Legal Counsel

At CN, everyday brings new and exciting challenges. You can expect an interesting environment where you’re part of making sure our business is running optimally and safely―helping keep the economy on track. We provide the kind of paid training and opportunities that long-term careers are built on and we recognize hard workers who strive to make a difference. You will be able to thrive in our close-knit, safety-focused culture working together as ONE TEAM. The careers we offer are meaningful because the work we do matters. Join us!

Job Summary

The Counsel, Litigation is responsible for handling Canadian litigation matters at CN pertaining to property damage, personal injury, commercial, employment, and some regulatory. The position provides oversight and direction to outside counsel regarding litigated claims as well as leads a group of Claims Agents who handle third party claims and is responsible for developing and executing strategies for that group.

Main Responsibilities

Canadian Litigation

• Oversee all litigation within the portfolio

• Hire and liaise with outside counsel to defend CN

• Collaborate with, provide legal and strategic advice and direction to outside counsel

• Work closely with internal clients to develop strong defence strategies and advance case theories

• React quickly and appropriately to major incidents that may result in substantial claims, including aiding in investigation and ensuring correct preservation of evidence

• Participate in mediation and facilitation sessions

• Provide thorough analysis regarding potential liability and exposure and set appropriate accruals

Working Conditions

The role has standard working conditions in an office environment on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday (days and number of days are subject to change). The incumbent must be available to work overtime hours and weekends when necessary. Due to the nature of the role, the incumbent must be able to meet tight deadlines, handle pressure, and stress. The role requires minimal travel (5%) across Canada to visit incident sites and meet with outside counsel. The role requires being available on-call 24/7 to respond to critical incidences.

Requirements

Experience

• Minimum 8 years of relevant litigation experience as in-house or external counsel

o Demonstrated experience as a skilled negotiator

o Experience working in the transportation, trucking, or railroad industry*

o Both common law and civil law experience*

• Any experience for these above would be considered as an asset

Education/Certification/Designation

• Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB) or Juris Doctor (JD)

• Member of good standing of a provincial Law Society, preferably Quebec and/or Ontario

Competencies

• Identifies potential safety and security risks

• Collaborates with others and shares information

• Delegates and empowers others to create accountability

• Sets direction and inspires others

• Communicates with impact

• Demonstrates agility and drives change

• Knows the business and stays current on industry needs

• Demonstrates active listening

• Solves problems to create value

Technical Skills/Knowledge

• General knowledge of Microsoft Office

• Knowledge of civil procedure rules and relevant court proceedings

• Awareness of evolving applicable laws

• Familiarity with legal research tools (e.g., Bloomberg, Lexis, Westlaw)

• Knowledge of railway operations*

• Fluently bilingual both written and verbal (English, French)*

• Any knowledge for any of the above would be considered as an asset

About CN

CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. As the only railroad connecting Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the Southern tip of the U.S. through a 19,500 mile rail network, CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship. At CN, we work as ONE TEAM, focused on safety, sustainability and our customers, providing operational and supply chain excellence to deliver results.

CN is an employment equity employer and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only candidates under consideration will be contacted. Please monitor your email on a regular basis, as communication is primarily made through email.