Employment & Labour | Canada

McCarthy Tétrault is a respected law firm noted for its employment practice in Toronto and nationally. The firm wins recognition for its strength in employment and labour issues relating to transactional work, as well as advising on a range of other matters including employment and labour disputes, collective agreement negotiations and compliance issues. It is particularly notable for its work in the transportation and education sectors. The group advises a variety of public sector clients, including provincial authorities, institutions and Crown corporations, and is highly reputed for its representation of the government of Ontario in major union negotiations.

Norton Rose Fulbright operates a top-notch employment and labour team, combining its strengths in Ontario with a solid national practice. With offices in Toronto and Ottawa, the firm often represents federally and provincially regulated employers in large-scale contentious matters, including judicial review cases, labour relations board representations and defence of union certification attempts, as well as advising on human rights issues and non-compete agreements. The team is favoured by clients from the construction and infrastructure industries. It offers experience representing employers and associations in the electrical and energy sectors and an array of public sector clients including educational institutions, Crown corporations and professional bodies.

Blake, Cassels & Graydon is a national firm with an employment team based in Toronto and Ottawa. It provides significant capabilities in both transactional and contentious employment matters for a range of provincial, federal and international clients. It is capable of advising on all employment aspects of M&A, including drafting contracts and handling occupational health and safety matters. Furthermore, its experience encompasses constructive dismissals, harassment claims and human rights issues.

Miller Thomson provides a full-service employment law offering, acting for both provincial and national employers from industries such as healthcare, food and beverages, retail and finance. Its expertise spans labour relations, occupational health and safety, collective agreements, grievances, workplace safety and pay equity, among other matters. Additionally, the team offers expertise in restructuring, insolvency and alternative dispute resolution, representing clients in a variety of contentious employment matters, and is equipped to advise clients on the employment aspects of M&A. The firm has a suite of offices across Ontario, in Toronto, London, Waterloo and Vaughan.

Rae Christen Jeffries is a prominent employment and labour boutique based in Toronto. It represents major provincial and national employers in collective agreement negotiations, and is also well placed to advise on grievance arbitrations, most significantly concerning labour relations in the construction industry. The firm's employment practice covers severance negotiations and employee benefits.

The Ontario-based employment practice of Aird & Berlis assists with a wide range of matters, including contract drafting, compliance and contentious matters. The group handles disputes in various ways, including arbitration, human rights and civil litigation as well as representation before the civil courts and employment tribunals. The team also advises on matters related to collective bargaining and unionised activity. The team's clients include multinationals as well as notable Canadian names.

The Toronto-based employment team at international firm Baker McKenzie is regularly seen assisting with a variety of disputes, including wrongful dismissals, human rights, discrimination claims and grievance. The lawyers also advise on union organising matters. The team represents a number of academic institutions, state employers and commercial clients, including multinationals.

Cassels Brock & Blackwell is a large Toronto-headquartered firm with a significant employment and labour practice group. The team regularly advises clients from the finance, technology and food and drink sectors on the employment aspects of corporate transactions. It also handles human resources issues, employee relations, employment standards compliance and employment litigation involving wrongful dismissal claims.

McMillan is noted for its strong and varied employment and labour practice. It is particularly proficient on employee compensation matters, harassment claims and occupational health and safety issues. The team is active in a variety of industries, including banking, sports and technology. Clients benefit from the firm's offices in Toronto, Ottawa and across Canada.

Rubin Thomlinson in Toronto is renowned for its advice in the area of workplace and institutional investigations and assessments. Its expertise in harassment and misconduct includes experience advising on workplace human rights issues and wrongful dismissal cases. The firm acts for a varied client base that includes healthcare providers, public sector entities and private corporations.