Legal Counsel
Controller Job Description
A Legal Counsel is a professional who ensures that their company adheres to the law. They give advice and monitor all applicable aspects of it, ensuring that their business follows the proper procedure in every way possible.
The Legal Counsel is responsible for helping to ensure the legal integrity of the Centre, in its operations both in Canada and abroad. This involves providing counsel to the Centre:
• On its legal relationships with a variety of parties.
• On a range of corporate legal issues as they emerge; and
• To ensure compliance with current legal principles, practices and legislation.
The Legal Counsel works with, and provides legal and strategic advice to, staff throughout the Centre, at all levels. The Legal Counsel assists the Corporate Secretary and General Counsel in advising, and providing support to, Centre management and the Board of Governors on corporate governance matters.
Typical duties of a Controller
Roles and Responsibilities:
• Give accurate and timely counsel to executives in a variety of legal topics (labor law, partnerships, international ventures, corporate finance etc.)
• Collaborate with management to devise efficient defense strategies
• Specify internal governance policies and regularly monitor compliance
• Research and evaluate different risk factors regarding business decisions and operations
• Apply effective risk management techniques and offer proactive advise on possible legal issues
• Communicate and negotiate with external parties (regulators, external counsel, public authority etc.), creating relations of trust
• Draft and solidify agreements, contracts and other legal documents to ensure the company’s full legal rights
• Deal with complex matters with multiple stakeholders and forces
• Provide clarification on legal language or specifications to everyone in the organization
• Conduct your work with integrity and responsibility
• Maintain current knowledge of alterations in legislation
Essential skills:
• Communication and presentation skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Networking and relationship building skills, persuasion and advocacy skills
• Organizational skills (planning, budgeting, time management, work prioritization)
• Research, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Proficient in the use of computers, and forensic tools and software
Qualifications:
• BSc degree in Law or J.D. degree
• MA or BSc in Business Administration will be considered an advantage.