Employment & Labour
Canada Guide 2025 : British Columbia
Band 1
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+1 604 631 3131About
Provided by Fasken
Appropriately navigating the labour, employment, and human rights landscapes is essential to attracting, retaining, and motivating your employees and by extension successfully maintaining and developing your business.
With offices in all the major city centres across Canada, our Labour, Employment & Human Rights (LEHR) lawyers work with clients to provide proactive and pragmatic advice. Whether you need help to conclude innovative collective agreements or create risk management and compliance programs, we have the in-depth knowledge and experience required. In the event disputes arise, we will help you defuse tension among stakeholders and skillfully represent your interests in court, before tribunals or at arbitration.
As one of the largest national labour, employment and human rights practices in Canada, we are able to comprehensively assist clients with their LEHR needs across the country in a coordinated manner. We represent major federally regulated employers including banks, airlines, telecommunication companies and Crown corporations. We also advise many significant employers in a broad range of provincially regulated sectors including retail, manufacturing, mining, agriculture, education, health, financial services, among others.
Chambers Review
Fasken is an esteemed national law firm with a highly respected employment and labour practice in Vancouver. It is appointed by employers ranging from regional companies to national and multinational corporations in sectors as diverse as retail, technology and energy. The firm advises on a broad array of matters, including collective bargaining agreements, labour relations and wrongful dismissal complaints. It possesses further expertise in human rights issues, including in relation to allegations of sexual harassment, and regularly handles matters relating to the employment aspects of large M&A transactions.
Work Highlights
- Fasken successfully defended Vancouver Fire & Radius Security from being certified by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. They also successfully dismissed two complaints of unfair labour practices.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Fasken always provides great insight and recommendations. Their service levels and responsiveness are very strong. We feel like we are their only customers."
"Fasken is a very skilled group. They are easy to work with and had a good depth and breadth of knowledge."
"The lawyers at Fasken have always been excellent at understanding complex situations and providing strategic advice."
"I never wait for a response, my questions are answered promptly and I also receive support emotionally though these complex cases. They are thorough, knowledgeable and explain in detail when asked."
"The various perspectives of the team has helped to approach complex issues from different angles, with a consideration of potential outcomes and consequences."
"Fasken always provides great insight and recommendations. Their service levels and responsiveness are very strong. We feel like we are their only customers."
"Fasken is a very skilled group. They are easy to work with and had a good depth and breadth of knowledge."
"The lawyers at Fasken have always been excellent at understanding complex situations and providing strategic advice."
"I never wait for a response, my questions are answered promptly and I also receive support emotionally though these complex cases. They are thorough, knowledgeable and explain in detail when asked."
"The various perspectives of the team has helped to approach complex issues from different angles, with a consideration of potential outcomes and consequences."
Notable Practitioners
David McDonald is chair of the Fasken Vancouver labour, employment and human rights group. He acts for federal clients both in British Columbia and across Western Canada, most significantly on collective agreements, strike actions and judicial review. He advises his clients on labour relations, all areas of employment law, human rights and occupational health and safety.
"David is a highly knowledgeable lawyer, who understands the complexity of our business and is always willing to support."
"David is a good, solid, strong lawyer."
"David leads the group and has a very active practice."
Clayton Jones is the manager of Fasken's labour, employment and human rights group in Vancouver. He is a prominent lawyer when it comes to labour arbitration, most significantly acting for clients in the forestry and infrastructure sectors. He exhibits further strengths in advising on the employment aspects of corporate restructurings.
"We have worked with Clayton for many years, he is a pleasure to work with. He has provided great guidance on several difficult situations."
"Clayton has a very good understanding of employment matters. He delivers guidance in a manner that is easy to understand and implement. He returns calls promptly and always meets any timelines set."
"Clayton is very responsive and sets a collaborative tone to our client meetings, which encourages openness. He is very personable and easy to talk to, and we appreciate his humour and professionalism."
David Wong is co-leader of Fasken's national labour, employment and human rights practice group and the head of the human rights group in the Vancouver office. He has developed a notable reputation for his capabilities in a variety of employment issues, from labour relations and collective bargaining to grievance arbitrations and human rights cases.
"David is fantastic to deal with. He is very knowledgeable, excellent customer service, and really takes the time to understand our business and requirements when offering advice."
"I have been working with David for years and every file, he exceeds my expectations. His advice is practical, sophisticated and supported by his wealth of experience."
"David is our primary contact and his demonstration of client service, sophistication and commercial awareness has been very strong."
Stephanie Gutierrez is based in Fasken's Vancouver office and has fast become a go-to lawyer for numerous national and provincial clients in collective bargaining and contentious labour matters.
"Stephanie is excellent to work with. She is responsive, offers opinions, advice and brings in others if additional support is required."
"Stephanie has a quiet confidence to her and is a very well-known employment and labour lawyer."
"Stephanie's client service, sophistication and commercial vision is very strong."
Ranked Lawyers at
Fasken
British Columbia