Find Lawyers in Canada for Labour and Employment Law
Practice Area Overview
Labour and employment counsel provide assistance with the negotiation, drafting, interpretation, and application of collective agreements and the development of collective bargaining strategies and labour dispute contingency plans.
Counsel also assist with the development, drafting, implementation, and enforcement of workplace policies, the conduct of workplace investigations, and the determination of disciplinary matters and terminations.
They provide assistance with the negotiation and drafting of employment agreements, compensation, benefit and pension matters, and the interpretation and application of all labour and employment related legislation, including apprenticeship standards, employment equity, employment standards, immigration, labour relations, pension, privacy, workplace safety and health, and workers' compensation related legislation.
Labour and employment counsel are also regularly involved in corporate reorganizations and downsizing, mergers and acquisitions, and providing advice on all labour and employment matters that arise during such transactions.
Human rights matters often arise in the employment context and labour and employment counsel also regularly assist clients in dealing with human rights matters, including discrimination and harassment complaints and the duty to accommodate.
Labour and employment counsel also handle all labour and employment related disputes, including disputes relating to conduct during the union organizing and certification process, collective bargaining and strikes and lockouts, grievances and related arbitrations, wrongful dismissal claims, restrictive covenant issues, prosecutions under workplace safety and health legislation, employment equity, employment standards, human rights and privacy related complaints, and pension and workers' compensation issues. As a result, labour and employment counsel regularly appear as advocates for clients before arbitration boards, labour boards, employment equity, human rights, pension, privacy and workers' compensation related tribunals, and provincial and federal courts.
Given today’s work environment, labour and employment related issues can arise at any time and often require immediate attention. Effective labour and employment counsel ensure that they have a full understanding of their client’s operations and business requirements and are equipped to provide practical advice in a timely manner.
Select a location from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
Province
Philip Abbink, Hons BA, MA, JD, practices in the areas of professional regulation and labour law, primarily providing advocacy for health care professionals in grievance arbitrations and at professional Colleges. He also represents employees in investigations, quasi-criminal regulatory proceedings and at Coroners' Inquests. Philip is also the Co-managing Partner at Cavalluzzo. After earning a JD and a MA in International Relations from the University of Toronto, Phil articled at Cavalluzzo. D...
Alison is a skilled labour and employment lawyer. She advises employers in Alberta and Ontario in a wide range of industries across the public and private sectors, including oil & gas, banking, food and agriculture, aviation, and health care. Alison works closely with in-house counsel as well as human resources and labour relations professionals providing strategic advice on labour relations, arbitration, collective bargaining, human rights, employment policies and procedures, disability ...
Bob is a litigation partner in the Saskatoon office who provides advice to academic institutions, employers, and businesses. As an experienced litigator, Bob provides to clients seeking to navigate the intersection between employment/learning environments, accommodation, human rights, privacy, and safety. Such advice and support is informed by the specific reputational and operational needs of each client. By listening to client needs, Bob places legal and practical advice within the context ...
Paige Ainslie is an Associate Counsel at Roper Greyell, practicing in all areas of employment and labour law, with particular emphasis on human rights and labour arbitration. Based in Nelson, BC, Paige is uniquely positioned to provide on-the-ground representation to clients in the Kootenay region of the province in addition to providing legal counsel to clients located throughout BC. Paige has been called to the bar in both British Columbia and Alberta. With nine years as in-house counsel fo...
David Alli is a labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. He advises employers on a variety of labour and employment issues, with a particular focus on wrongful dismissal defence litigation, human rights and accommodation matters. David also regularly works with clients to implement policies and strategies to maintain and develop healthy, respectful workplaces. As an experienced advocate, David has successfully represented clients in appellate proceedings, wrongful ...
Bill has acted as strategic advisor to his clients on a wide range of work and business-related issues for over 25 years. As a senior lawyer, Bill provides practical and strategic advice to private and public sector employers in all matters related to wrongful dismissal, human rights complaints, employment standards claims, union organizing campaigns, collective bargaining, grievance arbitration and occupational health and safety. Employers and executives look to Bill for advice and direction...
Jeff has extensive experience advising Unions on an ongoing basis. He practises before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Canada Industrial Relations Board, the courts, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal, at arbitration hearings and inquests. He also practises in the fields of privacy and wrongful dismissal. Jeff is the Past Chair of the Labour and Employment Law Section of the Ontario Bar Assoc...
Jim Anstey is an associate lawyer in the Employment Law group at Nelligan O’Brien Payne LLP. Throughout his career, Jim has practised primarily in the areas of labour and employment law and health law. He spent most of his career prior to joining Nelligan O’Brien Payne at a large national law firm. Jim's practice involves providing advice on every aspect of the employment relationship, including hiring, employee terminations, discipline, accommodation, human rights and occupationa...
Tina Aswad is a partner in Gowling WLG’s Montréal office and a member of the firm’s Labour, Employment & Equalities Group. Her practice covers all aspects of collective and individual labour relations, including providing advisory services and drafting employment relationship-related documents such as employment agreements, policies, service agreements, restrictive clauses and compensation plans. She has extensive experience in labour and employment litigation, particul...
Biography George practices trial and appellate litigation. He has been lead counsel on cases before administrative tribunals, trial courts, and courts of appeal, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He represents parties in high-profile and reputation threatening cases, such as large-stakes labour and employment litigation, class actions, fraud (financial and otherwise), governance matters, shareholder and partnership disputes, and administrative and public law issues, including those invol...
Damon Bailey, K.C. is a respected labour lawyer, known for his good judgment and straightforward, decisive approach. He has the ability to examine details and tie them together into a strategic plan to help employers successfully navigate the complexities of labour law. With a particular talent for arbitrations, Damon gets straight to the point with clear direction and concise advice. Clients want him in their corner because he’s a strong leader in negotiations who doesn’t equivoc...
David grew up in Toronto believing it was right to stand outside the fence, if that was the principled place to be. His mother, an early feminist, and his father, a progressive with Mennonite roots, encouraged him to use law as an instrument of social change. While at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law, David established Canada’s first legal aid clinic housed within a psychiatric hospital. “Law works, but only for those who can get through the door,” he observe...
Rick is currently Counsel to Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP. Rick graduated from Queen’s University, Faculty of Law in 1972 and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1974. Rick has been repeatedly cited as a leading labour relations lawyer in Best Lawyers in Canada, cited in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, and cited in Who’s Who in Canada. Rick advises on a full range of labour relations issues for both public and private sector employers in Canada. This includes representa...
David Bannon is a labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. He represents employers in the private sector in a variety of litigation forums. David is certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a Specialist in Labour and Employment Law and is a board member of the Law Society of Ontario Certified Specialist Program. David regularly appears before the Ontario Labour Relations Board and private arbitrators, Provincial Offences Court defending against Occupational Healt...
Dolores Barbini is a management-side labour, employment and human rights lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. She advises employers in both the public and private sectors with respect to their union and non-union workforces. Dolores appreciates how important it is to know each client’s business and understand the uniqueness of each workplace. She understands that proactive advice, training and education can provide the most cost-effective results for clients. Dolores has appea...
For over 30 years, trade unions have relied on Steven Barrett to represent their interests, and the interests of their members, in all types of legal proceedings. Grievance and interest arbitration, labour relations board applications, collective bargaining – Steven does it all and makes it look easy. That’s why a member of parliament once referred to Steven as “the Wayne Gretzky of labour law”. From protecting the scope of bargaining unit work, to challenging discipli...
A strong defender of the view that a messy desk is a sign of creative genius, Colleen Bauman enjoys grappling with legal questions that don’t have an easy answer. Clients and colleagues look to Colleen when facing complex or novel constitutional, labour, or human rights issues. In her down to earth style, Colleen guides them with thoughtful advice that is both practical and tactical. Colleen’s clients include unions, professional associations, employees, other lawyers and even jud...
As a partner of the firm since 1996, Rob primarily advises private-sector employers on all aspects of labour and employment law. He frequently speaks on labour and employment law issues, and he has lectured on labour and employment law at Ryerson University and the University of Toronto. Rob was elected and continues to serve as Canada’s representative on L&E Global’s six-person, international Board of Directors. Rob has also successfully represented a number of clients to adv...
Megan practices in all areas of labour and employment law, including labour arbitrations, employment litigation, human rights litigation, occupational health and safety issues (including reprisal complaints) and proceedings before the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Regularly providing advice on employment standards, risk management, employee terminations and human rights issue, Megan assists both unionized and non-unionized employers across a wide range of industries. Megan also has experien...
John is a senior lawyer in the Saskatoon office where he acts as Counsel in complex commercial and contractual disputes, professional negligence, labour law, taxation, and First Nations litigation. John Beckman, K.C. was called to the Bar in 1977, admitted as a Partner in 1980, and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1987. He transitioned to Of Counsel in 2018. Mr. Beckman has extensive experience acting as Counsel in complex commercial and contractual disputes, Professional Negligence, Labour...
A partner at Woods LLP, Eric serves a wide range of industries, including financial services and natural resources. He also handles employment-related matters for employers as well as senior management. Eric is a frequent author and speaker on topics such as evidence, civil procedure and international arbitration. An accomplished trial and appellate lawyer, Eric has developed a particular expertise in domestic and international arbitration. His experience includes acting for Canada in the NAF...
Claudia Desjardins Bélisle represents employers in all types of labour and employment matters, but has developed a special expertise in complex litigation surrounding violation of restrictive covenants and violation of proprietary and confidential information obligations, supporting employers during unionization campaigns and the application of the Charter of the French Language. She regularly represents employers before courts and grievance arbitrators. She advises them on union certi...
Nathalie-Anne Béliveau is a seasoned and experienced litigator who focuses on civil and commercial litigation as well as competition law. Her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, injunctions, seizures and other urgent extraordinary remedies, including Anton Piller (civil search warrant), Norwich and Mareva injunctions and intellectual property disputes. Nathalie-Anne has leading-edge litigation expertise in breach of non-compete and non-solicitation clauses, unfair or ill...
Patrick L. Benaroche is a senior partner in the Employment & Labour Group of the Montreal office. With a background in organizational psychology, Patrick provides advice to major corporations on all aspects of Canadian employment and labour law, with an emphasis on cross-border issues affecting a mobile workforce. Patrick appears regularly before both civil and administrative tribunals on matters relating to wrongful dismissal, workplace harassment and discrimination, non-competition clau...
Serge Benoît is a partner in our firm who graduated from the Université de Montréal and was called to the Québec Bar in 1977. His extensive experience as a litigator and negotiator benefits employers in various fields including manufacturing, metallurgy, municipalities, retail, cement manufacturing, service organizations, and public and parapublic organizations. During the implementation of the Act Respecting Municipal Territorial Organization dealing with municipal...
Louis P. Bernier practises labour and employment law. He also specializes in administrative and constitutional law, with a focus on extraordinary remedies and Charter issues. Louis appears before various bodies and tribunals and actively defends the rights of clients at every step in the proceedings. Louis has many years of experience in major files and has a unique perspective on every aspect involved in the organization of work and operations management, including restructurings, subcontrac...
Danny is a partner* at Roper Greyell where he provides strategic and timely advice to clients on labour, employment and human rights issues that arise in the workplace. He advises employers throughout Canada across a wide range of industries, and values getting to know his clients and their businesses and becoming a trusted advisor in order to get the results that meet their short and long-term objectives. Danny guides his clients through litigation processes with advocacy and advice, represe...
Anne-Marie’s sense of priorities and organization were well-earned as she pursued her career alongside raising four children. Having settled and pleaded a great number of cases before the courts, Anne-Marie is known as a skillful litigator with a friendly demeanour. She has a marked interest in alternative means of conflict resolution and excels when it comes to finding creative solutions to address delicate situations. She joined Monette Barakett in 1985 and became partner in 1997. She...
Catherine Biron, CPHR, is a partner in the Montréal office of Langlois Lawyers. She advises and represents businesses on all aspects of labour and employment law, human rights, company policies, health and safety and working relations. Catherine holds a master’s degree in labour law and human rights law from the University of Oxford (England) and she is a graduate of McGill’s Executive Institute, as well as CPHR. She represents and counsels unionized and non-unionized busin...
Danielle is a partner with Cavalluzzo LLP practising in the areas of workers’ and Indigenous rights, equality, health and Aboriginal law. She is also the Chair of the firm’s Student Committee. She represents unions and associations, regulated professionals including nurses and midwives, and First Nations in diverse contexts including labour disputes, government relations, human rights and constitutional law, health equity, pay equity, professional regulation, judicial reviews and ...
David has extensive experience representing unions in the federal public sector and appears frequently before arbitrators and the Canada Industrial Relations Board on behalf of postal workers and other federally regulated workers. David also specializes in education law and acts on behalf of teacher federations and their members on issues arising from their collective agreements or before the Ontario College of Teachers. David appears regularly on behalf of clients on judicial reviews in the ...
Dan is a dedicated advisor and strategic problem solver. He is known for providing timely, practical advice and unrelenting advocacy. He leverages his tireless work ethic and substantial experience to achieve measurable results for his clients. Dan is an accomplished litigator and advisor to union and non-union employers with respect to labour, employment, workers’ compensation, occupational health and safety, and administrative law issues. He is well-versed in termination issues, human...
Steven G. Bosnick is a partner at the firm and was called to the bar in 2002 after articling with Jesin Watson & McCreary (as the firm was then known). He attended law school at the University of Toronto and has a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Guelph and a Bachelor of Mathematics degree from the University of Waterloo in Pure Mathematics and Computer Science. In the summer of 1999 Steven worked as an intern with the International Labour Office in Geneva, Switz...
Richard is a natural storyteller and his many stories have elicited much laughter from both clients and colleagues. He is a mighty and strategic litigator who leaves nothing to chance. Richard joined Monette Barakett in 1980. He is a long-standing partner and was a member of the executive committee for over 25 years. He served as managing partner from 2012 to 2017.Richard specializes in labour and employment law in the public, parapublic and private sectors. For more than thirty years, he has...
Cory Boyd is co-managing partner of Rubin Thomlinson LLP. With over 20 years of experience, he is a highly accomplished workplace investigator, assessor, and trainer. His fair, analytic approach adapts to the characteristics of every workplace he encounters, respecting each client’s unique workplace culture. Cory believes that, when done well, investigations and assessments can truly and deeply improve an organization. Cory regularly presents at conferences and writes on the subjects of...
Lori works with clients in a variety of sectors to achieve practical workplace solutions and manage risk. In doing so, she provides advice to employers on all aspects of the workplace relationship including recruitment, hiring, discipline, dismissals, disability management, health and safety, workers’ compensation, grievances and other labour relations matters. Lori strives to achieve efficient and cost-effective solutions through alternative dispute resolution. Where matters cannot oth...
With more than 35 years of experience in the field and a sought-after expertise in negotiating working conditions, Michel Brisebois advises large companies on major strategic issues, whether governed by provincial or federal labour laws. Michel assists major clients in negotiating collective agreements with workers’ unions. He also represents private and semi-public companies at arbitration hearings before tribunals at all levels. He advises and acts as an attorney for grievances or com...
John Brooks is an experienced labour and employment law lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. He advises and represents employers on a wide range of labour and employment matters. John regularly provides advice to employers regarding union organizing and certification and collective bargaining negotiations. He routinely acts as chief spokesperson in collective bargaining negotiations. He also advises on all aspects of the employment relationship and the handling by employers of termi...
Benoit Brouillette is a partner in the Labour and Employment Law Group. He serves a clientele that includes private, public and parapublic organizations and assists them in their daily and strategic management of human resources and labour relations. Mr. Brouillette represents employers before administrative tribunals and courts of justice. He also acts as an employer spokesperson or strategic adviser in the negotiation of collective agreements. Within his practice, he provides training adapt...
John Bruce is a management-side labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. John acts for an array of employers in the public and private sectors in all aspects of workplace law. John assists clients with: Advocacy, Litigation and Advice. He acts as employer counsel and advocate across Canada in grievance arbitrations, civil litigation, union issues, occupational health and safety cases, and human rights matters. Transactions and Strategy. He provides clients with str...
Dave Buffett has 40 plus years legal practice in the areas of civil litigation, personal injury, insurance law, criminal law, and employment law. His civil litigation practice has a heavy personal injury and insurance component, while his employment law practice includes acting as a labour arbitrator.Dave has appeared at all levels of Court including the Supreme Court of Canada, and is a graduate of Queen’s University Law School. He was admitted to the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar in 1...
Brian is a management-side labour and employment lawyer in Fasken’s Toronto office. Brian is counsel to and a Board member of the Canadian Employers Council (CEC). The CEC is the official "voice" of Canadian business, on the international stage, including at the ILO, in respect of the world of work. In January 2021, the CEC submitted a Report to the Canadian government setting out the views and perspective of the Canadian business community on a wide variety of unfolding international a...
Evan Campbell joined Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP as a partner in 2022 after practicing as a partner in a national law firm. Evan provides proactive advice to private and public sector employers on a variety of issues, including discipline and terminations, employment standards, human rights, employment contracts and workplace policies, workplace safety and insurance, and industrial and construction labour relations. Evan’s private sector clients range from Fortune 500 entities to...
Soft spoken, but with a steely resolve, Fiona Campbell represents trade unions and employees in a wide variety of labour, employment, pension, and human rights matters. Fiona does everything from helping employees negotiate their employment contracts and termination packages, to representing employees and trade unions before labour and human rights tribunals, to arguing judicial review applications and constitutional cases in the courts. She has particular expertise in the federal public serv...
Ian has a diverse labour, employment and human rights practice, representing unionized employers in labour arbitrations and matters before federal and provincial labour and human rights tribunals, as well as providing strategic advice on business planning, re-organizations and collective agreement negotiations. He also advises on all manner of employment law related matters, including wrongful dismissal and restrictive covenant related litigation as well as advising regarding mergers, acquisi...
Maggie is a partner at Roper Greyell where she practises in all areas of employment and labour law. She provides clients with practical and strategic advice in her role as a trusted advisor. Maggie’s goal is to understand the world her clients operate in – applying her legal knowledge in a pragmatic way and providing user-friendly advice. She builds strong relationships with her clients and works collaboratively with them to navigate a variety of unionized and non-unionized workpl...
Ed Canning is an employment lawyer and Partner at Ross & McBride LLP. He has been an employment lawyer in Hamilton for over 25 years, representing both employers and employees. For the last 21 years, Ed has written a bi-weekly column in the Hamilton Spectator on employment law. Throughout his career, Ed has appeared before the courts and a variety of tribunals. In 2001 he argued a Human Rights Code appeal before the Supreme Court of Canada and in 2016 before the Ontario Court of Appeal. E...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.