Senior Counsel, Canada

Gallagher; Toronto; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading benefit services provider in Toronto seeks a Canadian Legal Lead to guide legal strategies and operations. The successful candidate will provide strategic legal guidance, manage disputes, and ensure legal compliance. This role demands a bilingual professional with a strong background in Canadian corporate law and at least 10 years of experience. Competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package are offered.

Benefits

Flexible medical & dental coverage

Life, Dependent Life and AD & D Insurance

Retirement savings including RRSP and TFSA

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Educational expense reimbursement

Discounted gym membership

Paid sick days & personal days

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of legal experience at a major Canadian law firm or in-house legal department.
• Expertise in managing pre-litigation disputes.
• Understanding of key principles of data privacy in Canada.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary legal advisor for Gallagher Benefit Services in Canada.
• Review, draft, and negotiate contracts.
• Collaborate with the US legal team for cohesive legal strategies.

Skills

Bilingual proficiency in English and French

Expertise in contract review

Negotiations

Canadian corporate law

Dispute management

Education

Law degree from a recognized Canadian law school

Job description

Introduction

At Gallagher Benefit Services, you’re a trusted partner to organizations navigating some of their most important people decisions. We help clients build better workplaces, where people feel supported, empowered, and inspired to thrive. Whether it’s shaping benefit strategies, designing wellbeing programs, or advising on workforce challenges, the work you do here creates meaningful change for businesses and the people who power them. We’re a community of bold explorers, trusted experts, and compassionate partners; working side by side to solve problems, and shape the future of work. Here, curiosity is encouraged, collaboration is second nature, and your ideas have room to grow. If you’re looking for a place where your contribution matters and where you can help build a better world of work; think of Gallagher.

Overview

The Canadian Legal Lead will play a pivotal role in guiding our legal strategies and operations across Canada. Reporting directly to our Canadian CEO, this position is integral to our leadership team, ensuring legal compliance and supporting business objectives. The ideal candidate will be a bilingual legal professional with a strong background in Canadian corporate law, contract drafting and negotiation, and dispute management.

How you'll make an impact

• Serve as the primary legal advisor for Gallagher Benefit Services in Canada, providing strategic legal guidance to the CEO and Canadian leadership team.
• Review, draft, and negotiate contracts, ensuring alignment with corporate policies and legal standards.
• Manage pre‑litigation disputes and oversee outside counsel.
• Provide sound advice on Canadian corporate law matters.
• Collaborate with the US legal team to ensure cohesive legal strategies across North America.
• Develop and implement legal policies and procedures that support business objectives and mitigate risks.
• Travel occasionally within Canada to support business operations and legal initiatives.
• Support our M&A legal team with thoughtful analysis of target companies during due diligence.

About you

Required:

• Law degree from a recognized Canadian law school.
• Expertise in contract review, negotiations, Canadian corporate law, and dispute management.
• Bilingual proficiency in English and French is a must.

Preferred:

• Must be barred in the Canadian province from which you work.
• Minimum of 10 years of legal experience at a major Canadian law firm or in‑house legal department.
• Experience in professional services, financial services or insurance businesses.
• Understanding of the key principles, regulations, and practices that govern data privacy in Canada.
• Expertise in contract review, negotiations, Canadian corporate law, and dispute management.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Autonomous problem solver with the ability to work independently and make informed decisions.
• Strong business acumen.

Compensation and benefits

On top of a competitive salary, great teams and exciting career opportunities, we also offer a wide range of benefits.

Below are the minimum core benefits you’ll get, depending on your job level these benefits may improve:

• Flexible medical & dental coverage to meet your household's needs
• Life, Dependent Life and AD & D Insurance options
• Retirement savings including RRSP including a company match, TFSA, pension and more
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Other benefits include:

• Educational expense reimbursement
• Employee assistance programs
• Discounted gym membership (GoodLife Fitness)
• Opportunity for flexible work arrangements
• Paid sick days & personal days
• Employee education recognition program
• Employee referral bonus program

We value inclusion and diversity

Inclusion and diversity (I&D) is a core part of our business, and it’s embedded into the fabric of our organization. For more than 95 years, Gallagher has led with a commitment to sustainability and to support the communities where we live and work.

Gallagher embraces our employees’ diverse identities, experiences and talents, allowing us to better serve our clients and communities. We see inclusion as a conscious commitment and diversity as a vital strength. By embracing diversity in all its forms, we live out The Gallagher Way to its fullest.

We are an equal opportunity employer which values diversity in the workplace and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Gallagher believes that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity and prohibits any form of discrimination by its managers, employees, vendors or customers based on race, color, religion, creed, gender (including pregnancy status), sexual orientation, gender identity (which includes transgender and other gender non‑conforming individuals), gender expression, hair expression, marital status, parental status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran or military status, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Equal employment opportunity will be extended in all aspects of the employer‑employee relationship, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, demotion, compensation, benefits, layoff, and termination. In addition, Gallagher will make reasonable accommodations to known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified person with a disability, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.