Employment & Labour
Canada Guide 2025 : Ontario
Band 4
About
Provided by Dentons Canada LLP
Notable areas of expertise include the public sector, health services, manufacturing, professional services, entertainment, retail and transportation. With particular specialisms in health and safety law, labour relations, restrictive covenants dispute and wrongful dismissal litigation. In addition, our clients count on us to help them with their day-to-day advisory work. We also have a skilled team of trained lawyers who can conduct external workplace investigations of complex and sensitive issues in your workplace or assist and support you with your internal workplace investigations.
Let our seasoned team help you formulate policies and procedures governing matters such as:
- Occupational health and safety
- Harassment
- Electronic monitoring
- Sickness and disability
- Progressive discipline
- Corporate compliance
- Workplace investigations
We will represent you in matters involving employment standards, human rights, pay equity, workers’ compensation, collective agreements, wrongful dismissal and much more. We can also guide you through whistleblower concerns, corporate governance issues, fiduciary duties of senior management and other challenges.
Turn to Dentons' Employment and Labor group in Canada for customized, effective, multijurisdictional advice on employment and labor matters. Protecting your business is our primary concern, whether intellectual property, through tailor-made employment contracts, restrictive covenant and confidentiality agreements or other methods.
Chambers Review
Dentons is a major international firm with notable employment capabilities based in Ontario, with partners in both Toronto and Ottawa. The department provides a broad offering with experience ranging from wrongful dismissal litigation to labour arbitration. Its non-contentious practice includes advising major national clients in the transport and life science sectors on employment matters relating to corporate transactions. The team is also accomplished in health and safety matters.
Work Highlights
- Dentons advises LifeLabs on a range of employment and labour matters, including employment counselling, grievance arbitrations and advisory work on union drives. More recently, they provided support on a certification application, advised on collective bargaining and represented them at a number of labour arbitrations.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"The Dentons team provides great coverage across the country, and we have found the lawyers assigned to our matters to be knowledgeable, responsive and efficient."
"Dentons are very responsive, knowledgeable and able to jump in on matters without any hand-holding; work well with our business unit partners and very good at relationship building and management."
"Our primary contacts are never anything less than entirely responsive, fielding questions and concerns well outside of traditional hours of work, and always willing to discuss matters in detail."
"We receive very quick turn around to questions with lots of flexibility to jump on a call when urgent matters come up."
"They are thorough and explain available options in detail, including level of risk given various scenarios. They are also incredibly responsive and timely."
"The Dentons team provides great coverage across the country, and we have found the lawyers assigned to our matters to be knowledgeable, responsive and efficient."
"Dentons are very responsive, knowledgeable and able to jump in on matters without any hand-holding; work well with our business unit partners and very good at relationship building and management."
"Our primary contacts are never anything less than entirely responsive, fielding questions and concerns well outside of traditional hours of work, and always willing to discuss matters in detail."
"We receive very quick turn around to questions with lots of flexibility to jump on a call when urgent matters come up."
"They are thorough and explain available options in detail, including level of risk given various scenarios. They are also incredibly responsive and timely."
Notable Practitioners
Toronto lead Andrew Pushalik is a well-regarded lawyer in the field of employment law, with particularly notable experience advising clients on compliance and health and safety regulations. He is also well versed in labour arbitrations and wrongful dismissal litigation.
"His consistent perspective on the bigger picture informs his advice, which is always timely and on-point."
"Andy is able to handle extremely complicated legal work and deal with truly challenging legal cases, while also being able to understand commercial realities and the client's business."
Adrian Miedema is based in Denton's Toronto office and advises and represents both public and private sector employees in employment, health and safety and human rights matters. In addition, he advises employers on strategic and risk management considerations in employment policy and contracts.
"Adrian is incredibly skilled and knowledgeable within the area of occupational health and safety."
"Adrian is strategic, fair, honest and creative. His counsel is trusted and proven."
Russell Groves of Denton's Toronto office practices in all aspects of employment and labour law, including labour relations, grievance arbitration, human rights, employment standards, wrongful dismissals and health and safety matters.
"Russell is very responsive, professional and has been a valued strategic partner in arbitrations/mediations, but also with complex matters."
"Russell is thorough when providing options for our consideration and the company's best interest is always his priority. We have learned a lot from him over the years."
"Russell is very responsive and ensures any and all matters are dealt with promptly."
Ranked Lawyers at
Dentons Canada LLP
Ontario