Office of the General Counsel

The Office of the General Counsel (the “OGC”) is the unit that is responsible for the provision of all legal services to Concordia University and for managing the Office of Student Tribunals. The legal team is composed of a General Counsel, an Associate General Counsel, three Legal Counsels and a Legal Officer.

The OGC reports to the Vice-President, Institutional Relations and Secretary General.

Mission of the OGC
First and foremost, the mission of the OGC is to protect the interests of the University by providing practical, efficient and strategic legal advice. In fulfillment of this mission, among other things, the OGC:

• Assists with risk assessment and risk management;
• Remains abreast of legislative developments affecting the University and disseminates information to the University community regarding these developments;
• Provides a full-range of legal services to the University and to administrative units through the University’s senior administration, the Deans and administrative heads of units;
• Identifies and recommends procedures and practices to protect the University from liability;
• Assists with the development of University policies;
• Acts as the ‘gatekeeper’ of the University’s trademarks, official marks and logos, and monitors the use of these trademarks, official marks and logos, taking action when necessary;
• Participates in special initiatives and sensitive projects on an as-needed basis;
• Oversees and manages the Office of Student Tribunals;
• Provides seminars and other education-oriented initiatives on legal issues affecting the University; and
• When necessary, retains, instructs and oversees external legal counsel on behalf of the University and manages the costs of legal services in an effective and cost efficient manner.

Complex legal environment
The University is a large, multifaceted environment in which the efficient delivery of quality legal services is critical. With an annual budget in excess of $450 million, over 7,000 employees, 13 bargaining units, over $30 million spent annually on Research, a Foundation, a Pension Fund, millions of dollars in annual donations, intricate donor agreements, approximately 60 properties of a varied nature owned by the University, ongoing maintenance and construction projects, the frequent adoption of new legislation to which the University is subject and the many other operations of the University, its legal obligations are similar and, in some cases, more complex than those faced by very large corporations.

Disclaimer
Please note that reviewing the contents of this webpage is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice. As such, University administrators seeking legal advice should contact the OGC directly.

This webpage is maintained by the OGC in order to provide readers with general information about the OGC and its role at the University, important Memoranda relating to or issued by the OGC as well as recent developments at the University that pertain to the OGC and the role that it plays at the University.