for example, intellectual property law, contract law, and administrative law.
• Strong oral and written communication skills in both English and French
• Ability to handle complex legal issues with no significant professional guidance or supervision
• Superior analyst, negotiator and presenter of legal points
• Excellent judgment, clear and critical thinking, superior writing and reasoning skills, persuasiveness, the ability to command respect, and unquestioned integrity and discretion.
• Strong planning skills and a positive, approachable can‑do attitude with problem‑solving skills
• Ability to quickly learn a variety of areas of the law and provide reliable legal advice and opinion
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• Skilled at interpersonal relations, particularly the ability to forge consensus out of divergent views of many different University constituents without losing their trust and confidence and the temperament to work with a wide variety of personalities
• Ability to manage time effectively, which in turn supports the ability to handle many matters simultaneously
• Confidence without arrogance and the ability to react calmly in a crisis
• Professional and thoughtful demeanor, including objectivity and detachment when needed

Key Competencies at uOttawa

Here are the required competencies for all employees at uOttawa:

• Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
• Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self‑starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
• Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
• Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

The University of Ottawa embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We are passionate about our people and committed to employment equity. We foster a culture of respect, teamwork and inclusion, where collaboration, innovation, and creativity fuel our quest for research and teaching excellence. While all qualified persons are invited to apply, we welcome applications from qualified Indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women and LGBTQIA2S+ persons. The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible, barrier‑free work environment. The University is also committed to working with applicants with disabilities requesting accommodation during the recruitment, assessment and selection processes. Applicants with disabilities may contact [e-mail] to communicate the accommodation need. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Note: if this is a union position: The hiring process will be governed by the current collective agreement related to the union affiliation noted above; you can click here to find out more.

If this is a front‑line position with responsibilities to interact with students, selected candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language. The rating is determined by a proficiency test designed by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid‑19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid‑19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.