Senior Legal Counsel - Employment, Benefits and Compensation

BMO•Chicago, IL

6d•$120,000 - $250,000•Hybrid

About The Position

BMO Financial Group is hiring a Senior Legal Counsel focused on employment, benefits, and compensation. The role provides strategic legal and regulatory advice across U.S. employment law, employee benefits (including ERISA), and compensation matters. The counsel partners with business and HR leaders to shape decisions, manage legal risk, and support organizational initiatives amid an evolving regulatory landscape. Candidates are not expected to have deep expertise in every practice area; strength in one or more is preferred. The role provides legal advice grounded in legal principles, practices, and procedures, as well as knowledge of the financial services industry. It influences and negotiates to achieve business objectives while advancing organizational goals and minimizing legal risk. The counsel operates across the group or enterprise, serving as a specialist resource to senior leaders and stakeholders, with a geographic scope that may extend globally. Work involves complex, confidential, sensitive, ambiguous, and non-routine issues, and may include additional responsibilities as needed. This is a hybrid role based in Chicago at 320 S. Canal Street. Employees must work in the office at least three days per week, with an anticipated increase to four or five days per week in the future. The position is salaried, with a listed annual salary range of $120,000 to $250,000. BMO notes that compensation may vary based on location, skills, experience, education, and qualifications, and the total compensation package may include incentives, discretionary bonuses, and other rewards.

Requirements

Typically seven years of legal practice or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Law degree (LLB or JD) and license to practice law in the relevant jurisdiction.
Knowledge of a legal field, typically with a functional or business-line specialization.
Knowledge of the business and regulatory environment in which BMO Financial Group operates.
Advanced knowledge of subject-matter legal requirements and the operations of a single client group.
In-depth negotiation skills.
In-depth or expert verbal and written communication skills.
In-depth or expert analytical and problem-solving skills.
In-depth or expert influence skills.
In-depth or expert collaboration and team skills, with a focus on cross-group collaboration.
Ability to manage ambiguity.
In-depth or expert data-driven decision-making skills.
A seasoned professional with a combination of education, experience, and industry knowledge.

Nice To Haves

Strength in one or more of employment law, employee benefits (including ERISA), compensation, governance, or related legal disciplines is preferred.
Private practice, in-house, or regulatory-body experience relating to regulation of business or group activities may be required.

Responsibilities

Provide advice and counsel on employment, benefits, compensation, governance, and related legal matters.
Make recommendations to senior leaders on strategy and new initiatives based on an in-depth understanding of the business or group.
Participate in designing legal advice strategies and approaches, and recommend ways to minimize legal issues.
Serve as a primary subject matter expert for internal and external stakeholders and as a specialist resource to senior leaders.
Exercise judgment on complex, confidential, and sensitive matters; identify and resolve moderately complex issues.
Determine root causes and negotiate resolutions.
Deliver legal advice, instruct external counsel, and ensure compliance with internal policies and procedures for one or a small number of functions.
Advise on relevant laws, regulations, and policies; resolve daily issues or escalate them with appropriate analysis and recommendations.
Identify risks and implement appropriate mitigation actions.
Implement continuous improvements to align with marketplace practices and industry standards.
Build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Apply expertise and creative thinking to ambiguous or complex, non-routine problems, and implement changes in response to shifting trends.