Senior Legal Counsel - Employment, Benefits and Compensation

About the role

• Application Deadline: 11/30/2026
• Address: 320 S Canal Street
• Job Family Group: Legal

At BMO, our workplace plays an important role in fostering collaboration, innovation, mentorship, and career growth. We bring teams together to solve complex challenges, share ideas, and build meaningful connections. This is a hybrid role based in Chicago, requiring a minimum of three days per week in the office at 320 S. Canal Street, with an anticipated increase to 4-5 days per week in the future.

As Senior Legal Counsel, Employment, Benefits & Compensation, you will provide strategic legal and regulatory advice on a broad range of U.S. employment law, employee benefits (including ERISA), and compensation matters across BMO Financial Group. Partnering closely with business and HR leaders, you will help shape decisions, manage legal risk, and support key organizational initiatives while navigating an evolving regulatory landscape.

Provides legal advice based on knowledge of legal principles, practices and procedures, and knowledge of the financial services industry and its environment. Influences and negotiates to achieve business objectives. Works to achieve organizational goals while minimizing legal risk.

Additional responsibilities include

• Provides advice and counsel on a range of employment, benefits, compensation, governance, or related legal matters. Candidates are not expected to have deep expertise in all areas; strength in one or more of these disciplines is preferred.
• Makes recommendations to senior leaders on strategy and new initiatives, based on an in-depth understanding of the business/group.
• May participate in the design of legal advice strategies & approaches for the unit activity and making recommendations to minimize legal issues.
• Acts as the prime subject matter expert for internal/external stakeholders.
• Exercises judgement on complex, confidential and sensitive matters
• Identifies and resolves moderately complex issues.
• Determines root causes and negotiates resolutions.
• Delivers legal advice, instructs external counsel and ensures compliance with internal policies & procedures for a single or small number of function(s).
• Acts as a subject matter expert on relevant laws, regulations and policies.
• Resolves daily issues and/or escalates with appropriate analysis and/or recommendations.
• Identifies risks and implements appropriate actions to mitigate them.
• Implements continuous improvements to ensure alignment with marketplace practices and industry standards.
• Builds effective relationships with internal/ external stakeholders.
• Geographic scope: up to global.
• Operates at a group/enterprise-wide level and serves as a specialist resource to senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Applies expertise and thinks creatively to address unique or ambiguous situations and to find solutions to problems that can be complex and non-routine.
• Implements changes in response to shifting trends.
• Broader work or accountabilities may be assigned as needed.

Qualifications

• Typically 7 years of legal practice or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Degree in law (LLB or JD) and license to practice law in relevant jurisdiction.
• Private practice, in-house experience or experience at regulatory body relating to the regulation of business/group activities may be required.
• Knowledge in legal field, typically with a functional or business line specialization.
• Knowledge of business and regulatory environment in which BMO Financial Group operates.
• Advanced knowledge of subject matter legal requirements and the operations of a single client group.
• Negotiation skills - in depth.
• Seasoned professional with a combination of education, experience and industry knowledge.
• Verbal & written communication skills - In-depth / Expert.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills - In-depth / Expert.
• Influence skills - In-depth / Expert.
• Collaboration & team skills; with a focus on cross-group collaboration - In-depth / Expert.
• Able to manage ambiguity.
• Data driven decision making - In-depth / Expert

Salary

$120,000.00 - $250,000.00

Pay Type: Salaried

The above represents BMO Financial Group's pay range and type.

Salaries will vary based on factors such as location, skills, experience, education, and qualifications for the role, and may include a commission structure. Salaries for part-time roles will be pro-rated based on number of hours regularly worked. For commission roles, the salary listed above represents BMO Financial Group's expected target for the first year in this position.

BMO Financial Group's total compensation package will vary based on the pay type of the position and may include performance-based incentives, discretionary bonuses, as well as other perks and rewards. BMO also offers health insurance, tuition reimbursement, accident and life insurance, and retirement savings plans.