Best Lawyers in Ontario, Canada for Labour and Employment Law
John Peters is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labour and Employment Law. John, who practices law in Ottawa, Ontario, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Anthony Panacci represents unionized and non-unionized employers in a variety of industries, including the finance, telecommunications, education, transportation, and manufacturing sectors. Anthony provides strategic legal advice on the complete range of workforce matters, including those related to labour, employment, human rights, and health and safety matters. Anthony is also a member of Fasken’s multi-disciplinary executive compensation team, advising on executive employment agreeme...
Biography Andrew Shaw is a partner in the Firm's Employment & Compensation Law Group. Prior to attending law school, Andrew held labour relations/human resources positions at both private and public sector companies. In these roles, he managed workplace disputes and grievances to an appropriate resolution, assisted internal clients with the interpretation of employment-related legislation, and provided counsel to senior management as required. Andrew assists clients with all aspects of th...
Melanie Polowin is a partner in Gowlings' Ottawa office, practising in the Employment and Labour Law National Practice Group. Melanie advises Canadian and international employers, from start-ups to well established companies, on how to effectively manage all aspects of their employment relationships, from recruitment and hiring to termination. Melanie also assists businesses and investors with the employment aspects of corporate life-cycle events, including starting up, financing, mergers and...
A member of the Ontario and Quebec bars, Sébastien Lorquet is a lawyer, strategist and negotiator with more than 20 years experience assisting employers with their most challenging human resources issues. He assists the firm's clients with a wide range of issues relating to labour relations, grievance arbitration, union certification, strikes, dismissals, corporate policies, personnel management, restructuring, human rights and labour standards. Sébastien has extensive experienc...
Jackie VanDerMeulen practices all aspects of labour, employment and human rights law. She is a skilled advocate who regularly represents employers in labour arbitrations, interest arbitrations, federal and provincial labour board matters, human rights proceedings (including pay equity), employment litigation and applications for judicial review. She also supports employers with collective bargaining and day-to-day employment advice. Jackie has gained valuable experience in pay equity, employm...
Esi Codjoe provides pragmatic and solutions focused legal advice to employers and employees, in both non-unionized and unionized private and public sector workplaces. That work includes assisting regulated professional organizations and regulated professionals with their unique employment, regulatory and governance needs. Esi conducts workplace investigations, reviews, and assessments for both large and small employers. Her experience as a former adjudicator, including as a Vice Chair at the ...
Evan Campbell joined Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP as a partner in 2022 after practicing as a partner in a national law firm. Evan provides proactive advice to private and public sector employers on a variety of issues, including discipline and terminations, employment standards, human rights, employment contracts and workplace policies, workplace safety and insurance, and industrial and construction labour relations. Evan’s private sector clients range from Fortune 500 entities to...
Sean is a Partner at Ross & McBride LLP, practising in the Labour & Employment Law Group. Sean's practice encompasses a wide variety of employment law matters including drafting and negotiating employment contracts, advising employees on employment and human rights matters, and employment litigation.
Elisha Jamieson-Davies is an experienced litigator in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. She represents employers in a variety of industries including financial services, school boards, retail, social services, mining, manufacturing, colleges, hospitality, municipal, not-for-profits, healthcare and consulting. Elisha has expertise in many types of litigation including employment disputes, long-term disability claims, commercial disputes, restrictive covenant enforcement, class actions and j...
Chris Foulon is a Founding Partner and the Managing Partner of Israel Foulon Wong LLP. He represents both employers and employees in a wide range of employment and labour matters including: wrongful dismissals, injunctions, Employment Standards Hearings, disputes before the Ministry of Labour, workplace safety matters, Occupational Health and Safety charges and matters before the Human Rights Tribunal. Chris also advises employers with respect to union organization drives and responding to ap...
Sebastien Huard is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labour and Employment Law. Sebastien, who practices law in Ottawa, Ontario, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sebastien is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Hugh Christie is the managing partner of Ogletree Deakins’ Toronto office. He provides commercial and public sector clients with advice on all elements of employment law, from pre-hiring through recruitment, drafting agreements, benefit plans and policies, discipline, promotion, succession planning, termination and post-employment obligations. Hugh deals with employment issues arising out of restructuring of the workplace as a result of corporate transactions and trans-border employment...
John Bruce is a management-side labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. John acts for an array of employers in the public and private sectors in all aspects of workplace law. John assists clients with: Advocacy, Litigation and Advice. He acts as employer counsel and advocate across Canada in grievance arbitrations, civil litigation, union issues, occupational health and safety cases, and human rights matters. Transactions and Strategy. He provides clients with str...
Gregory Power is a labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office but his practice extends nationwide. He provides strategic, practical and cost-effective advice to employers from coast to coast on a variety of workplace issues. Gregory chairs the firm’s Colleges Sector Practice Group and previously served on the firm’s Executive Committee. He is an experienced negotiator who provides strategic guidance during times of crisis and times of significant change. H...
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.