Legal Counsel

Finance Professionals Inc.; Toronto; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial institution in Downtown Toronto is seeking a Legal Counsel to provide legal guidance on contractual negotiations and compliance for one of Canada's Top 5 Banks. The ideal candidate should have at least 10 years of experience as a licensed attorney in New York, with deep knowledge of various agreements, including vendor and SaaS agreements, as well as strong analytical and communication skills. This role involves supporting diverse business lines and regulatory compliance efforts.

Qualifications

• 10 years experience as a licensed attorney in good standing admitted or otherwise authorized to practice law in the state of New York.
• Deep understanding of vendor agreements, licensing agreements, process services agreements, SaaS agreements, engagement letters, non-disclosure agreements, and market data agreements.
• Working knowledge of software licensing, intellectual property, data privacy, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity considerations in third party agreements within the financial services industry.

Responsibilities

• Supports the review and negotiation of non-disclosure agreements.
• Assists with risk reviews and diligence of third-party suppliers.
• Supports drafting and structuring of intragroup agreements.
• Provides legal guidance on critical matters to the Bank’s operations.
• Implements improvements in legal templates and clauses.
• Monitors regulatory environment for emerging legislation.
• Manages relationships with outside counsel and legal costs.

Skills

Licensing agreements

Data privacy

Cybersecurity considerations

Vendor agreements

SaaS agreements

Excellent analytical skills

Strong communication skills

Education

Licensed Attorney for the state of New York

Job description

Our client a leading financial institution inDowntown Torontois looking for aLegal Counsel to advise on bespoke issues as part of contractual negotiations, including IP protections, cybersecurity, data privacy, artificial intelligence and regulatory compliance in the context of financial services. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with one of the Top 5 Banks in Canada.

Typical Day in role:

• Supports various business lines and corporate functions with the review and negotiation of non-disclosure agreements.
• Assists with the risk review and diligence of third-party suppliers, including providing advice on regulatory developments and analysis of contractual provisions in commercial contracts.
• Supports the U.S. businesses with the drafting and structuring of intragroup agreements between the Bank and its affiliates.
• Works closely with cross-functional teams (e.g., Global Procurement Services, Third Party Risk Management, and Compliance) and senior management, providing legal guidance on matters critical to the Bank’s operations and strategic initiatives.
• Performs legal research as necessary and assists with the continuous improvements of the Bank’s legal template and sample clause libraries, including negotiation guidelines, commercial playbooks and templates to be leveraged by internal teams.
• Maintains an awareness of and monitors the regulatory environment for emerging legislation and policy statements, along with relevant trends and industry best practices applicable to the Bank’s operations.
• Contributes to efficient and effective relationships with outside counsel and manages legal costs and invoices.
• Understands how the Bank’s risk appetite and risk culture should be considered in day-to-day activities and decisions.
• Demonstrates a proactive approach to developing competency in unfamiliar practice areas.
• Pursues effective adherence to bank’s Values and its Code of Conduct, while ensuring the adequacy, adherence to, and effectiveness of business controls to meet obligations with respect to operational, compliance, sanctions and anti-money laundering (AML), and conduct risk.

Must-Have Skills:

• 10 years experience as a licensed attorney in good standing admitted or otherwise authorized to practice law in the state of New York.
• Deep understanding of vendor agreements, licensing agreements, process services agreements, SaaS agreements, engagement letters, non-disclosure agreements, market data agreements and other similar documents.
• Working knowledge of software licensing, intellectual property, data privacy, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity considerations in third party agreements within the financial services industry.

Nice-To-Have Skills:

Soft Skills Required:

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.

Education:

• Licensed Attorney for the state of New York

Finance professional is committed to creating an inclusive environment where all team members and clients feel like they belong. We seek applicants with a wide range of abilities and we provide an accessible candidate experience. We advocate for you and welcome anyone regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, physical or mental disability, or age.