Legal Counsel, Risk

Join to apply for the Legal Counsel, Risk & Disputes role at Wealthsimple . Your career is an investment that grows over time. Wealthsimple is on a mission to help everyone achieve financial freedom by reimagining what it means to manage your money. Using smart technology, we take financial services that are often confusing, opaque and expensive and make them transparent and low‑cost for everyone. We’re the largest fintech company in Canada, with over 4 million users who trust us with more than $80 billion in assets. Our teams ship often and make an impact with groundbreaking ideas. We’re looking for talented people who keep it simple and value collaboration and humility as we continue to create inclusive and high‑performing teams where people can be inspired to do their best work. About The Role We are looking for a Legal Counsel, Risk & Disputes to help improve our strong capital markets risk management program. At Wealthsimple, we believe that effective risk management is a massive driver of business value and growth, and we are looking for a sophisticated lawyer who shares that mindset. This multifaceted role will touch almost every corner of our business, including disputes and investigations, payment and brokerage compliance/complaint matters, production orders and third‑party demands, and proactive risk management in close collaboration with our product, marketing, brokerage operations, compliance, fraud and client success teams. We are looking for someone who is an excellent business partner and strategic thinker, who is pragmatic and creative, and who seeks to leverage technology to enhance both the quality and efficiency of our risk function. This position requires a highly professional individual with strong communication skills, situational awareness, and the ability to operate effectively in dynamic and sensitive environments. As Legal Counsel, Risks & Disputes you will: Evaluate business decisions and provide advice to senior business leaders on potential legal risk issues, taking into account both legal and business perspectives. Respond to disputes and third‑party investigations, with the exception of employment disputes. Handle complex business and legal issues in a fast‑paced, agile and evolving technology‑driven business environment. Provide substantive legal advice on disputes arising from all aspects of a payments and brokerage business, including with respect to bills of exchange and payment rules, debt recovery, fraud, lending issues, negligence, third‑party demands, and the company’s obligations under federal and provincial legislation. Proactively identify and resolve emerging business risks that Wealthsimple may face across its product offering. Contribute actively to innovative ideas for quality and scalability within our rapidly growing business. Implement AI and other innovative technology to increase the quality and effectiveness of our risk management program. Assist or lead ad hoc projects and internal investigations as directed. Manage formal legal proceedings, including the cost and performance of external counsel. Provide support with respect to court summonses, court orders, regulatory inquiries, and court documentation or filings. Partner with all relevant units to ensure effective management and compliance. What You Bring LL.B. or J.D. and member of a Canadian provincial bar association, preferably called in Quebec. 3–5 years of litigation experience, preferably with a mix of private practice and in‑house experience. Demonstrated knowledge in areas relating to banking law and the financial services industry (as noted above), and the Quebec legal system. Ability to build effective relationships with internal partners, regulators, and external counsel. Strong communication and problem‑solving skills, and the ability to balance multiple competing priorities. Bilingualism (English and French) required. Why Wealthsimple? Competitive salary with top‑tier health benefits and life insurance. Retirement savings matching plan using Wealthsimple for Business. 20 vacation days per year and unlimited sick and mental health days. Up to $1,500 per year towards wellness and professional development budgets respectively. 90‑day away program: Employees can work internationally in eligible countries for up to 90 days per calendar year. A wide variety of peer and company‑led Employee Resource Groups (e.g., Rainbow, Women of Wealthsimple, Black @ WS). Company‑wide wellness days off scheduled throughout the year. We’re a remote‑first team, with over 1,000 employees coast to coast in North America. Technology & Innovation at Wealthsimple We believe the future belongs to those who innovate boldly. At Wealthsimple, every team member is expected to lean into new technologies, including AI, and tooling to rethink how we work, solve problems faster, and create even greater value. We're looking for people who are not just comfortable with change but energized by it. Our commitment is to build a company that evolves at the pace of the world around us, and we want you to help lead that future. DEI Statement At Wealthsimple, we are building products for a diverse world and we need a diverse team to do that successfully. We strongly encourage applications from everyone regardless of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status. Accessibility Statement Wealthsimple provides an accessible candidate experience. If you need any accommodations or adjustments throughout the interview process and beyond, please let us know, and we will work with you to provide the necessary support and make reasonable accommodations to facilitate your participation. We are continuously working to improve our accessibility practices and welcome any feedback or suggestions on how we can better accommodate candidates with accessibility needs. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us. #J-18808-Ljbffr