Legal Counsel - Toronto, ON - 3 Days/week

Pernod Ricard

Corby’s  portfolio of owned-brands includes some of the most renowned brands in Canada, including Wiser's Canadian Whisky, Lamb's Rum and Polar Ice Vodka. Through its affiliation with Pernod Ricard S.A., Corby also represents leading international brands such as ABSOLUT Vodka, Chivas Regal, Glenlivet, Ballantine’s Scotch Whiskies, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Beefeater Gin, Malibu Rum, Kahlua Liqueur, Mumm Champagne, Jacob's Creek, Wyndham Estate and Stoneleigh wines.  An overview of the entire Corby portfolio shows over 5,000,000 cases sold annually, with Corby being a significant importer of wines and having an approximate 21 percent market share of spirit sales in Canada.

 

Why work at Corby? Because we are a great place to work! And we’re not the only ones who think so. Corby was named one of Canada’s Best Workplaces in 2012, 2013 and 2014 by The Great Place to Work® Institute Canada, based on employee survey results and an audit of workplace excellence and people management practices.

 

Position Summary

Responsibility for assisting General Counsel in identifying/managing/mitigating the company’s legal risks on a global basis, as well as the Canadian legal risks of the Pernod Ricard Group and for the provision of legal services to the Group on Canadian matters.  Supports all areas of the company. Provide legal, regulatory and marketing compliance advice and support.

 

Legal

Corporate/Commercial

• Contract drafting and preparation, negotiation, and advice on commercial transactions between the company and third parties, including affiliates, suppliers, vendors, customers and service providers.

• Drafting and preparing correspondence.

• Regulatory compliance (eg. provincial liquor licenses, etc.).

• Other legal policy management.

• Assist with protection of company intellectual property (IP), including trade-marks and copyrights; maintains and preserves brand goodwill.

 

Regulatory Compliance

• Advise Marketing and Sales personnel throughout the company of applicable regulations; ensure that administrative and regulatory requirements are met within each province.

• Maintain legal policies (including, insider trading, anti-bribery and corruption, privacy, ethics and whistleblower).

• Review of advertising and marketing materials (including, Above/Below-The-Line, Licensee/Retail, Point of Sale, Packaging, etc.) submitted for approval by Marketing and Sales to ensure internal and external compliance (eg., AGCO, ASC, CRTC, CFIA, Health Canada; PR/Corby policy/guidelines).

• Review agreements relating to sponsorships, contests and promotions, including analyzing such promotions for compliance.  Prepare rules and analyze programming for contests.

• Conduct compliance training/seminars to the Sales and Marketing teams (and others, as necessary).

• Liaise with external legal counsel, as necessary.

 

Securities

• Maintain currency in corporate finance and securities laws in Canada, the United States and other jurisdictions in which the company operates; ensures compliance with all public-company requirements under federal and provincial securities laws and regulations.

• Liaise with securities, stock exchange, and other industry authorities.

• Provide guidance to Law Clerk with management of public company filings and insider trading compliance.

• Liaise with transfer agent and respond to shareholder inquiries.

• Liaise with external auditor and respond to inquiries.

 

Litigation

• Assist VP in managing litigation (prosecution and defence) involving the company.

 

Key Competencies

Legal Knowledge - Proficiency in one or several fields of law (IP, commercial, corporate, consumer protection, anti-trust…) and ability to apply his/her knowledge to the business in order to support decision making within the organization, including keeping up to date with legal developments

 

Effective Advice - Ability to act as an advisor to internal stakeholders by providing effective guidance and knowledge, adding value to the business.

 

Asset Protection and Defense - Ability to secure and protect Pernod Ricard’s key assets, identify potential liabilities and develop options to mitigate them.

 

Dispute Resolution Management - Ability to develop and implement effective dispute resolution strategies and to collaborate with various internal/external stakeholders (line managers, experts, advisors, lawyers, courts…).

 

Risk Identification and Mitigation - Ability to identify, anticipate and communicate risks (financial, criminal, regulatory, reputational, contractual, related to anti-trust, M&A) and to suggest mitigation strategies.

 

Agreement Drafting and Negotiation - Ability to structure, draft and negotiate appropriate agreements according to business/operational needs and existing regulations.

 

Corporate Governance - Ability to advise Pernod Ricard and its people on compliance with Corporate Governance Rules including internal controls, corporate record keeping and code of ethics.

 

Financial Understanding for Legal - Ability to understand  key financial  concepts and indicators and to draw relevant conclusions.

 

Project Management - Ability to plan, monitor and deliver legal projects in line with business objectives.

 

Business Acumen - Ability to view and understand the business from a holistic perspective.

 

Communication and Relationship Building - Ability to collaborate effectively and build beneficial relationships with key stakeholders, through strong communication and interpersonal skills. 

 

Analytical Thinking - Ability to identify all appropriate information, break it down, and determine cause and effect relationships to make effective recommendations.

 

Required Skills & Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of, and ability to interpret and apply, Canadian regulations.

• Familiarity and proven ability to develop working relationships with regulatory agencies.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Excellent organizational skills, enabling one to function well with multiple priorities.

• Comfort with a high degree of responsibility coupled with initiative and the capacity to work independently and proactively; a dedication to producing high quality work on deadline at all times.

• Demonstrates the highest of ethics, honesty, integrity and professional responsibility.

• Strong analytical skills, excellent interpersonal skills and ability to influence.

• Strong project management skills.

 

Education & Experience:

• JD or LL.B legal degree

• Minimum of 3 years related experience

• Governemnt relations experience preferred (but not required)

• Working experience in the Legal and Public Affairs department of an international company preferred

• Knowledge of the Canadian alcohol beverage laws preferred

 

Thank you for your interest in Pernod Ricard Americas and its subsidiaries, Corby Spirit and Wine and Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd. All resumes submitted will be reviewed by Corby's dedicated recruitment team and kept on file for six months in consideration for this and future opportunities.  Please note that only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. Please do not contact provincial offices directly as all recruitment is coordinated through the Corporate Office in Toronto.



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