CIBC

Senior Counsel, Commercial Contracts

CIBC$125K — $150K *
Legal & Accounting
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Called to the Bar in Ontario for 7+ years, in good standing.
  • Experience in corporate commercial contract drafting and negotiation.
  • Mandatory experience in technology and data licensing, procurement, and cloud agreements.
  • Strong communication skills and ability to make complex issues clear.
  • Experience managing external legal support is an asset.
  • Values teamwork, trust, and accountability in the workplace.

Responsibilities

  • Provide legal advice on technology, outsourcing, procurement, and intellectual property.
  • Negotiate complex commercial agreements, balancing risk and business priorities.
  • Manage external legal support to ensure cost-effective advice.
  • Collaborate with internal stakeholders to deliver timely legal support.
  • Lead drafting of significant contracts in the technology and data sectors.

Benefits

  • Personalized recognition including competitive salary and incentive pay.
  • Comprehensive benefits program and defined benefit pension plan.
  • Employee share purchase plan and vacation offerings.
  • Wellbeing support and community engagement through MomentMakers.
  • Opportunities for personal growth with initiatives like Purpose Day.
Full Job Description

What you'll be doing

As part of CIBC’s Legal team, you’ll provide strategic legal support to our Global Technology, Data & Artificial Intelligence and Procurement teams, as well as other areas of the bank as needed. As Senior Counsel, Commercial Contracts, you’ll advise on a broad range of matters related to technology, outsourcing, procurement, data, artificial intelligence, intellectual property, and commercial contracting. You’ll help business partners navigate complex legal and regulatory considerations while protecting the bank’s interests and enabling business objectives. You’ll also lead the negotiation and drafting of significant commercial agreements and provide practical, risk-based advice to support informed decision-making. In this role, you’ll collaborate closely with internal stakeholders and outside counsel to deliver clear, timely, and business-focused legal support.

At CIBC we enable the work environment most optimal for you to thrive in your role. Details on your work arrangement (proportion of on-site and remote work) will be discussed at the time of your interview

How you'll succeed

  • Provide legal advice - Deliver legal guidance and support on matters related to technology, outsourcing, procurement, commercial contracting, data, artificial intelligence, and intellectual property. Offer strategic, practical advice to address complex issues, manage risk, and protect the bank’s interests.

  • Negotiate complex transactions - Lead the drafting and negotiation of significant and complex technology, outsourcing, and other commercial agreements with a focus on balancing legal risk and business priorities.

  • Manage external legal support - Partner with and oversee outside counsel when needed, ensuring advice is aligned, cost-effective, and responsive to business needs.

Who you are

  • You’re a certified professional. You have been called to the Bar in Ontario for at least 7+ years and are in good standing.

  • You give meaning to data. You enjoy investigating complex problems and making sense of information. You communicate detailed information clearly and in a meaningful way.

  • You act like an owner. You thrive when you're empowered to take initiative, go above and beyond, and deliver results.

  • You look beyond the moment. You know what you do will make a difference today and tomorrow. You look for new opportunities to define what's possible.

  • You can demonstrate experience in corporate commercial contract drafting and negotiation gained through a leading law firm or major corporation. It’s an asset if you have experience working within a financial institution.

  • Experience in material business process and information technology outsourcing arrangements, technology and data licensing, procurement, and cloud agreements is mandatory. Excellent negotiating and drafting skills and experience are required. Strong communication skills will be needed to succeed in this role. The ability to supervise and direct external counsel is an asset.

  • Values matter to you. You bring your real self to work, and you live our values - trust, teamwork, and accountability.

#LI-TA

What CIBC Offers

At CIBC, your goals are a priority. We start with your strengths and ambitions as an employee and strive to create opportunities to tap into your potential. We aspire to give you a career, rather than just a paycheck.

  • We work to recognize you in meaningful, personalized ways including a competitive salary, incentive pay, banking benefits, a benefits program*, defined benefit pension plan*, an employee share purchase plan, a vacation offering, wellbeing support, and MomentMakers, our social, points-based recognition program.

  • Our spaces and technological toolkit will make it simple to bring together great minds to create innovative solutions that make a difference for our clients.

  • We cultivate a culture where you can express your ambition through initiatives like Purpose Day; a paid day off dedicated for you to use to invest in your growth and development.

*Subject to plan and program terms and conditions

Job Location

Toronto-81 Bay, 20th Floor

Employment Type

Regular

Weekly Hours

37.5

Skills

Business Contracts, Business Transactions, Commercial Agreements, Communication, Contract Negotiations, Critical Thinking, Decision Making, Legal Consulting, Legal Issues, Legal Practices, Litigation, Outside Counsel Management, People Management, Strategic Advice

About CIBC

The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is a Canadian multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The bank is headquartered at Commerce Court in the city's Financial District. CIBC's Institution Number is 010, and its SWIFT code is CIBCCATT. It is one of two Big Five banks founded in Toronto, the other being the Toronto-Dominion Bank. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was formed through the June 1, 1961, merger of the Canadian Bank of Commerce and the Imperial Bank of Canada, the largest merger between chartered banks in Canadian history. The bank has four strategic business units: Canadian Personal and Business Banking, Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, and Capital Markets. It has international operations in the United States, the Caribbean, Asia, and United Kingdom; Globally. CIBC serves more than eleven million clients, and has over 40,000 employees. The company ranks at number 172 on the Forbes Global 2000 listing.
Learn more about CIBC
Market Cap
$43.5 billion
Industry
Founded
1867
5 Year Trend
+8.8%

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