Summary

The Head of Legal for Canada will report functionally to the General Counsel Americas (located in New York) and hierarchically to the Senior Country Officer (SCO) for CACIB Canada. As a member of the senior management team for CACIB Canada, the Head of Legal will participate in all senior management meetings for the entity, with responsibility to manage the legal function in Canada (in coordination with the Americas and Global Legal Departments) and drive all manner of legal, regulatory, and reputational risk management initiatives. The successful candidate will have at least 15 years of experience in a combination of well-regarded Canadian law firms and regulated financial institutions, with a focus on managing legal and regulatory risks including in the context of (a) commercial contracts and transactions, (b) litigation, enforcement, and disputes, and (c) Canadian bank regulation. The role includes the sole responsibility to manage external counsel relationships in Canada, in consultation with the General Counsel Americas.

Main Responsibilities

·       As the first person to hold this role, the Head of Legal for Canada will be responsible for creating and developing the legal function in CACIB Canada in line with the expectations of the SCO and the General Counsel Americas.

·       Coverage areas will include, broadly speaking:

o    Transactional:

o    Support local business lines in structuring transactions in light of local legal/regulatory constraints and CACIB policy requirements

o    Review commercial finance transactions (e.g. trade finance, receivables/supply chain finance) booked in CACIB Canada

o    Provide support, as necessary, to the Head of Commercial Finance Legal (based on NY) on cross border transactions with a Canadian nexus (e.g. Canadian transactions booked in NY)
o    Effectively manage external counsel in connection with the foregoing
o    Transversal:
o    Support commercial and control functions in documenting vendor relationships, including office landlords, IT and other service providers
o    Advise the bank as appropriate in connection with matters of data privacy and cyber risk
o    Act as corporate secretary for CACIB’s Canadian subsidiaries
o    Represent the Legal Function in all relevant local management and governance committees
o    Participate to Global Legal Department reporting and initiatives, including cross-border surveys
o    Perform the portion of the regulatory watch conducted by Legal, and advise Compliance in connection with policies and procedures driven by local laws, rules, and regulations
o    Provide support to the Americas Head of Regional Coordination (in Legal NY) in connection with relevant subject matter
o    Provide timely management reporting, KPIs, and permanent control reports as required
o    Effectively manage external counsel in connection with the foregoing

o    Litigation and regulatory:
o    Provide support to the Americas Head of Litigat

 Enforcement, and Investigations (located in NY) in connection with investigations, enforcement actions, and legal proceedings that impact CACIB and the Group in Canada
o    Act as local point of contact for cross-border policy questions (e.g. doing business in/into Canada)
o    As requested by the SCO and CCO for CACIB Canada, interact with local regulators on legal and regulatory matters
o    Maintain sufficient regulatory expertise to act as a resource for management and the compliance department on bank regulatory matters affecting CACIB Canada
o    Represent the Legal Function in connection with special projects as necessary
·       Engage and manage external counsel to act on behalf of CACIB Canada or any of CACIB’s Canadian subsidiaries, including in connection with transactional coverage, transversal matters, litigation/enforcement/investigations, human resources disputes/litigation (in close consultation with the head of human resources), and regulatory matters
·       Participating in industry-wide initiatives and conferences that touch on the bank’s business and legal and regulatory environment.
·       Drive a culture of professional excellence and agility, and provide effective leadership on matters of legal, regulatory, and reputational risk affecting the bank.
·       Liaising with business line heads to ensure best practices consistency and continuity of standard

Required:

·   Qualified to practice law in Quebec, with other relevant Canadian federal and provincial qualifications 

Desirable:

• Qualified to practice law in the State of New York

·   15 years’ relevant experience

·   Broad general legal experience in a variety of commercial contexts  

·   Management experience

·   Excellent product knowledge and expertise

·   Proven leadership skills

·   Excellent drafting skills and knowledge of current market standards/practices

·   Strong oral and written communication skills

·   Excellent analytical skills

·   Team player who leads by example

·   Ability to function with limited supervision

·   Creative and adaptable mindset