Richard F. Steele

Richard advises clients on all aspects of employment and labour law, as well as corporate/commercial litigation issues. Richard has appeared before all levels of Court in Alberta, the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board and the Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench, as well as the Canada Industrial Relations Board. He also represents clients in mediations and arbitrations.

His employment law advice includes negotiating and drafting employment agreements, managing employees during employment, termination of employment, WCB issues, and disability and human rights matters. He often advises clients relating to policy issues, including drug and alcohol policies, restrictive covenant obligations, compensatory benefit programs, and site access issues. He is experienced in conducting independent workplace investigations and is involved in representing clients in all employment related disputes, including wrongful and constructive dismissal, human rights, WCB, restrictive covenant, and workplace harassment.

Richard advises clients in relation to corporate matters, including downsizing, layoffs, mass terminations and complex corporate transactions.

Richard advises on all aspects of labour relations and union matters, including negotiating and drafting collective agreements, unfair labour practice complaints, duty of fair representation complaints, certifications and revocations, site access disputes, and successor and common employer disputes.

Richard Steele is consistently recognized as a leading employment and labour lawyer in Canada. His honours include rankings in Chambers Canada, Best Lawyers in Canada, the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, and Benchmark Litigation Canada, where he has been recognized as a Litigation Star and recipient of the 2024 National Impact Case Award. He has been recognized for Labour and Employment Law by Best Lawyers since 2008 and continues to be acknowledged by clients and peers as a leading adviser on complex workplace and employment disputes.

Law Society of Alberta; Canadian Bar Association; Calgary Bar Association.

Steele and Smith v. City of Leduc (workplace misconduct class action).

DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. v. Falkbuilt Ltd. (restrictive covenants and executive employment litigation).

Major Oil & Gas Brokerage employment standards and bonus litigation (confidential).

Workplace investigations and harassment matters.

Labour relations, grievance arbitration and union matters.

Richard's focus is on employment and labour.

Richard appears before all levels of Court in Alberta and the Federal Court of Canada. He also appears before the Alberta Labour Relations Board, the Canada Industrial Relations Board, the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board and the Alberta Human Rights Commission. He regularly:

Advises clients regarding termination and layoff strategy

Drafts collective agreements, employment agreements, independent consultant contracts, change of control and retention agreements

Advises clients concerning personnel procedures and policies, drug and alcohol policies, restrictive covenant obligations and site access issues

Advises clients on downsizing, corporate transactions, defending employment-related litigation and discrimination complaints

Advises clients relating to union matters, including collective agreements, unfair labour practice complaints, duties of fair representation, certification and revocation, and successor and common employer applications

Represents parties at grievance arbitrations

Advises clients on all aspects of whistleblower policies and workplace investigations, including retaining and organizing independent, 3rd party, workplace investigations, as well as personally conducting workplace investigations

Brigham Young University

Bachelor of Arts (cum laude)

1993

University of Alberta

Bachelor of Laws

1996

Certificate of Workplace Investigation Fundamentals

2024