Permanent Full Time
The Canada Life Assurance Company has an exciting opportunity for Litigation Counsel to join our litigation team, which operates out of our Winnipeg, London and Toronto offices. This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced junior litigator to practice with one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. You will be a key member of a hard-working legal team that provides practical and timely legal representation and advice to our Canadian Business units, on legal disputes and other legal issues.
As part of this dynamic team, you will focus on a wide range of life, health and disability related insurance work, along with a variety of other interesting issues that arise in a large insurance company. In this role you will play a key part in ensuring our customers’ trust is maintained while managing your busy litigation practice.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Carriage of a full caseload of litigation files
- Providing timely advice, opinions, and representation to our business partners on litigation and pre-litigation matters
- Attending on discoveries, mediations, settlement conferences and court appearances
- Drafting of pleadings, briefs, settlement documentation
- Instructing and managing external counsel retained in connection with litigation.
- Contributing to strategic projects that support the business we serve and the development of the litigation function, efficiencies and capabilities.
- Participating in team and business partner meetings
- Preparing and delivering presentations to our business partners on key issues in litigation
Qualifications and Competencies
- Law Degree and Membership in good standing with the law society of Ontario, the Law Society of Manitoba, British Columbia or Alberta (and willingness to obtain one or more additional provincial calls).
- 4-5 years of relevant experience in civil litigation including insurance litigation with a firm or in-house
- Knowledge of life & health insurance products and/or financial service industry an asset
- Self-motivated and effective working both independently and in a team setting
- Strong ability to self-manage, prioritize, organize work and meet deadlines.
- Strong written and oral communication skills with the ability to synthesize and present issues with clarity to key stakeholders and/or senior management in all business and functional areas.
- Proven analytical and problem-solving skills with experience simplifying and resolving complex problems.
- Strong drafting, legal and communication skills, with a practical solution-oriented approach and the ability to use clear, plain language.
- Excellent judgment, with the ability to identify key issues and provide an independent view to management in a clear and practical manner.
- Thorough understanding and up-to-date knowledge of court procedures
- Superior organizational and time management skills with experience managing competing priorities
- Superior negotiation skills
- Experience practising with virtual litigation tools and techniques
- Advanced ability to effectively use MS Office programs and other role related technology
- Ability to focus, analyze and produce work that requires a high level of accuracy and attention to detail, in a deadline driven environment
Given the size and scope of our organization, we have the flexibility for the second position to be located in the following head office locations: London or Toronto.