Best Lawyers in Canada for Labour and Employment Law

Pierre Pilote is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labour and Employment Law. Pierre, who practices law in Montréal, Quebec, has been recognized since 2015. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Pierre is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Martin Denyes serves as Fasken’s Chair, with responsibility for engagement with clients and in markets in Canada, the United States and internationally. Prior to being named Firm Chair, Martin served as Managing Partner in Ontario and as Firm Managing Partner over the course of 15 years. 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. Througho...

Michael Kennedy is a labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. Michael is counsel to a wide variety of broader public sector employers such as universities and municipalities and large employers in the private sector. Michael is the chair of the firm’s University Practice Group and is the former chair of the Municipal Practice Group. He is a trusted advisor to organizations across the country. Michael appears as counsel in labour and employment disputes involv...

James Lingwood is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labour and Employment Law. James, who practices law in Edmonton, Alberta, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Matthew A. Woodley is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Administrative and Public Law, Defamation and Media Law and Labour and Employment Law. Matthew A., who practices law in Edmonton, Alberta, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Matthew A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Valérie Gareau-Dalpé is a member of the Labour and Employment Group in the firm's Montréal office. Passionate and experienced in all aspects of employment relations, Valérie deals more specifically with issues relating to the negotiation and interpretation of collective agreements, grievance arbitration cases, labour relations, labour standards, and health and safety. Valérie has extensive experience in employment-related litigation, including judicial revie...

Lynn practises in all aspects of labour and employment and human rights law, on behalf of management. After graduating from the University of Toronto Law School (JD, 1975), he practised for 11 years with a national law firm, before co-founding Emond Harnden in 1987. His practice encompasses the representation of both public and private sector clients with a focus on education, healthcare and technology. Lynn has managed a number of landmark cases in the areas of employee absenteeism, employee...

Bruce Sevigny is a recognized leader in the Ontario labour and employment law field, having practised exclusively in this area for more than twenty-five years. Bruce regularly advises both employer and employee clients on a wide range of labour and employment law issues, including wrongful dismissal litigation, employment contract issues, federal and provincial labour board proceedings (including union certification and decertification applications), human rights complaints, labour arbitratio...

Robert Colson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate and Commercial Litigation and Labour and Employment Law. Robert, who practices law in Toronto, Ontario, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Christopher M. Andree is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labour and Employment Law. Christopher M., who practices law in Kitchener, Ontario, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Christopher M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Shana Wolch is a Partner in the Calgary office. She assists clients with all of their day-to-day human resources matters. Shana’s practice includes occupational health and safety (safety compliance, investigations, and defense of charges), workers’ compensation and disability management, human rights, and privacy. Shana has extensive experience with alcohol and drug policies, administration and compliance, cannabis (from assisting start-up growers and retail companies to managing ...

Lisa Goodfellow is a trusted adviser to employers on a wide range of employment and labour relations matters, including executive compensations and contracts, wrongful dismissal actions, human rights, workplace investigations, employment standards, certification applications, collective bargaining, unfair labour practice complaints, grievance arbitrations, injunctions, and protection of proprietary information. Lisa guides her clients through complex and ever-changing labour and employment la...

David P. Goodland, K.C. was born and raised in St. John’s and is a graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland (B.A., 1985) and the University of New Brunswick (LL. B., 1989). Called to the Bar of Newfoundland and enrolled as a solicitor of the Supreme Court on April 11th, 1990, Mr. Goodland has practiced law in St. John’s since that time. His preferred areas of practice are labour, insurance, corporate/commercial litigation and personal injury. He has appeared before the Fede...

Michael began his legal career with Bennett Jones LLP. Michael joined Carbert Waite LLP in 2003. In 2020, Michael was appointed King’s Counsel by Alberta’s Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, Doug Schweitzer. Appointments of King’s Counsel are awarded to lawyers who have made significant contributions to the legal profession and have demonstrated exceptional leadership. LITIGATION PRACTICE Michael is an accomplished advocate and maintains an active civil and commercia...

Lise Leduc is known as the preeminent Franco-Ontarian labour lawyer who will litigate any matter in ‘la langue de Molière’. Not known to mince words, Lise has a reputation for being direct and to the point. Maybe it has something to do with growing up in Kapuskasing, where she endured her share of -40°C winters. For over twenty years, Lise has represented union clients whose members come from all walks of life, including heavy equipment operators in the forestry industr...

Ms. Fournier is a partner-owner in the firm. She counsels and represents our clients before administrative and civil courts in matters pertaining to disciplinary measures, complaints to the CNESST, grievance arbitration, charter-related issues, psychological harassment claims and occupational health and safety matters. She previously worked for an organization where she gained extensive expertise in labour law in the field of education. She also acts as a lecturer and contributes to our vario...