
About
Provided by Fasken
Appropriately navigating the labour, employment, and human rights landscapes is essential to attracting, retaining, and motivating your employees and by extension successfully maintaining and developing your business.
With offices in all the major city centres across Canada our Labour, Employment & Human Rights (LEHR) lawyers work with clients to provide proactive, pragmatic and cost-effective advice. Whether you need help to conclude innovative collective agreements or create risk management and compliance programs, we have the in-depth knowledge and experience required. In the event disputes arise, we will help you defuse tension among stakeholders and skillfully represent your interests in court, before tribunals or at arbitration.
In addition to our extensive Canadian presence and experience, we boast highly qualified and detailed-oriented LEHR lawyers in Johannesburg, South Africa, as well as connections to experts around the world, which enables us to help employers from all facets of industry and government, wherever they operate.
Chambers Review
This highly respected employment and labour team operates on both a provincial and federal level. Fasken's Toronto office has established a deep practice able to service high-profile national clients including private corporations and government entities. The group is active across a range of sectors, including transportation, telecommunications and banking, and often assists clients with international labour issues. It has extensive experience working with the government and employers on provincial labour and employment legislation, as well as handling significant mandates for noteworthy education and healthcare industry clients.
Work Highlights
- A Fasken team led by Karen Sargeant and Shane Todd acted for Toronto-Dominion Bank on a variety of litigation issues, including wrongful dismissals and human rights matters.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"The team is very efficient and has a good variety of specialties and knowledge."
"The team is solution-focused and creative. Their strong focus on customer service is visible at every level of the organisation."
"The team is very efficient and has a good variety of specialties and knowledge."
"The team is solution-focused and creative. Their strong focus on customer service is visible at every level of the organisation."
Notable Practitioners

Toronto-based Brian Burkett is a highly experienced senior employment lawyer who continues to advise high-profile federal clients on collective agreements and bargaining. He is also esteemed for providing companies with strategic employment advice, including on policy and legislative initiatives.
"Brian is the absolute best of the best."

Douglas Gilbert continues to be widely respected for his skills in assisting federal clients with a broad range of labour and employment matters. Based in Toronto, his recent work includes advising on employment policy, collective agreements and other employment matters resulting from organisational changes or restructurings.

Jackie VanDerMeulen is a well-regarded labour and employment lawyer who has notable experience in contentious employment matters such as wrongful terminations and discrimination claims. She represents both provincial and national clients, and her expertise also extends to workplace human rights and collective bargaining issues.
"Jackie provides excellent advice with a great client-centric focus."

Karen Sargeant co-chairs Fasken's labour and employment group in Toronto. She wins praise for representing both provincial and federal clients in the healthcare, education and industrial sectors and is particularly skilled in collective bargaining agreements, arbitration and employment-related litigation. She also advises on the employment aspects of corporate transactions.

Christopher Pigott is a prominent labour lawyer who is well versed in collective bargaining and employment-related disputes, providing strategic advice to both federal and provincial clients. He is particularly skilled in human rights cases and advising on federal policy initiatives.
Ranked Lawyers at
Fasken
Ontario





Members
Provided by Fasken