General Counsel / Avocat(e) général(e)

Canada Soccer•Toronto, ON

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Canada Soccer is seeking a General Counsel to be responsible for providing strategic legal guidance to the Executive Team overseeing all legal affairs of the organization, and managing key legal responsibilities, including the drafting, review, and support of negotiation of contracts. The role ensures Canada Soccer operates within applicable laws and regulations, manages legal risk, and supports sound governance and ethical decision making across the organization and its member associations.

Requirements

Law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) and membership in good standing with a Canadian law society.
4 - 7 years of progressive legal experience, ideally including in-house counsel experience within a multi-stakeholder organization (e.g., national sport body, public sector, not-for-profit, or corporate environment).
Demonstrated experience advising on corporate/commercial law, governance, and regulatory compliance.
Experience with employment and labour relations matters, policy development, and dispute resolution.
Experience working with boards of directors and senior executives, including in a public, not-for-profit, or regulated environment.
Strong knowledge of Canadian corporate, not-for-profit, employment, privacy, and administrative law.
Excellent judgment, with the ability to balance legal risk with organizational objectives and stakeholder expectations.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal concepts in clear, practical terms to non-lawyers.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, event-driven environment.
Collaborative team player comfortable working in a cross-functional environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience with labour relations matters, including the interpretation, administration, and negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, particularly in a professional sports or similarly complex environment, is considered a strong asset.
Experience in the sport sector or with national/provincial sport organizations is considered a strong asset.
Bilingual (English/French) preferred; additional languages considered an asset.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary legal advisor to the organization, including the Executive Team and Board of Directors, on a broad range of legal, commercial, regulatory, and governance matters.
Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice that supports the organization’s strategic plan, commercial activities and sport development objectives.
Monitor legal developments affecting sport and not-for-profit entities and recommend policy or operational changes.
Identify, assess, and mitigate legal risks across the organization.
Provide legal and governance support to the Board of Directors, Board Committees, and Corporate Secretary, including advising on governance procedures, fiduciary obligations, bylaws, policies, committee mandates, and delegations of authority.
Support the preparation and review of governance documentation, and assist the Governance Committee in maintaining key governance instruments, including bylaws, resolutions, codes of conduct, and disciplinary frameworks.
Lead the drafting and review and advise on the negotiation and ongoing compliance of commercial agreements, including sponsorship, marketing, broadcast, event hosting, licensing, technology, and vendor agreements.
Develop and maintain standard contract templates and contractual risk-management practices.
Support major events and competitions by advising on venue agreements, insurance and indemnity clauses, participant waivers, and third-party service contracts.
Advise on employment, human rights, and labour relations matters, including agreements, investigations, terminations, and compliance with applicable legislation.
Provide guidance on relationships with member associations, athletes, coaches, officials, and other stakeholders.
Advise on and support the administration of the players’ collective bargaining agreement, including interpretation, compliance, disputes and amendments.
Oversee protection and management of the organization’s intellectual property, including trademarks, logos, and digital assets, and advise on licensing and brand use by partners and member organizations.
Review key public-facing materials (e.g., major communications, campaigns, and position statements) for legal and reputational risk.
Provide legal advice on complex or escalated disciplinary, complaint, and appeal matters related to safe sport, ethics, anti-doping, and competition integrity, in collaboration with the Director, Compliance & Regulatory Affairs.
Support the Director, Compliance & Regulatory Affairs in managing high-risk compliance and integrity issues, and ensuring alignment with applicable legislation, sport policies and regulatory expectations.