Canadian Public Procurement Lawyer

Our client, a leading global technology services company, is seeking an experienced Canadian Commercial Lawyer with significant public-sector procurement and contracting experience to support its legal team on a remote basis. This full-time engagement is expected to last approximately 3–6 months, with the possibility of conversion to a permanent role.

This professional will primarily support sophisticated technology transactions involving Canadian public-sector customers, including the federal government, Crown corporations, and provincial agencies. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of government procurement and contracting requirements, experience negotiating complex IT transactions, and the ability to navigate the differences between public-sector and traditional commercial contracting. This is a senior, hands‑on role requiring a lawyer who can independently own transactions from initial scoping through negotiation and execution while providing practical legal guidance to business stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead complex technology transactions involving Canadian public‑sector customers, including federal government entities, Crown corporations, and provincial agencies.
• Advise business stakeholders on public‑sector procurement and contracting requirements and the key considerations that distinguish government transactions from traditional commercial agreements.
• Manage transactions from beginning to end from a legal perspective, including initial scoping, development of contracting strategy, negotiation of deal points, and finalization of agreements.
• Partner with business teams to understand the scope and objectives of proposed transactions and develop practical approaches to contracting.
• Lead and participate in negotiations with public‑sector customers involving complex IT and technology services agreements.
• Advise on the alignment of obligations between customer contracts and corresponding vendor arrangements, including back‑to‑back contractual terms.
• Interpret existing agreements and advise account teams regarding contractual rights and obligations, including scope of services and payment requirements.
• Collaborate with corporate security and cybersecurity teams on matters involving government regulations, contractual requirements, and protected data.
• Work cross‑functionally with business account partners, real estate teams, senior executives, and other internal stakeholders.
• Independently manage assigned transactions and matters, exercising sound judgment and providing practical, business‑oriented recommendations with minimal supervision.

Qualifications

• Qualified Canadian lawyer with significant experience in Canadian public‑sector procurement and contracting involving the federal government, Crown corporations, and provincial agencies.
• Strong understanding of government procurement processes, contracting requirements, and the considerations that distinguish public‑sector transactions from commercial transactions.
• Significant experience negotiating complex commercial transactions, ideally involving IT, technology, outsourcing, managed services, or similar arrangements.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead sophisticated transactions from initial scoping through negotiation and execution.
• Experience structuring and negotiating contractual terms to appropriately align obligations between customers and vendors.
• Strong experience interpreting existing contracts and advising business stakeholders regarding contractual rights, obligations, and risk.
• Ability to operate independently, take ownership of matters, and provide strategic and practical legal recommendations with minimal direction.
• Strong commercial judgment and ability to collaborate effectively with business teams, senior executives, corporate security, cybersecurity, and other cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Prior experience working directly in government procurement is highly preferred.
• Knowledge of Canada's Contract Security Program and Controlled Goods Program is highly preferred.
• Existing Canadian government security clearance, including Secret or Top Secret clearance, is preferred.
• French-language skills are a plus.
• Epiq Counsel partners with industry‑leading clients in support of their sophisticated interim talent needs. Must be interested in practicing in an alternative, fixed‑term legal services model.
• Remote role based in Ontario.
• Full‑time secondment.
• Opportunity to support sophisticated technology transactions involving a significant Canadian public‑sector business.
• Potential opportunity for conversion to a permanent position.

About Epiq Counsel

Epiq Counsel is an innovative legal services talent provider that offers meaningful in‑house legal work and flexibility to sophisticated and credentialed lawyers and legal professionals. Our lawyers and legal professionals work on a wide variety of matters for Fortune 500 clients. Epiq works hard to provide our diverse legal talent with challenging work for sophisticated clients that does not require sacrificing flexibility or control.

Epiq Counsel takes the time and attention to understand each professional's practice areas, experience, and preferences to ensure they are presented with compelling engagement opportunities with leading law departments across the globe.

It is Epiq’s policy to comply with all applicable equal employment opportunity laws by making all employment decisions without unlawful regard or consideration of any individual’s race, religion, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expressions, transgender status, marital status, age, national origin, genetic information, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, veteran or family status or any other basis protected by applicable national, federal, state, provincial or local law. Epiq’s policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on any of these impermissible bases, as well as any bases or grounds protected by applicable law in each jurisdiction. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. Epiq is pleased to provide such assistance and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request. Pursuant to relevant law, where applicable, Epiq will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.