Counsel, Global Corporate Legal Affairs

Reporting to the VP & Chief Counsel, Public Company, the role of Counsel, Global Corporate Legal Affairs will provide legal support for a broad range of matters related to Manulife’s public company, governance, and corporate law requirements.

Position Responsibilities:

You will have a broad range of responsibilities, including:

• Providing legal support for annual shareholder meeting process and drafting of relevant meeting materials (e.g., proxy circular drafting and coordination; legal planning and oversight; materials production and coordination).
• Advising on, and facilitating the maintenance of, a best-in-class governance framework (e.g., monitoring governance developments, benchmarking best practices and interacting with industry on governance matters).
• Monitoring emerging legal and regulatory developments in corporate law and governance matters, proactively assessing their impact, and recommending changes as appropriate.
• Legal research and memorandum drafting.
• Legal support for matters involving Manulife's Board of Directors, including materials preparation and review, as well as meeting process review and facilitation.
• Engaging with other groups around the Manulife organization (e.g., Finance, Risk, Executive Compensation, Sustainability) on governance and Board-related matters.
• Drafting, reviewing and/or overseeing corporate, public company and Board-related matters (e.g., relevant regulatory filings globally, director compensation and director stock plan facilitation, relevant service provider agreements, and delegations of authority).

Required Qualifications:

• You have an LLB or J.D. and are a member in good standing with Law Society of Ontario, or another province or territory of Canada, with a minimum of 3-5 years post-call experience in corporate law, corporate governance and/or securities matters, ideally gained in a large or mid-sized law firm and/or large public company.
• Experience with corporate secretarial function of a public company or involvement with facilitating Board meetings and annual meetings of shareholders will be considered an asset.
• You have excellent verbal and written communication skills; strong drafting skills.
• You have strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with an ability to identify legal problems and develop clear solutions.
• You have a proven ability to work under pressure and to operate with tact and discretion.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Understanding of the Canadian financial institution and the Canadian and U.S. public company regulatory environments and familiarity with Canadian securities laws and regulations, and applicable rules of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange, will be considered an asset.
• You have strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate and build relationships.
• You are very well organized, with strong attention to detail.
• You work strategically and exercise good judgement.

#LI-Hybrid

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact recruitment@manulife.com.

Salary range is expected to be between

If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact recruitment@manulife.com for the salary range for your location. The actual salary will vary depending on local market conditions, geography and relevant job-related factors such as knowledge, skills, qualifications, experience, and education/training. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance.

Manulife offers eligible employees a wide array of customizable benefits, including health, dental, mental health, vision, short- and long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance coverage, adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits, and employee/family assistance plans. We also offer eligible employees various retirement savings plans (including pension and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources. Our generous paid time off program in Canada includes holidays, vacation, personal, and sick days, and we offer the full range of statutory leaves of absence. If you are applying for this role in the U.S., please contact recruitment@manulife.com for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.