Best Lawyers in Ontario, Canada for Labour and Employment Law
As a labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office, Simon Mortimer focuses on the strategic management of conflict and change. He consults with employers to proactively manage workplace issues without litigation or work disruption. He appears before labour boards and provides ongoing counsel on employment, human rights and grievance arbitrations, ensuring due process and democracy in certification applications, responding to allegations of unfair labour practices and int...
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 ...
Kathryn Bird (she/her/hers) is an employment, human rights, and labour lawyer in Ogletree Deakins’ Toronto office. Kathryn is a recognized leader in workplace law in Canada and was the winner of a Lexpert Rising Star award in 2020. Kathryn advises employers, social service providers, school boards, and municipalities regarding issues arising from the employment relationship and the provision of services to the public. Kathryn also assists school boards, colleges, and universities with l...
At The Employment Law Boutique, founded in January 2025, Nancy continues to service clients in relation to employment law issues outside the collective bargaining context. Nancy has been recognized by Best Lawyers™ as the 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” for Labour and Employment Law in addition to other distinguished professional rankings including The Best Lawyers in Canada and Chambers Canada, which she has held since 2022. In 2022 Nancy received the Canadian HR Reporter 5 &ndas...
Brian is a management-side labour, employment and human rights lawyer in Fasken’s Toronto office. Brian advises Canadian businesses (operating both inside and outside of Canada) on how best to identify, prevent and monitor the human rights impact of their operations and activities, including supply chains, as well as guiding them on corporate reporting obligations under Canada’s new Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act . Over the last few years, Bri...
Hugh Dyer is a labour relations and employment lawyer with extensive experience in representing both private and public sector employers, responding to their need for practical, results-oriented legal advice. Hugh advises on issues that concern union and non-union employees, encompassing labour relations, negotiation and administration of collective agreements, human rights, employment standards, health and safety, and other employment matters. Hugh frequently acts as employer counsel in grie...
Elizabeth Traynor is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law and Labour and Employment Law. Elizabeth, who practices law in London, Ontario, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Elizabeth is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Donald K. Eady is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Administrative and Public Law, Employee Benefits Law and Labour and Employment Law. Donald K., who practices law in Toronto, Ontario, has been recognized since 2015. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Donald K. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mr. Israel has practiced exclusively in the areas of Employment and Labour Law since his call to the Bar in 1978. He has appeared successfully before every level of Court including the Ontario Court of Appeal as well as the Supreme Court of Canada. He has been named as one of Canada’s Most Frequently Recommended employment lawyers by The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory every year since its inception in 1998 as well as by The Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 La...
One of Canada’s leading litigators, Gillian is renowned for her empathy, fearless advocacy, and dedication to her clients. Gillian maintains a diverse civil litigation practice involving administrative and public law, professional liability (as preferred counsel for LAWPRO), health law, employment law, and general commercial litigation. Most notably, Gillian is one of Canada’s leading experts in gender-based violence and frequently takes on cases involving sexual assault, abuse, h...
Christopher Wirth is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Administrative and Public Law, Corporate and Commercial Litigation and Labour and Employment Law. Christopher, who practices law in Toronto, Ontario, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Christopher is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mark J. Zega is a partner at Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP, he is experienced in providing a full range of legal services on human resources and public law issues. Practice specialties include labour, employment, human rights, administrative and public law, with a special focus on education and healthcare law issues. He has extensive experience as a litigator and in providing counsel to clients on human resource, risk management, governance and regulatory issues. Mark represents many lar...
Barry is a founding partner of Weintraub Huang LLP. Barry's practice includes litigation of civil & corporate/commercial, environmental and employment matters. Barry is an experienced and successful trial and appellate counsel. He has made more than 1500 appearances in various types of proceedings before various courts at all stages of litigation and has also appeared before several different administrative tribunals. Barry has acted as counsel in numerous mediations and commercial arbitr...
Dolores Barbini is a management-side labour, employment and human rights lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. She advises employers in both the public and private sectors with respect to their union and non-union workforces. Dolores appreciates how important it is to know each client’s business and understand the uniqueness of each workplace. She understands that proactive advice, training and education can provide the most cost-effective results for clients. Dolores has appea...
Andrew McCreary, a lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Ottawa office, devotes his practice to labour and employment law. He predominantly works with employers in the financial services, technology, medical and defence sectors as well as those in government outsourcing. This work has included the defence of numerous wrongful dismissal claims and human rights applications in addition to union organizing campaigns, grievance arbitrations and labour board proceedings. Andrew frequently addresses depar...
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.