Senior Counsel, Employment Law

TD•Toronto, ON

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Legal Department of TD Bank Group is comprised of lawyers and support staff with expertise tailored to deliver integrated legal solutions to our global business units and corporate functions. We are committed to delivering the highest level of expertise, service, responsiveness and flexibility to our clients by: Understanding our clients' business, legal and regulatory requirements, Anticipating emerging issues and providing flexible responses based on experience, and Providing advice that protects the Bank’s reputation and mitigates legal risk. The Senior Counsel, Employment Law will be a member of the Labor & Employment Legal Team reporting to the Managing Counsel, Canadian HR Legal. The Labor & Employment team consists of lawyers and legal professionals in both Canada and the U.S. focused on providing advice and counsel to the global Human Resources function and leading litigation on all global labor and employment matters. Under the direction of the Managing Counsel, the Senior Counsel, Employment Law will assume primary responsibility to provide legal support on all Canadian labor and employment matters, providing advice and counsel and managing litigation on a wide variety of complex legal matters involving employees, employment practices and applicable Bank policies. This lawyer will act primarily as counsel to Canadian Human Resources, Employee Relations and to other lines of business as needed to ensure that the Bank's employment practices and policies are in compliance with applicable laws, codes, regulations, and guidelines.

Requirements

Law degree from an accredited law school and qualified to practice law in Ontario.
Possess 7+ years of post-call employment experience (in-house or law firm experience).
Subject matter expertise in Canadian employment law (labour law, human rights law and pension law knowledge is an asset).
Senior-level advanced ability to identify problems and barriers and effectively implement solutions to further business strategy.
Senior-level advanced ability to operate with creativity and innovation and a desire to seek different perspectives and new ideas.
Demonstrated excellence in judgment, leadership, and relationship management skills.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as solid collaboration and teambuilding skills.
Flexibility to quickly adapt to changing and ambiguous initiatives or requirements.
Ability to multi-task is critical and to operate on a day-to-day basis with limited supervision is expected.
Strong technology aptitude including (i) proficiency with standard office software and ability to learn and apply new technologies in work environment and (ii) capacity to understand current and emerging technologies in the industry and how they affect business objectives.

Nice To Haves

labour law knowledge is an asset
human rights law knowledge is an asset
pension law knowledge is an asset

Responsibilities

Provide advice and counsel to TD’s Human Resources and Employee Relations groups and various lines of business on a wide range of questions and matters relating to employment, hiring, recruitment, employee compensation, pension and benefits, health and safety, and labour relations matters.
Provide strategic direction and manage and direct outside counsel representing the company in all employment related litigation.
Provide advice and counsel on matters and questions relating to employee mobility, restrictive covenants, and protection of confidential/proprietary business information.
Support workplace investigations, accommodations, performance management, and disciplinary actions to ensure consistent and compliant practices.
Draft, review, and revise a variety of instruments involving the company's interests relating to Human Resources, employment practices, employment relations, benefits, compensation and matters related thereto.
Keep up to date with employment and compensation related legislation and provide updates to Human Resources and Employee Relations.
Provide project leadership in complex employment, benefits, compensation or human resources-related legal transactions as required.
Review and provide advice on compensation and incentive plans.
Make presentations to company officers and employees on employment-related legal and legislative matters.
Correspond with provincial and federal agencies, as needed, on a variety of employment and human resources related legal issues.
Advise Human Resources as well as business lines on obligations relating to human rights legislation, both for customers and employees, including federal and provincial human rights codes, pay equity legislation, employment equity legislation and accessibility legislation.
Work with relevant businesses or segments to lead or support incident response and internal investigations relating to employees, mainly where there is a significant economic/litigation, reputational, and/or regulatory risk to the bank. Investigations will be handled internally but may also involve the retention and management of external counsel.