Legal Counsel Jobs in Guelph, ON
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Guelph, ON
About the role
In-House Legal Counsel
North America | Executive Leadership Team| Hybrid - Guelph
Our client is seeking an accomplished and commercially minded General Counsel to join its executive leadership team. Reporting directly to the Chief Strategy Officer, this individual will serve as a key strategic advisor to the business, providing sophisticated legal counsel across Canadian and U.S. operations while helping guide critical business decisions in a dynamic and growth-oriented environment.
This role represents a unique opportunity for a senior legal executive who combines strong corporate and commercial expertise with sound business judgment, operational agility, and a pragmatic approach to risk management. The successful candidate will play an instrumental role in supporting the organization’s continued growth, protecting its interests, and enabling strategic initiatives across multiple jurisdictions.
The Opportunity
As General Counsel, you will partner closely with senior leadership to navigate complex legal, regulatory, and commercial matters impacting the organization. You will lead the company’s legal function while serving as a trusted advisor on corporate governance, strategic transactions, compliance, litigation, employment matters, and enterprise risk management.
The role requires an individual who is equally comfortable operating at the strategic level and engaging directly in day-to-day legal matters. This is a highly visible leadership position with broad influence across the organization.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strategic legal advice and counsel to executives and senior leadership across a broad range of corporate, commercial, regulatory, and operational matters
- Draft, review, negotiate, and manage complex commercial agreements, including master services agreements, licensing agreements, confidentiality agreements, vendor contracts, equipment rental agreements, and strategic partnership arrangements
- Identify legal and business risks and develop proactive mitigation strategies aligned with organizational objectives
- Lead and oversee litigation matters, dispute resolution, contract enforcement, and external counsel relationships
- Support mergers, acquisitions, financing arrangements, joint ventures, and other strategic corporate transactions, including legal due diligence and transaction structuring
- Ensure compliance with applicable Canadian and U.S. laws, regulations, governance standards, and industry requirements
- Advise on employment, labor, environmental, health & safety, data privacy, and intellectual property matters
- Support and strengthen corporate governance frameworks, policies, ethical standards, and compliance initiatives
- Contribute meaningfully to strategic business discussions and decision-making processes across the enterprise
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a highly credible legal professional with a strong blend of technical expertise, executive presence, and commercial acumen. You are recognized for your ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal solutions while effectively balancing risk and opportunity.
You bring:
- A Juris Doctor (J.D.) or LL.B. from an accredited law school
- Membership in good standing with a Canadian law society
- Strong working knowledge of the U.S. legal and regulatory landscape
- Minimum 8 years of progressive legal experience, including significant corporate/commercial exposure and preferably in-house counsel experience
- Demonstrated success advising executive leadership within complex, fast-paced organizations
- Exceptional negotiation, analytical, communication, and relationship management skills
- Experience working across jurisdictions and with diverse stakeholder groups
- A high degree of professionalism, integrity, sound judgment, and discretion
Why This Role
This opportunity offers the ability to operate as a true strategic partner within an evolving organization where legal leadership is highly valued. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to influence business strategy, support transformative initiatives, and build trusted relationships across the executive team and broader organization.
For a legal leader seeking a broad and impactful mandate with executive-level visibility, this role offers both challenge and opportunity in equal measure.
Travel: Approximately 20% as required.
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About Gateway Services Inc.
Gateway Services is North America’s leading accredited pet aftercare provider offering 24/7 professional grief support, memorial keepsakes, pet burial, and fully trackable pet cremation. With 150+ locations, 2,000 team members and servicing over 17,000 veterinary clinics across North America, Gateway has built a solid reputation for providing compassionate and respectful aftercare for pets and the people who love them.
Built on the foundation of Gateway Pet Memorial Services, Canada’s first accredited pet aftercare provider, Gateway Services Inc. continues to carry the legacy of ethical pet cremation across North America.
As a team of talented people with a shared vision for upholding the highest pet aftercare standards in the industry, we believe that the same principles that guided the path of Gateway Pet Memorial – respect, honesty, trust, and integrity – hold true for today.
From our leading-edge technology and extensive line of products to our streamlined processes and modern facilities, we have established the benchmark for the highest level of pet aftercare across our group of companies.
With a solid reputation for helping veterinary partners give their clients the best pet aftercare services possible, we are always mindful of our special responsibility to provide a dignified and respectful memorial choice for every pet.
OUR VISION As the cornerstone for pet aftercare, we will continue to build our family of companies and create meaningful partnerships in order to offer the best pet aftercare services across North America.
OUR VALUES
- People First
- Exceed Expectations
- (HIT) Honesty, Integrity, Trust
- Be Passionate and Caring
- Continuously Improve
Gateway has proudly achieved the esteemed Great Place To Work Certification™ in both Canada and the USA, a testament to our exceptional workplace culture and employee satisfaction. Join our team and experience the rewarding environment that has earned us this prestigious recognition.