Wade Poziomka

Wade has dedicated his legal career to ensuring that the voices of marginalized members of our communities are heard. The law is an instrument of social change and when the law does not protect those who need it the most, the law needs to change. Wade passionately advocates for his clients and his practice is dedicated to human rights, union-side labour law and employment law. Wade currently serves as the Chair of the Ontario Bar Association’s Constitutional, Civil Liberties and Human Rights Section and sits on the executive of the Canadian Bar Association’s Constitutional and Human Rights Section. He is First Vice-President of the Board of Directors of ARCH Disability Law Centre and a Director on St. Joseph’s Villa Foundation’s Board of Directors. In 2013, Wade was appointed to, and currently sits on, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario’s Practice Advisory Committee as one of three applicant-side representatives advising the Associate Chair on procedural issues.

Wade obtained law degrees from the University of Toronto (Juris Doctor) and Cornell University (Masters of Law). He placed within the top three students in his program at Cornell University and graduated with high honours. During his academic studies, Wade interned with Guido Raimondi at the International Labour Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Justice Raimondi is currently the President of the European Court of Human Rights. While studying at Cornell, Wade traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina where he took part in a human rights fact-finding mission focusing on the causes, consequences and conditions of women in prison. Wade worked closely with the United Nations Special Rapporteur for violence against women and this study resulted in the publication of a comprehensive report calling for reform in Argentina.

Following law school, Wade worked for Justice Robert Sharpe at the Ontario Court of Appeal and Professor Stephen Waddams at the University of Toronto. Wade joined Ross & McBride LLP in 2010.

Wade believes that the law is only one of many tools to enhance the voices of the most marginalized. In 2016, Wade accepted a position as Acting Director of Policy and General Counsel to CARP, where he was able to focus on reform through policy, lobbying and media. CARP is a seniors’ advocacy non-profit with approximately 300,000 members across Canada. While at CARP Wade continued to fight for seniors – focusing on elder abuse, the elimination of mandatory retirement and poverty. He lobbied all levels of government, frequently appeared in local and national media on behalf of CARP’s members, and drafted and implemented CARP’s policies on elder abuse, financial security, healthcare reform and investor protection. He appeared before and made submissions to committees of the House of Commons and Senate in Ottawa. Wade’s service to CARP ended in 2017, when he became a partner at Ross & McBride LLP.

Wade provides representation to unions in grievances, policy grievances and collective bargaining. He has taught courses on labour history, government regulation of workplaces and workplace issues for McMaster University in the UNIFOR Certificate Program – a program designed for union members in the automotive manufacturing sector. Wade provides basic and advanced training seminars to employers of all sizes in the areas of human rights and employment. Wade routinely conducts workplace investigations into allegations of harassment and discrimination.

He has been retained by small and large employers, law firms acting on behalf of their clients, and boards of directors. He is known for providing timely and cost effective services in a fair and transparent manner. Investigations typically conclude with a comprehensive written report that not only includes findings of facts, but recommendations moving forward.

Wade is heavily involved in our local community, sitting on a number of boards of directors and committees. He has been recognized for his commitment to the community and legal profession by being awarded the Ontario Volunteer Service Award, the Top 40 under Forty Achievement Award and being nominated for two years in a row in the area of human rights for the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada. Wade has been recognized by the Hamilton Spectator readers for the past four years as the top lawyer (platinum award winner) in the area of employment and human rights law in the City of Hamilton in the Spectator’s Readers’ Choice Awards.Blog & Social Media Wade maintains and regularly updates a blog dedicated to human rights issues.

To visit Wade’s blog, go to www.ontariohumanrights.net