Intellectual Property/Litigation Law Clerk

Ranked a Best Employer in Canada for 25 years, Bennett Jones is one of Canada’s premier business law firms and home to 450 lawyers and business advisors. With deep experience in complex transactions and litigation matters, and offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver and New York, the firm is well equipped to advise businesses and investors with Canadian ventures and connect Canadian businesses and investors with opportunities around the world. Serving clients since 1922, we are proud to be the firm that businesses trust with their most complex legal matters.

We are currently recruiting for the following role in our Toronto office:

Law Clerk, Intellectual Property/Litigation

The Role

Our Toronto office is currently recruiting for an Intellectual Property (IP) Litigation Law Clerk to join our national Intellectual Property Practice Group. In this role, you will provide critical, high-level operational support to our litigation counsel and leadership on complex Canadian and cross-border disputes involving patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and industrial designs. Working seamlessly within a fast-paced environment, you will assist with the end-to-end administration of contentious pre-litigation mandates, applications, and actions. The ideal candidate operates with a high degree of independence, demonstrates impeccable due diligence and attention to detail, and possesses the professional polish required to interface directly with clients, expert witnesses, and foreign legal agents.

Essential Functions

• Maintain absolute accuracy over strict statutory limitation windows under the Federal Courts Act, Federal Courts Rules, PMNOC Regulations, and provincial Rules of Civil Procedure, proactively flagging deadlines for pleadings, motion records, and appeal filings
• Coordinate the electronic filing, service, and data-formatting of high-profile litigation records (Statements of Claim, Factums, and Books of Authorities)
• Serve as a primary operational liaison between IP litigation counsel, corporate clients, and technical/scientific expert witnesses
• Oversee electronic discovery (e-discovery) data flows including working in Relativity and other e-discovery databases, organize document productions, and rigorously track undertakings and refusals provided during examinations for discovery
• Draft routine procedural court documents, motion records, notices of appearance, and Affidavits of Documents under the direction of IP litigation partners and associates
• Manage the administrative lifecycle of high-stakes patent, trademark, copyright, and industrial design disputes
• Review, audit, and systematically process vendor, agent, and expert witness invoices related to active litigation
• Prepare Bills of Costs for court assessments to maximize client cost-recovery, and compile portfolio status summaries or deadline reports for firm management and key stakeholders
• Coordinate logistics for major intellectual property hearings.
• Secure court reporters, schedule cross-examinations, and assemble comprehensive electronic trial bundles, physical motion binders, and protective order materials
• Manage the secure handling of highly sensitive corporate data, proprietary files, and trade secrets, ensuring strict compliance with court-ordered protective orders and confidentiality agreements common in major IP disputes
• Assist and collaborate closely with the National Practice Group Leader and the firm’s legal technology teams to spearhead continuous improvement initiatives, enhancing internal litigation workflows, iManage file architecture, and digital practice management procedures
• Oversee and work closely with legal assistants and support staff in preparing shells, tracking deadlines, managing litigation files consistently, and providing logistical support

Qualifications

• Law Clerk Diploma/Certificate or equivalent. Active membership of a professional body (such as the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario (ILCO) or equivalent provincial body) is highly preferred
• A minimum of 5-7 years of dedicated litigation experience, specialized in Intellectual Property/Litigation practice or a major Canadian full-service firm (Big Law)
• Experience with legal systems and platforms like ACL
• Familiarity with corporate billing platforms like Aderant or Elite 3E to manage bills of costs and vendor invoicing
• Direct experience managing electronic filings, trial record assembly, and Books of Authorities in the Federal Court of Canada is mandatory
• Experience with the Ontario Court is considered an asset
• Proactive, highly organized, and able to manage competing priorities effectively
• Excellent interpersonal communication (verbal and written), time management, strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Proven ability to act as a polished, professional liaison between senior firm executives, technical expert witnesses, corporate innovators, and court registrars and all levels of staff
• Meticulous attention to detail with the ability to manage competing priorities, track multi-tiered limitation dates under pressure, and safely manage highly confidential, proprietary corporate data
• Strong knowledge of MS-Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat
• Strong Knowledge of legal terminology, procedures, and statutes
• Strong team player and the ability to work independently

Additional Details

• Compensation: $85,000- $95,000 per annum
• Vacancy: This position is a new vacancy