Corporate Legal Counsel, Property & Casualty Insurance (Commercial Insurance)

Come join our Corporate Legal Affairs team as a Senior Legal Counsel for Desjardins’ Property and Casualty Insurance group (Commercial Insurance), you will play a pivotal role in safeguarding the organization’s legal and regulatory integrity. You will ensure compliance across jurisdictions while proactively protecting Desjardins’ rights and advancing its strategic business objectives. In this dynamic role, you will provide expert legal guidance across commercial insurance and surety programs, including policy development, regulatory compliance, and distribution practices spanning broker and direct channels. You will also support personal lines (auto and property) and work across key regions, including Ontario, Atlantic Canada, and Western Canada. Quebec civil law expertise is considered a strong asset. Your scope will include policy wording review and drafting, complex commercial contracting, privacy considerations, regulatory engagement, and legal support for enterprise-wide strategic initiatives. Experience in commercial and/or surety litigation will be valuable, as you may oversee significant claims and litigation matters. At Desjardins, Legal Affairs operates as a trusted strategic partner. In this capacity, you will lead high-impact, innovative projects that require deep subject matter expertise and forward-thinking legal insight. You will influence the planning and execution of complex, cross-functional initiatives, ensuring alignment with both regulatory frameworks and business goals. Success in this role demands strong analytical acumen, sound judgment, and exceptional interpersonal skills. You will collaborate closely with diverse stakeholders across the organization, making your ability to navigate complexity and build trusted relationships essential to driving meaningful outcomes. More specifically, you will be required to:

• Support commercial underwriting, claims, and other business stakeholders on licensing, best practices, and legal issues. Serve as a resource person for your department, clients and partners.

• Review, draft, and maintain commercial insurance and surety programs and policy wording 

• Review, draft, and negotiate broker and Managing General Agent contracts and partner agreements 

• Maintain legal templates and clause libraries

• Manage and advise on complex commercial and surety claims litigation and coverage matters 

• Research and interpret laws, rules, and regulatory frameworks, providing legal opinions and recommendations 

• Advise and support business units and decision-making bodies on the handling and execution of strategic projects and initiatives

• Liaise with industry regulators to support business initiatives and licensing matters. Monitor the industry to understand and anticipate trends in your line of work and help prepare recommendations to develop best practices for the organization.

What we offer*

• Competitive salary and annual bonus

• 4 weeks of flexible vacation starting in the first year

• Defined benefit pension plan that provides predictable, stable income throughout retirement

• Group insurance including telemedicine

• Reimbursement of health and wellness expenses and telework equipment

* Benefits apply based on eligibility criteria.

#LI-Hybrid #ONCJ10*

What you bring to the table

• Bachelor’s degree in law

• A minimum of six years of relevant experience 

• Please note that other combinations of qualifications and relevant experience may be considered

• Knowledge of French is required for positions in Quebec

• Commercial insurance and surety industry and legal experience

Trade Union (If applicable)

At Desjardins, we believe in equity, diversity and inclusion. We're committed to welcoming, respecting and valuing people for who they are as individuals, learning from their differences, embracing their uniqueness, and providing a positive workplace for all. At Desjardins, we have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind. We believe our teams should reflect the diversity of the members, clients and communities we serve.

If there's something we can do to help make the recruitment process or the job you're applying for more accessible, let us know. We can provide accommodations at any stage in the recruitment process. Just ask!

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