Legal Associate

COREL • Ottawa, ON

56d • Hybrid

About The Position

You will be a critical part of a lean legal team supporting a global software company through a period of significant change. Reporting to the VP of Legal, you will handle the commercial, licensing, and compliance work that keeps Corel's products in market and its customers protected. This is a hands-on role where you will draft and negotiate agreements in the morning, advise product teams on a new feature release after lunch, and triage an urgent compliance question before end of day. If you want broad exposure to the full spectrum of in-house software legal work — not a narrow lane in a large department — this is where you will learn and grow fast.

Requirements

• A J.D. (or Canadian LL.B./J.D. equivalent) and active bar membership in good standing in a Canadian province or US state.
• 3–6 years of legal experience with meaningful exposure to software licensing, SaaS agreements, or technology commercial transactions — either in-house or at a firm with a technology practice.
• Working knowledge of intellectual property fundamentals as they apply to software — copyright, licensing models (perpetual, subscription, OEM), and open-source compliance.
• Familiarity with privacy law frameworks, particularly GDPR, UK, PIPEDA and US state privacy regulations — you don't need to be a specialist, but you can spot issues and know when to escalate.
• Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills — you can redline a license agreement, explain your position clearly to a business counterpart, and close without unnecessary delay.
• The ability to manage a high volume of concurrent matters across different areas of law without losing track of details or deadlines.
• A keen business sense, including an understanding of working with business counterparts to weigh legal risks and practical business implications.
• Sound judgment on when to dig in and when to escalate — you are comfortable making practical, risk-calibrated recommendations rather than defaulting to "no."

Nice To Haves

• Experience with export control or trade compliance regulations applicable to software distribution.
• Familiarity with enterprise software sales motions — channel, reseller, and government procurement processes in North America.
• German language proficiency — to support coordination with Corel's legal and commercial teams in Germany and assist with German-speaking government customers as needed.
• An understanding of the risks around AI and the AI regulatory landscape.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements — software licenses, SaaS subscriptions, reseller agreements, OEM deals, and enterprise procurement terms — across Corel's product portfolio including CorelDRAW, MindManager, and WinZip.
• Advise product and engineering teams on legal requirements related to new releases, feature changes, and customer experience updates — covering EULA/BULA terms, open-source licensing, and third-party IP considerations.
• Support the company's intellectual property portfolio — coordinating with outside counsel on patent prosecution and maintenance, managing trademark filings and renewals, and monitoring for potential infringement of Corel's IP in the market.
• Research and respond to patent and trademark inquiries, cease-and-desist matters, and DMCA takedown requests — working with the VP of Legal to assess risk and determine the appropriate response.
• Support employment and employee-related legal matters globally — reviewing offer letters, separation agreements, non-compete and IP assignment clauses, accommodation requests, and workplace policy updates in coordination with the People team.
• Advise on contractor and consulting agreements, ensuring proper classification, IP ownership provisions, and compliance with jurisdictional employment standards across Canadian provinces and US states.
• Research and advise on export control and trade compliance matters as they apply to Corel's software distribution across global markets — flagging regulatory changes and working with the VP of Legal to update policies.
• Handle a steady flow of urgent, ad hoc legal requests — customer escalations, vendor disputes, and internal stakeholder questions — that require quick judgment, clear communication, and the ability to prioritize under pressure.
• Manage and improve contract templates, playbooks, and legal process documentation to reduce cycle times and create more self-service capacity for commercial teams.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree