Employment & Labour | Canada

Borden Ladner Gervais offers stellar coverage across labour and employment law in Canada, with superb practices in Québec and Ontario, as well as providing strong support in both British Columbia and Alberta. The firm possesses in-depth knowledge of federally regulated industries and is well versed in a wide range of matters, from collective bargaining to transaction-related labour relations, human rights and grievance arbitrations. Nationally, the firm also assists with employment policies, dismissals and occupational health and safety issues. It has further expertise representing clients before various courts and tribunals, and has an enviable client roster featuring noted players from the retail, construction, healthcare, education and transportation sectors.

Fasken operates a full-service employment and labour group with market-leading practices in Ontario, Québec and British Columbia. The firm's lawyers are regularly sought out for their experience advising federally regulated employers on matters of national significance. The labour, employment and human rights team advises on a broad range of mandates, including occupational health and safety, labour relations, collective bargaining and issues stemming from mergers, takeovers and disposals. In the fields of employment and labour, Fasken also has a strong track record of appearances before arbitrators, labour relations boards, tribunals and the Supreme Court of Canada. The firm represents clients from a wide range of industries, including transportation, finance, energy and communications.

McCarthy Tétrault is a highly regarded law firm with nationwide capabilities, a highly distinguished employment and labour team in Ontario, and further robust practices both in Québec and across Western Canada. The team's specialisms across the different Canadian regions ranges from occupational health and safety and labour relations to assistance with transactional mandates, acting for clients from both the private and public sectors. The firm is regularly noted for its impressive contentious practice, representing clients in labour board proceedings and arbitration. Its expertise also encompasses collective agreement negotiations, labour litigation, legislative compliance and transactional advice.

Norton Rose Fulbright demonstrates exceptional breadth and depth of coverage in the key Canadian markets, with standout employment and labour departments in both Québec and Ontario as well as an accomplished team in British Columbia. The firm offers extensive experience of labour, employment and human rights litigation and arbitration, appearing before labour relations boards and courts. It also advises on union certification and business mobility issues. The Norton Rose team is equally well experienced in employment and labour matters arising from M&A transactions. Its workload comprises matters of provincial, national and international scope occurring in sectors such as retail, manufacturing, financial services and transportation.

Blake, Cassels & Graydon is an acclaimed law firm with well-established employment teams in Québec and Ontario, alongside highly skilled lawyers also based in Alberta and British Columbia. Regularly sought after to advise on the labour and employment aspects of substantial corporate transactions, the team has additional experience acting on employment litigation and executive employment arrangements. Blakes' clients include both public and private sector employers from various industries, including banking, natural resources, manufacturing and technology. Additionally, the firm is noted for its market-leading pensions and benefits practice, and for acting on behalf of numerous energy and natural resources companies.

Harris & Company is a Vancouver-based boutique that is a popular choice for employment and labour law advice in Western Canada. The firm frequently advises on federal matters under the Canada Labour Code and regularly assists clients with issues arising in both union and non-union workplaces. The Harris team advises several significant clients in both the public and private sectors on issues including wrongful dismissal litigation, workplace human rights and workers' compensation. It also offers considerable knowledge of the healthcare, financial services and education sectors, as well as a growing litigation practice, and is well versed in representing clients before labour relations boards and human rights tribunals.

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt operates a well-respected employment and labour team in Toronto supported by an impressive practice in Calgary. The firm is frequently called upon to advise national and international companies across various industry sectors such as retail, finance and mining. Its specific areas of expertise within employment and labour include executive compensation, workplace investigations and workplace restructurings. The Osler team also advises clients on retention arrangements, privacy law and terminations. It is further noted for its regular assistance with employment issues arising from acquisitions, compensation matters and sensitive executive hiring and severance issues.

Roper Greyell wins recognition as a prominent Vancouver-based boutique working exclusively in employment, labour and related areas. The firm is noted for its expertise representing national companies in relation to their Western Canadian operations, as well as for its experience in the public sector. Other areas of expertise include management-side labour law, human rights law, wrongful dismissal litigation, privacy law and workers' compensation. Its work spans a broad range of industry sectors, including healthcare and energy.

Stikeman Elliott is a prestigious full-service law firm respected for its provision of day-to-day employment advice to national and international companies. It houses able employment and labour lawyers across its offices in Ontario, Québec and Alberta. The firm operates extensively at both the federal and provincial levels, advising on individual employment relationships and matters relating to unionised environments. The team is well versed in assisting with the employment aspects of major transactions and restructurings as well as litigation and arbitration. Its experience covers all areas of employment and labour law, including occupational health and safety, executive employment agreements, restrictive covenants and labour standards issues. Stikeman acts for employers hailing from a range of industries including energy, technology and retail.

Dentons' unrivalled international platform offers national and multinational clients an excellent platform to advise on cross-border labour and employment concerns, with a wealth of resources to call upon in key business centres worldwide. Its team excels in the full gamut of employment concerns, including notable expertise in the retail, industrials, professional services and public sectors. Impressive employment practitioners are based out of the firm's offices in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Montréal,

Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti is an Ontario-based boutique with a dedicated labour and employment focus. The firm regularly represents national and federally regulated clients in contentious and non-contentious labour matters. It has experience of heavyweight labour relations work - including collective bargaining negotiations - as well as arbitration and litigation. Filion Wakely acts for a wide range of executives, managers and human resources professionals in both the private and public sectors, with the team's industry expertise covering healthcare, construction, utilities and hospitality. The firm is also noted for its work on numerous eye-catching cross-border mandates as well as for the broad bench of specialised practitioners based across its Toronto, Hamilton and London offices.

Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark is a specialist employment and labour law firm providing valued support on either side of the country, with a particularly strong practice in Toronto and support in Vancouver and Calgary. The firm also has an office in Halifax, providing a wealth of employment and labour expertise to clients in Atlantic Canada. Mathews enjoys a solid reputation for its representation of provincial and federal clients alike in a regular caseload of occupational health and safety mandates, workplace investigations, management-side labour relations matters and arbitration hearings. The firm also advises on individual employment contracts, retention plans and employment standards.