Counsel, Litigation

Permanent Full Time

The Canada Life Assurance Company has an exciting opportunity for Litigation Counsel to join our Trial & Fraud litigation team. This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced junior litigator to practice with one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers.

Reporting to the Assistant Vice-President & Trial Counsel, you will be a key member of 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. Your primary focus will be on life, health and disability-related litigation, including fraud-related matters, along with a variety of other interesting and complex advice/litigation matters. Your work will be wide-ranging and will provide the opportunity to develop further expertise in dynamic practice areas, like fraud recovery and defence matters, within the litigation function. This is an exciting opportunity to work with a highly accomplished team of legal professionals.

Your responsibilities will include:

- Contributing as a member of the Canadian Legal group by bringing your experience, creative legal skills, and collaborative work ethic to deliver practical solutions to our business
- Collaborating closely with other members of the Trial and Fraud team
- Providing legal opinions, advice, recommendations and representation to various business units, Line of Business and Corporate Counsel on any legal matter which affects or involves the Company, including those matters involving fraud
- Drafting pleadings, briefs, settlement documentation and other legal documents, conducting discoveries, mediations, and settlement conferences
- Conducting legal research, document review and legal analysis, as required
- Supporting a wide variety of business units in connection with legislative and regulatory matters, including advising on legal and regulatory developments with respect to litigation risk and fraud risk
- Assisting the Assistant Vice-President & Trial Counsel, and other senior members of the Trial and Fraud team, on select legal matters, and broader Legal group initiatives

**Qualifications and Competencies**:

- Law Degree, Member of the Law Society of Ontario (or willingness to obtain membership) and in another provincial bar (an asset)
- 3 or more years of relevant experience in civil litigation with a law firm or in-house
- Experience with fraud litigation and/or other complex litigation matters
- Knowledge of insurance products and/or financial service industry an asset
- 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
- 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 and the governing regulatory environment
- Self-motivated with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team
- Superior negotiating skills
- Highly focused with attention to detail, ability to self-manage, prioritize, organize work, and meet deadlines
- Proven analytical and problem-solving skills with experience simplifying and resolving complex problems
- Superior organizational and time management skills with experience addressing multiple projects
- Experience practising with virtual litigation tools and techniques and proficient in role-related technology

Please note that this position may require travel.

Great-West Lifeco Inc is a Canadian headquarter, international financial services holding company with interests in life insurance, health insurance, retirement and investment services, asset management, and reinsurance businesses. We operate in Canada, the United States, and Europe under the brands: Canada Life, Empower and Irish Life.

At the end of 2023, our companies had over 33,500 employees, 232,000 advisor relationships, and thousands of distribution partners - serving approximately 42 million customer relationships.

Great-West Lifeco trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the ticker symbol GWO and is a member of the Power Corporation group of companies.

Being a part of our organization means you have a voice. This is a place where your unique background, perspectives and talents are valued, and shape our future success.

You can be your best here. You are part of a diverse and inclusive workplace where your career and well-being are championed. You’ll have the opportunity to excel in your way, finding new and better ways to deliver exceptional customer and advisor experiences.

We are committed to providing an inclusive, accessible environment, where all employees and customers feel valued, respected and supported. We are dedicated to buildin