Best Lawyers in Canada for Labour and Employment Law
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Damon Bailey, K.C. is a respected labour lawyer, known for his good judgment and straightforward, decisive approach. He has the ability to examine details and tie them together into a strategic plan to help employers successfully navigate the complexities of labour law. With a particular talent for arbitrations, Damon gets straight to the point with clear direction and concise advice. Clients want him in their corner because he’s a strong leader in negotiations who doesn’t equivoc...
Jane Sirdevan is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Labour and Employment Law. Jane practices law in Toronto, Ontario Best Lawyers has recognized Jane Sirdevan since 2025. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Jane Sirdevan is held by other lawyers.
Joshua (Josh) Sadovnick has a split practice, with focuses on commercial litigation and employment disputes, both insured and uninsured claims.With reference to commercial litigation, Mr. Sadovnick regularly represents insurers, owners, developers, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. Mr. Sadovnick has acted as counsel in commercial disputes on a variety of complex claims, including general commercial and construction disputes, deficiency claims, construction failures (including...
Patricia (Pat) Forte specializes in employment law and insurance defence. She has also completed courses in risk assessment, risk control and risk financing to receive her Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designation, and has expertise in risk management in the profit and not-for-profit sectors. In the area of employment, her expertise includes representing clients on employment standards, contracts, policies, privacy, restrictive covenants, workplace investigations, managing leaves of absence,...
Leanne Fisher is a labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Ottawa office. Leanne advises employers in the public and private sectors on a wide range of matters including collective bargaining negotiations, rights arbitrations, human rights issues, wrongful dismissal matters, harassment and whistle-blowing complaints and AODA compliance issues. Leanne appears as counsel before various administrative tribunals including the Human Rights Tribunal, the Ontario Labour Relations Board ...
Francine Legault focuses her practice on occupational health and safety. More particularly, she represents clients before the conciliation and decision-making officers of the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) (labour standards, employment equity and occupational health and safety board) and the Administrative Labour Tribunal (ALT). She also represents the interests of employers before arbitration tribunals....
Hugh Wright’s practice focuses in the area of pensions and benefits, providing advice to pension plan sponsors, administrators, and service providers on the full range of pension and benefit matters, including related investment matters and the resolution of disputes. He focusses on finding efficient and effective solutions for clients enabling them to navigate the complex regulatory and legal framework in which they operate and realize their strategic and business objectives. Hugh is a...
Patrick Gannon’s practice is focused on labour, employment and human rights. Regularly working with both unionized and non-union workplaces, Patrick advises clients on employment agreements, collective agreement interpretation, union certification, employment standards, wrongful dismissal, workplace safety and insurance as well as human rights and pay equity. Advising government bodies, such as the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and Pay Equity Commission, Patrick has represented c...
Dirk Van de Kamer’s labour and employment law practice is concentrated on representing management. Dirk advises employers on a broad range of topics that include matters relating to the interpretation and administration of collective agreements, as well as human rights, employment standards, occupational health and safety, and wrongful dismissal matters. Dirk has appeared as counsel in grievance and interest arbitrations as well as proceedings in other administrative forums and the cour...
From complicated tenure grievances to every day labour arbitration cases, from Charter litigation to collective agreement negotiations, Emma Phillips has a way of taking problems, breaking them down and making the answers seem simple. A significant part of Emma’s work is for university faculty associations and their members. She fights to ensure that the rights of faculty members and librarians are protected, and that Ontario students continue to enjoy high quality public post-secondary...
Alain Gascon is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Labour and Employment Law. Alain practices law in Laval, Quebec Best Lawyers has recognized Alain Gascon since 2026. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Alain Gascon is held by other lawyers.
Jacques Provencher is a partner-owner in the firm who advises our clients on a variety of managerial issues, and represents companies of all sizes in different economic sectors before administrative tribunals and civil courts, in both federal and provincial jurisdictions. The negotiation of collective agreements, grievance arbitrations, complaints before the Tribunal administratif du travail (TAT), occupational health and safety matters, and Human Rights Charters ' issues are part of his dail...
Marisa Pollock is a member of Goldblatt Partners' labour law group. She has practised labour law since her call to the Ontario Bar in 1990. Marisa represents trade unions in all labour law matters, including grievance arbitration and proceedings before federal and provincial labour relations boards. Marisa has particular expertise in providing legal and strategic advice to public and private sector unions during organizing drives. Her clients’ successful organizing drives have provided ...
Lauri Reesor is a partner in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Lauri’s success in building and maintaining long-standing client relationships is a result of her commitment to having an in-depth understanding of her clients’ business and the sector in which they operate, and providing practical, solution-focused legal advice to meet her clients’ business needs while mitigating risk. Her main areas of focus include human ...
Elaine Léger specializes in labour, employment and human rights law. She represents companies from every sphere of economic activity. Elaine has developed specific expertise in absenteeism management, occupational injuries and occupational health and safety. She advises clients on termination of employment, confidentiality obligations, access to medical records and managing absenteeism and occupational injuries.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
