In-House Legal Counsel

Role: In-House Legal Counsel
Location: Toronto
Job Type: Hybrid – WFH + In Office

Who We Are

Smith + Andersen is a trusted, Canadian, multi-disciplinary engineering firm with ten offices in five provinces and approximately 700 employees. Our Toronto office has approximately 250 employees with a national shared services team (Accounting, Business and Proposals, Human Resources, IT, Legal, Marketing and Communications, and Operations) supporting all ten regional offices.

At Smith + Andersen our employees contribute to some of the most sustainable building design projects in Canada. The work we do has meaningful impact on the community by contributing to landmark projects such as hospitals, transit stations, parks, federal and provincial government buildings and post secondary institutions.

Our values drive and define everything we do, demonstrating a deep commitment to sustainability, mentorship and quality work that spans nearly six decades in business. In addition, we are proud to have been certified as a Great Place to Work and selected as one of Canada’s Best Workplaces for the highly collaborative culture we’ve built and for empowering employees to do great work!

This Opportunity

The Toronto office of Smith + Andersen is currently seeking a motivated and proactive Legal Counsel to join its shared services team. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Legal Counsel will be responsible for providing legal support to the Smith + Andersen offices across Canada, including negotiating project agreements, advising on matters under provincial construction lien legislation, managing claims, and providing day-to-day legal support. The successful candidate will have five to seven years broad experience in commercial and construction law obtained in private practice or in-house, with experience in drafting and negotiating contracts for various construction delivery models, dispute resolution, and compliance.

What You’ll Do

• Review and negotiate legal agreements and other documents in association with the provision of engineering and other professional services to protect the firm’s legal and business interests and mitigate risk.
• Provide legal support to project teams and leadership, including compliance with relevant laws and regulations and risk management across the Canadian provinces in which Smith + Andersen operates. Generate policies and procedures, and conduct training.
• Draft, edit and manage existing contract templates.
• Manage project-related claims at different stages of the dispute resolution process, including insurance claims and litigation, guiding project teams and instructing external counsel.
• Work collaboratively with leadership, shared services, project teams, and external stakeholders.
• Improve existing processes, documentation, and practices in the best interest of the firm. Provide guidance and training with respect to statutory or regulatory changes and other legal developments.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with partners and clients.

Who You Are

• Five to seven years of broad experience in commercial and construction law obtained in private practice or in-house. Expertise in contract drafting and negotiation, resolution of construction disputes, and compliance and risk management.
• Member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound legal judgement, problem-solving skills in a variety of business and commercial situations.
• Ability to organize and manage multiple and at times competing priorities.
• Proven ability to work independently and with minimal supervision and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams.
• Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills and proven ability to build solid working relationships with clients and management at all levels.
• Ability to guide business teams through complex legal matters and train non-legal personnel on legal functions.
• Experience in engineering or architecture industry considered an asset.
• US construction/contract law experience considered an asset.

Accommodation

Appropriate accommodations will be provided to candidates upon request throughout the recruitment and hiring process. If you require accommodation during any phase of the hiring process please advise the Human Resources Specialist with whom you are in contact.

Diversity

Smith + Andersen is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates of any age, culture, subculture, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, nationality, race, ethnicity, family status, religion, mental or physical status or veteran status.

Smith + Andersen is an equal opportunity employer.