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Find Lawyers in Ontario, 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.
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...
John-Paul Alexandrowicz is an experienced labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. His practice involves strategic advice and oral and written advocacy in a variety of forums including arbitration, labour boards, human rights tribunals and the courts. He acts for employers in judicial reviews, appeals and constitutional proceedings. John-Paul has significant experience representing public and Catholic school boards in collective agreement negotiations, labour arbit...
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...
George Avraam practices trial and appellate litigation. George is a certified specialist in civil litigation, is ranked in Benchmark Litigation, Chambers, Legal 500, Lexpert, and is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. George also holds several leadership positions at the Firm. George practices trial and appellate litigation. He is lead counsel on trials, appeals, judicial reviews, class actions, arbitrations, and administrative proceedings. While George handles trials and...
https://www.blg.com/en/people/a/axelrod-maddie Maddie Axelrod is a management-side labour and employment lawyer in BLG’s Toronto office. Her practice includes employment, labour, human rights, and education law. Maddie’s hybrid practice comprises both advice-based solicitor work and advocacy-based litigation work. Maddie also focuses on executive compensation for hospitals, school boards, and other broader public sector organizations. Within her practice, Maddie acts for private a...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
As the senior partner in his firm, Paul is a leading constitutional, labour and administrative law lawyer, arguing significant cases before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Courts of Ontario, and labour and administrative tribunals. Paul was appointed by Associate Chief Justice Dennis O'Connor to act as lead commission counsel to the Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar. Previously, Paul acted as lead commission counsel in the Walkerton Inquir...
Frank is a senior litigator in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. He is a strategic counsel for his clients, and has significant courtroom and hearing experience representing clients in complex and high-profile cases. Frank represents his clients as a close and long-term advisor, and as a highly skilled advocate on their most important and challenging cases. Frank has particular expertise in arguing judicial review and appeals, and in litigation relating to the following: employment dispute...
André serves a large client base in the public, broader public and private sectors with a particular focus on health care and post-secondary education. His clients value his strategic input, practical advice and responsiveness. In addition to managing a substantial grievance arbitration practice in both official languages, André supports his vast client base by providing advice and legal representation in the context of collective agreement bargaining, preparation of employment ...
Richard Charney is a senior partner in our Toronto office, where he practises management labour relations and employment law, a field in which he is widely recognized as an advocate on behalf of national and local clients. For more than 10 years, he was Norton Rose Fulbright's global head of employment and labour. Mr. Charney acts for numerous employers and employers’ organizations and appears at provincial and federal labour relations boards and the courts, including the Supreme Court ...
Kathleen Chevalier is a partner practising in the Employment & Labour Group and a member of the Associates Committee in the Toronto office. She advises clients on all aspects of the employment relationship in both unionized and non-unionized environments, and provides advice in respect of the employment impact of commercial transactions. Kathleen has been a leading employment law advisor at the forefront of managing the impact of COVID-19 on employers, and her expertise has been sought an...
Daniel Chodos, a senior partner at Whitten and Lublin, has 15 years of extensive experience in employment law. Engaged by both employees and employers, Daniel concentrates on finding the resolution that best meets the needs of his client. Daniel is thoroughly skilled in handling workplace disputes, severance negotiations, wrongful dismissals, harassment, and human rights issues. Daniel’s expert skill in wrongful dismissal cases is demonstrated in his courtroom victories. However, what s...
Nafisah Chowdhury is a lawyer practicing in commercial and employment litigation. She provides day-to-day strategic advice to businesses of all sizes on a broad range of matters, including navigating workplace issues, resolving shareholder disputes and addressing privacy law concerns. Over the course of her career with Miller Thomson, she has built a reputation as a trusted adviser who not only understands the business realities of her clients, but who can be relied upon to provide timely and...
Renowned for his ability to develop innovative strategies that solve complex labour relations problems, Brett has appeared as counsel for employers in hundreds of administrative and court proceedings at both the federal and provincial level. He frequently represents employers in collective bargaining negotiations and provides strategic advice on managing a wide variety of labour relations issues. Certified as a Specialist in Labour Law since 1998, Brett is widely recognized as one of the coun...
Esi Codjoe provides pragmatic and solutions focused legal advice to employers and employees, in both non-unionized and unionized private and public sector workplaces. That work includes assisting regulated professional organizations and regulated professionals with their unique employment, regulatory and governance needs. Esi conducts workplace investigations, reviews, and assessments for both large and small employers. Her experience as a former adjudicator, including as a Vice Chair at the ...
Donna D’Andrea is a management-side labour relations and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. Donna provides practical and strategic advice to 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. Donna leads the firm’s Hospitality & Gaming Practice Group. She serves as chief spokesperson for m...
Christine Davies is a labour lawyer and civil litigator in Goldblatt Partners' Toronto office. She is known for her tenacious commitment to getting clients the best possible result. A skilled litigator who started her career as a research lawyer, Christine now has one of the broadest practices at the firm. She is equally comfortable before labour arbitrators and administrative tribunals as she is before the civil courts. Christine’s labour practice includes representing unions and their...
Effective January 1, 2024, Martin Denyes will serve as Fasken’s Firm Managing Partner, with primary responsibility for its operations across Canada and internationally. In practice, his focus has been on supporting employers and executives in solving their day-to-day issues in the workplace and the mission critical issues that drive their workplace strategies. He now does likewise for the Firm and supports its clients and the Fasken team in navigating a complex world. In his role as Fir...
Henry Dinsdale is a partner in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. Henry has been advising and representing employers for over 25 years at both the federal and provincial levels and has appeared on behalf of employers in proceedings in every province in the country. His practice ranges from providing sophisticated strategic advice, to collective bargaining and labour and employment law advocacy. Henry has received both a Masters and Doctoral degree in law from Stanford University Law School ...
Casey, a partner at Filion, practises in all areas of labour and employment law. She acts for a wide variety of union and non-union clients in both the public and private sectors. Casey's practice focuses on public sector work, where she represents a number of municipalities, school boards, hospitals, and other broader public sector clients. Casey spends a considerable amount of her time on employment-related civil litigation matters, including wrongful dismissals, constructive dismissals, br...
Kelly Doctor has the smarts to see all possible solutions, and the heart and practical intuition to reach the best ones for her clients. She’s driven to fight for the rights of people experiencing disadvantage and discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere in their lives. While she loves to litigate, she also works quietly behind the scenes to advise clients on how to handle difficult situations in the workplace and negotiate resolutions to them. A former Supreme Court of Canada law ...
Jonathan Dye is a partner at Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP. Recognized as one of the leading lawyers in his field, he primarily litigates and advises clients on a range of issues such as wrongful dismissals, workplace human rights, employment standards, recruitment and dismissals, employment contracts and employment issues in corporate transactions. He has appeared as lead counsel in cases before the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and Divisional Court, the...
Hugh Dyer's practice is restricted to advising and representing employers in labour relations and employment-related matters. These matters concern union and non-union employees, encompassing labour relations, negotiation and administration of collective agreements, human rights, employment standards, health and safety and other employment issues. He frequently acts as employer counsel in grievance and interest arbitrations. He appears as counsel before the Canada Industrial Relations and the...
Christopher Edwards is a senior partner in our Employment, Labour & Public Law , Commercial Litigation , Insurance and Workplace Investigations Groups. A seasoned litigator, he has over 20 years of experience conducting trials and hearings before administrative tribunals and arbitrators. Christopher has appeared at all levels of Courts in Ontario including the Ontario Court of Appeal and federally at the Federal Court of Appeal. Christopher is currently one of three partners on the Manage...
Peter Engelmann is a labour and human rights lawyer in Goldblatt Partners' Ottawa office. He was a founding partner of Engelmann Gottheil, a firm that merged its practice with Sack Goldblatt Mitchell - now Goldblatt Partners - in 2005. Peter’s practice focuses on all aspects of labour law, human rights, pay and employment equity law and Charter litigation. He has appeared at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and appears regularly before arbitrators, human righ...
Robert England has a litigation practice with a special expertise in employment law and occupational health and safety matters. Robert represents corporations, public institutions, and employers in employment litigation and advises employers with respect to the implementation of policies and procedures that can help them reduce their exposure to wrongful dismissal actions, human rights and employment standards complaints and occupational health and safety prosecutions. In occupational health ...
Jackie practices in the areas of Labour, Constitutional, Public Law and Indigenous Rights. She has litigated at all levels of court in Ontario, the Federal Courts and the Supreme Court of Canada. She has also appeared before many administrative tribunals. With an extensive background in writing policy, Jackie has written many policy submissions aimed at government, inquiries and public advocacy. She was also a researcher and writer for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final rep...
Mark Fletcher is a Partner with Grosman Gale Fletcher Hopkins LLP. Mark is an experienced trial lawyer who is regarded by his peers and ranked by LEXPERT and recognized by Best Lawyers as one of the leading employment lawyers in Canada. He advises and provides representation to both employers and employees in wrongful dismissal actions, executive compensation disputes, and in human rights cases. Mark is the co-Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Cases on Employment Law (CCEL) and is the Editor fo...
Craig Flood practises in the area of labour law with a special expertise in the area of workplace safety and insurance. He is the Firm’s Managing Partner effective June 1, 2016 and a long-time member of the Executive Committee. Craig represents trade unions and employees in the acquisition and preservation of bargaining rights, unfair labour practice complaints, discipline and discharge, occupational health and safety, essential services, and grievance arbitration. He has appeared befor...
Daniel Fogel is a labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office and a devoted member (and past chair) of the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. He regularly advises labour relations and human resources professionals in the private and public sectors on a wide range of subjects related to provincial and federal labour and employment law. Daniel’s practice consists largely of defending employers in wrongful dismissal actions, human rights applica...
Pat’s litigation experience includes court appearances at all levels of court, including the Ontario Court of Appeal. She has completed courses in risk assessment, risk control and risk financing to receive her Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designation, and has expertise in risk management in the profit and not-for-profit sectors. She has a training and practice in alternative dispute resolution. Pat provides insightful advice and skilled advocacy in the following core areas: Insurance...
Chris Foulon is a Founding Partner and the Managing Partner of Israel Foulon Wong LLP. He represents both employers and employees in a wide range of employment and labour matters including: wrongful dismissals, injunctions, Employment Standards Hearings, disputes before the Ministry of Labour, workplace safety matters, Occupational Health and Safety charges and matters before the Human Rights Tribunal. Chris also advises employers with respect to union organization drives and responding to ap...
Mark Fryer practices employment, labour (union), human rights, occupational health and safety and OMVIC law by providing both litigation and corporate/commercial advice and representation to small to large businesses, corporations, and associations. A substantial number of Mark’s clients are involved in the retail automotive industry and the logistics industry. Mark has been a partner with the firm since 2006. Click here to learn more about Mark.
Bill Gale is a Partner at Grosman Gale Fletcher Hopkins LLP since 1989, where he practices in the area of employment law . He was selected by Lexpert’s Peer Review process as one of the “Top 500 Lawyers in Canada” for each year from 2012 to the present. He has appeared in court at both the trial and appellate levels to argue many reported decisions dealing with issues such as wrongful dismissal litigation , human rights , occupational health & safety, employment contract...
Jodi Gallagher Healy is a labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s London office. She advises and represents employers on a wide range of labour and employment issues including grievance arbitrations, interest arbitration, labour relations strategy, human rights and accommodation, workers’ compensation claims and revenue appeals, wrongful dismissal litigation, and employment standards compliance/litigation. Jodi appears as counsel before a variety of administrative boards, m...
Anne Gallop practises in all areas of employment and labour law, including wrongful dismissal, human rights and disability management. She routinely advises on all aspects of employment policies, ensuring compliance with the various legislative regimes. Ms. Gallop also has significant experience in corporate reorganizations and corporate mergers and acquisitions, where she advises on the labour, employment and employee privacy issues arising from such transactions. She routinely advises on em...
Douglas G. Gilbert’s serves as strategic advisor and advocate on behalf of many national and multinational employers. His practice focuses on collective bargaining, labour and employment litigation. He represents clients before federal and provincial labour relations boards, in arbitration proceedings and in employment and human rights claims before the courts and tribunals. In his practice, Douglas is committed to understanding and reflecting the priorities and values of all clients. H...
Clio Godkewitsch helps individuals and groups of employees and retirees in disputes over their compensation, including pension and other employee benefits. Whether through skillful negotiation or uncompromising litigation, Clio’s aim is to get the best possible outcome for the people she represents. Pension and benefit plan administrators retain Clio to provide practical advice concerning benefit entitlements and communications with plan members. Clio helps them make sure they are provi...
Howard Goldblatt is a leading member of the labour law Bar. His practice focuses on all aspects of labour and employment law, including grievance and interest arbitration, workplace human rights, and pensions and benefits law. Howard is also widely regarded for his expertise in collective bargaining and provides clients with strategic advice for special legislative campaigns. In addition to representing clients before a wide variety of administrative tribunals, Howard has appeared as counsel ...
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