Senior Commercial Lawyer

Putting people first, every day

BDO is a firm built on a foundation of positive relationships with our people and our clients. Each day, our professionals provide exceptional service, helping clients with advice and insight they can trust. In turn, we offer an award-winning environment that fosters a people-first culture with a high priority on your personal and professional growth.

Your Opportunity

Our National office located in Toronto is looking for a Senior Lawyer to join our Office of the General Counsel to lead the Corporate & Commercial practice area. The successful candidate will undertake a broad range of duties such as:

• Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, you will join a team of lawyers who partner with BDO’s service lines (assurance, BSO, tax and advisory) across Canada on the review, negotiation and drafting of a wide range of commercial contracts, including Engagement Letters, Non-Disclosure Agreements, MSAs, SOWs, and RFPs.
• Lead a team of high performing lawyers and legal professionals within the corporate /commercial practice area.
• Develop creative solutions and provide effective legal advice on day-to-day matters with a pragmatic and business centric focus.
• Advise the business on key contractual terms with a view to collaboratively assessing legal and business risk within the context of Firm policy and market practice.
• Draft and negotiate asset purchase and share purchase agreements and manage M&A transactions, as required.
• Manage external advisors in relation to any corporate/commercial engagements.
• Adopting digital tools and strategies, driving innovation and contributing to process improvements.

How do we define success for your role?

• You demonstrate BDO's core values through all aspect of your work: Integrity, Respect and Collaboration.
• You understand the industries within which BDO operates, its challenges, and opportunities and others within BDO describe you as positive, professional, and someone who delivers high quality work.
• You identify, recommend, and are focused on effective service delivery.
• You contribute to an inclusive and engaging work environment that develops, retains and attracts talent.
• You actively participate in the adoption of digital tools and strategies to drive an innovative workplace.
• You grow your expertise through learning and professional development.

Your experience and education

• You are a member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario and have superior academic credentials.
• You will have at least 8-15 years of experience gained from a leading law firm or corporate law department and expertise in corporate commercial, M&A, and governance. Bilingualism (French and English) will be considered an asset.
• Proven experience in leading and managing a team of lawyers, fostering collaboration and driving successful outcomes through effective leadership and mentorship.
• You have strong drafting and negotiation skills.
• You can analyze information, identify key issues, and manage processes from inception to completion.
• You have persuasive communication skills and the ability to interact with individuals at all levels, both in the legal and business communities, in a clear manner.
• You have excellent time management, prioritization and organizational skills to effectively manage a high volume of files and projects with competing deadlines.
• You have demonstrated commitment to professional ethics and integrity.
• You have strong interpersonal skills, a collaborative nature, and the ability to work in a cross-team environment.
• You have high values in teamwork, client service and professionalism.

Why BDO?

Our people-first approach to talent has earned us a spot among Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2024. This recognition is a milestone we’re thrilled to add to our collection of awards for both experienced and student talent experiences.

Our firm is committed to providing an environment where you can be successful in the following ways:

• We enable you to engage with how we change and evolve, being a key contributor to the success and growth of BDO in Canada.

• We help you become a better professional within our services, industries, and markets with extensive opportunities for learning and development.

• We support your achievement of personal goals outside of the office and making an impact on your community.

Giving back adds up: Where company meets community. BDO is actively involved in our communities by supporting local charity initiatives. We support staff with local and national events where you will be given the opportunity to contribute to your community.

Total rewards that matter: We pay for performance with competitive total cash compensation that recognizes and rewards your contribution. We provide flexible benefits from day one, and a market leading personal time off policy. We are committed to supporting your overall wellness beyond working hours and provide reimbursement for wellness initiatives that fit your lifestyle.

Everyone counts: We believe every employee should have the opportunity to participate and succeed. Through leadership by our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leader, we are committed to a workplace culture of respect, inclusion, and diversity. We recognize and celebrate the valuable differences among each of us, including race, religious beliefs, physical or mental disabilities, age, place of origin, marital status, family status, gender or gender identity and sexual orientation. If you require accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us.

Flexibility: All BDO personnel are expected to spend some of their time working in the office, at the client site, and virtually unless accommodations or alternative work arrangements are in place.

Our model is a blended approach designed to support the flexible needs of our people, the firm and our clients. It’s about creating work experiences that meet everyone’s needs and providing flexibility to adjust when, where and how we work to meet the expectations of our role.

Code of Conduct: Our Code of Conduct sets clear standards for how we conduct business. It reflects our shared values and commitments and includes guiding principles to help us make ethical decisions and maintain trust with each other, our clients, and the public.

Ready to make your mark at BDO? Click “Apply now” to send your up-to-date resume to one of our Talent Acquisition Specialists.

To explore other opportunities at BDO, check out our careers page.