Best Lawyers in Ontario, Canada for Labour and Employment Law
Ernie Schirru has practiced both labour and employment law at Koskie Minsky since his call to the Bar in 2003 and is the current leader of the firm’s Labour practice group. Ernie represents industrial, public sector, private sector, entertainment industry and construction trade unions on a full range of labour relations matters, including the acquisition and maintenance of bargaining rights, unfair labour practices, discipline and discharge, grievances arising under collective agreement...
Philip Abbink, Hons BA, MA, JD, practices in the areas of professional regulation and labour law, primarily providing advocacy for health care professionals in grievance arbitrations and at professional Colleges. He also represents employees in investigations, quasi-criminal regulatory proceedings and at Coroners' Inquests. Philip is also the Co-managing Partner at Cavalluzzo. After earning a JD and a MA in International Relations from the University of Toronto, Phil articled at Cavalluzzo. D...
John Saunders is a senior labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. He has over three decades of experience advising employers on a wide range of labour and employment issues. John’s practice includes collective agreement negotiations, rights and interest arbitrations, human rights applications and wrongful dismissal litigation. John has particular expertise in municipal law with regard to fire and paramedic issues. He provides ongoing negotiation advice to fi...
Irv Kleiner is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labour and Employment Law. Irv, who practices law in Toronto, Ontario, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Irv is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
A recognized leader and advocate, Carissa Tanzola is committed to delivering strategic business solutions while navigating legal challenges with integrity and efficiency. As the current Managing Partner of the Firm, she leads with innovation and passion, driving success for both her clients and the firm Carissa provides employers with expert legal guidance and representation for complex workplace issues. Her practice has a special focus in workplace health and safety, workers’ compensat...
Daniel Wong is Chair of the Firm's Employment Law group with a practice that is focused on employment and labour relations. He is frequently sought out by clients for his well-reasoned, practical and strategic advice for complex situations. Daniel frequently advises employers on all aspects of employment and labour relations including executive compensation, employee hiring and terminations, employment standards compliance, unfair practice and human rights complaints, employee privacy issues ...
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...
Andrew Zabrovsky is a partner in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office and is the chair of the firm’s Human Rights Practice Group. Andrew advises clients in both the public and private sectors on all aspects of their labour and employment relationships, with a specific focus on human rights litigation, labour arbitration and workplace accommodation issues. Andrew takes a results-oriented approach to the law, and works with clients to help them achieve their desired outcomes, whether that ...
For almost 40 years, Lorne Richmond has represented private and public sector trade unions and their members before labour relations boards, arbitrators, and the courts. He likes the action; whether litigating, negotiating or settling, he brings a strategic focus to every fight. Lorne has a particular interest in union organizing campaigns, mergers and inter-union affairs. He represented Ontario bricklayers in their ten-year campaign to win independence from their international union. He also...
Ryan Newell became a lawyer in order to fight for social justice. His days are now spent living out that goal, by enforcing the rights of trade unions and workers. Ryan represents trade unions in a wide variety of industries in a broad range of disputes. He approaches his clients’ problems with a curiosity about their unique workplace reality, whether it be a hospital, a factory, a construction site, or a cubicle. He provides advice and representation to unions as they organize new work...
Casey has been a partner with the firm since 2015. She joined the firm in 2011 as an associate, and for five years before that, she held an in-house counsel role with a large Ontario municipality. Casey practises in all areas of labour and employment law. She acts for a wide variety of union and non-union clients in both the public and private sectors. Casey's practice focuses on public sector work, where she represents a number of municipalities, school boards, hospitals, and other broader p...
Gary is a partner with Ursel Phillips Fellows Hopkinson LLP. His practice encompasses all areas of advocacy on behalf of police associations, trade unions, employee associations and individual workers, including grievance arbitrations; collective bargaining and interest arbitrations; Police Service Act discipline hearings and other professional disciplinary hearings; human rights complaints; judicial reviews and judicial inquiries; civil litigation relating to union, association, or workplace...
Jack Siegel, a member of the Blaney McMurtry Labour and Employment practice group, focuses largely on workers' compensation, wrongful dismissal, occupational health and safety and human rights matters. Jack is a former Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Ontario Bar Association, and has been listed in Best Lawyers in Canada for Workers' Compensation Law every year since 2006, and was named by that publication as 2014 Lawyer of the Year in the field of Workers’ Compen...
Khiam Nong is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labour and Employment Law. Khiam, who practices law in Toronto, Ontario, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Khiam is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
As a partner in the Firm, Sarah acts for employers in both the federal and provincial jurisdictions. Her clients operate in a range of industries, including manufacturing, telecommunications, retail, financial services and pharmaceutical. Before joining Filion, Sarah practiced management-side labour and employment law with a global firm. Sarah provides practical and strategic advice to employers on all aspects of labour and employment law. She regularly acts as counsel in wrongful dismissal l...
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.