Best Lawyers Near You in Ottawa, Ontario for Labour and Employment Law
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 ...
Heather Cameron is a partner in our employment and labour group. Heather practises in all areas of employment, labour, privacy and human rights in the federal and provincial jurisdictions. She has extensive experience advising on best practises and protocols to ensure legislative compliance and minimize risk, including, but not limited to, employment standards, anti-harassment and anti-bullying, human rights, disability accommodation, and privacy. Heather advises and represents employers in c...
André serves a large client base in the public, broader public and private sectors with a particular focus on health care and post-secondary education. His clients value his strategic input, practical advice and responsiveness. In addition to managing a substantial grievance arbitration practice in both official languages, André supports his vast client base by providing advice and legal representation in the context of collective agreement bargaining, preparation of employment ...
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.
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...
A strong defender of the view that a messy desk is a sign of creative genius, Colleen Bauman enjoys grappling with legal questions that don’t have an easy answer. Clients and colleagues look to Colleen when facing complex or novel constitutional, labour, or human rights issues. In her down to earth style, Colleen guides them with thoughtful advice that is both practical and tactical. Colleen’s clients include unions, professional associations, employees, other lawyers and even jud...
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...
Christopher Edwards is a senior partner in our Employment, Labour & Public Law , Commercial Litigation , Insurance and Workplace Investigations Groups. A seasoned litigator, he has over 20 years of experience conducting trials and hearings before administrative tribunals and arbitrators. Christopher has appeared at all levels of Courts in Ontario including the Ontario Court of Appeal and federally at the Federal Court of Appeal. Christopher is currently one of three partners on the Manage...
Charles Hofley is a senior labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Ottawa office who maintains a fully bilingual practice. He has more than 30 years of experience advising employers on a broad range of employment and labour matters including terminations, collective agreement negotiation and administration, human rights and social service matters. Charles is an experienced negotiator and regularly appears before boards of arbitration, administrative tribunals and all levels of co...
Charles Hurdon is managing partner of our Canadian practice and sits on our global executive committee. He is chair of our Canadian management committee. Mr. Hurdon practises employment and labour law exclusively, advising and representing employers in both federal and provincial jurisdictions. He has extensive experience in representing and advising employers in matters relating to executive employment agreements, executive compensation and executive terminations. Mr. Hurdon regularly appear...
Sean Bawden is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate and Commercial Litigation and Labour and Employment Law. Sean, who practices law in Ottawa, Ontario, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sean is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Patrick Twagirayezu is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labour and Employment Law. Patrick, who practices law in Ottawa, Ontario, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patrick is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Kyle joined Soloway Wright as a litigation lawyer in 2015 after previously completing his articles with the firm. Kyle is a member of the Employment, Labour & Public Law , and Commercial Litigation practice groups. Kyle has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario, including the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Ontario Divisional Court, the Superior Court of Justice and the Small Claims Court, as well as in the Federal Court. Kyle has also represented clients before several administrati...
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.