Senior Legal Counsel - Litigation/Employment

Peoples Group; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Profit sharing

RRSP matching

Benefits from day one

Flexible hours

Job summary

Peoples Group, a boutique financial institution with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal, seeks a Senior Counsel, Litigation/Employment. You will provide risk-based legal advice, manage complex disputes, advise on employee relations, and support governance and compliance across the employee lifecycle.

The role involves handling litigation, class actions, settlements and external counsel, with flexible hybrid work and a competitive compensation package.

Qualifications

• LL.B. or J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing with a Canadian provincial bar association; strong knowledge of Canadian litigation, employment law, human rights, employment standards and dispute-resolution processes.
• 8+ years of experience practicing law in litigation, employment law, workplace investigations or dispute resolution, preferably with a mix of private practice and in-house experience.
• Significant direct experience managing commercial disputes, employment matters, demand letters, settlement negotiations, mediations, human rights matters and employment risk.

Responsibilities

• Litigation and dispute management: Manage commercial litigation, class actions, regulatory disputes, demand letters and pre-litigation matters, including strategy, pleadings, discovery, settlement, mediation and reporting.
• Employment advisory: Act as a trusted legal advisor to People & Culture and business leaders on employee relations, terminations, severance, accommodations, investigations, workplace issues and executive transitions.
• Employment governance and compliance: Support workforce-governance initiatives, including employment standards, human rights, work permits, overtime, incentive compensation, policies, releases and post-employment protections.
• Risk management and reporting: Identify, evaluate and communicate litigation and employment risks, recommend practical mitigation strategies, support provisioning and budget inputs, and prepare concise updates for senior stakeholders.
• Independent file management: Own complex legal files from inception to completion, managing priorities, timelines, privilege, confidentiality and stakeholder expectations with minimal supervision.
• External counsel management: Engage and manage external legal counsel, ensuring clear instructions, disciplined budgets, efficient service delivery and strong litigation and employment outcomes.

Skills

Litigation

Employment law

External counsel management

Risk assessment

Education

LL.B./J.D.

Bar admission Canada

Job description

We are hiring for this position out of our Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary offices. Successful candidates who apply outside of these areas will be expected to relocate and reside in a location that is within a commutable distance.

About The Role

The Senior Counsel, Litigation/Employment is a key member of the in-house legal team and a strategic partner to the business on litigation, disputes, employment and workforce-governance matters. The role provides pragmatic, risk-based and commercially practical legal advice, manages litigation and pre-litigation matters, and supports employment risk management across the employee lifecycle. By resolving disputes efficiently, strengthening employment practices and managing external counsel effectively, the position helps protect enterprise value, reduce legal exposure and support a risk-intelligent and compliant culture.

About The Day-to-day

• Litigation and dispute management: Manage commercial litigation, class actions, regulatory disputes, demand letters and pre-litigation matters, including strategy, pleadings, discovery, settlement, mediation and reporting.
• Employment advisory: Act as a trusted legal advisor to People & Culture and business leaders on employee relations, terminations, severance, accommodations, investigations, workplace issues and executive transitions.
• Employment governance and compliance: Support workforce-governance initiatives, including employment standards, human rights, work permits, overtime, incentive compensation, policies, releases and post-employment protections.
• Risk management and reporting: Identify, evaluate and communicate litigation and employment risks, recommend practical mitigation strategies, support provisioning and budget inputs, and prepare concise updates for senior stakeholders.
• Independent file management: Own complex legal files from inception to completion, managing priorities, timelines, privilege, confidentiality and stakeholder expectations with minimal supervision.
• External counsel management: Engage and manage external legal counsel, ensuring clear instructions, disciplined budgets, efficient service delivery and strong litigation and employment outcomes.

Qualifications

• LL.B. or J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing with a Canadian provincial bar association; strong knowledge of Canadian litigation, employment law, human rights, employment standards and dispute-resolution processes.
• Analyze complex legal and business situations and provide clear, thoughtful, risk-based advice.
• Translate business operations and objectives into commercially practical legal guidance.
• Manage a demanding workload autonomously, take initiative and independently advance files.
• Communicate complex legal concepts clearly and concisely to non-legal stakeholders.
• Build effective relationships and collaborate across Legal, People & Culture, business leaders, Compliance, Risk and external counsel.
• Apply proactive, innovative and solution-oriented problem-solving.
• Demonstrate professionalism, discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential and sensitive matters.
• Draft, review and negotiate pleadings, settlement agreements, releases, employment documents, demand responses and dispute-resolution materials.
• 8+ years of experience practicing law in litigation, employment law, workplace investigations or dispute resolution, preferably with a mix of private practice and in-house experience.
• Significant direct experience managing commercial disputes, employment matters, demand letters, settlement negotiations, mediations, human rights matters and employment risk. Experience in financial services, federally regulated employment environments, class actions or complex commercial litigation is strongly preferred.

About Us

Peoples Group is a boutique financial institution with offices located in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal that has been in the Canadian marketplace for over 35 years. Our mission is to exceed our customers' expectations by providing exceptional customer service backed by extensive product knowledge and experience.

Our culture here at Peoples Group is formed by our values: Trustworthy, Creative, Willing. We believe people don't choose a company to work for, they choose a company to join. We prioritize risk-based practices and procedures in order to remain risk intelligent and compliant. We value people, building relationships, and focusing on strengths; we execute with passion.

About The Work Environment

Peoples Group offers a flexible and hybrid work environment. In this role you will work a combination of in-office and remotely from home. Typically, you'll be working regular business hours, Monday to Friday between 8:00am and 4:30pm with flexibility around start/end times.

We Offer

• A hybrid work environment, enabling you to balance your personal and professional life seamlessly.
• Competitive salaries, profit sharing, RRSP matching and benefits from day one.
• Generous paid time off to help achieve a healthy work-life balance.
• A strengths-based approach, ensuring we work together more effectively.
• A commitment to your well-being in five key areas: Financial, Physical, Social, Career, and Community.

Compensation

Peoples Group is pleased to offer employees a competitive annual salary plus a discretionary profit share opportunity. Salary for this position will vary between $180,000 and $220,000 per year depending on the knowledge, skills, abilities and experience that the chosen candidate possesses.

NOTE: This job posting is for an existing vacancy. Peoples Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Please accept our utmost appreciation for your interest; however, only those applicants under consideration will be contacted.

We value and celebrate individuality while fostering an inclusive workplace for everyone. If there's any way we can support or accommodate you during the selection process, please don't hesitate to let us know.