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Helen has over 20 years of experience practicing as a labour and employment lawyer. She has worked in private practice on Bay Street as well as in-house at large unionized public sector employers. She has experience in both the federal and provincial sectors. Helen has honed a common sense approach to solving workplace problems that balances the business needs of the employer with recognition of the dignity and rights of employees and their representatives.

Helen’s labour and employment practice has included:

  • Wrongful dismissal
  • Collective agreement interpretation
  • Discipline
  • Labour arbitration
  • Mediation
  • Engagement of employees and contractors
  • Succession planning
  • Compensation
  • Attendance & disability management
  • Safety & Workplace safety & insurance
  • Privacy
  • Workplace emergency management

As part of her busy practice, Helen has extensive experience with investigations, disputes and litigation respecting human rights, harassment, discrimination, and workplace violence. She has advised on Codes of Conduct and issues respecting conflict of interest. For a large and diverse employer, Helen led a team that prepared an extensive report evaluating and making recommendations on the Human Rights, Harassment and Ethics Offices, including their structure and systems.

In recent years, Helen has advised on a number of downsizing initiatives—from both a unionized and non-unionized perspective. Helen has been instrumental in the successful negotiation of 100s of management group employment departures.

Professional Associations

  • ADR Institute of Ontario
  • Association of Workplace Investigators
  • The Canadian Bar Association
  • The Ontario Bar Association

Skills Training

  • Osgoode Hall and Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators Certificate in Adjudication
  • Leadership Assessment Centre conducted by Knightsbridge
  • Holding Fierce Conversations
  • Advanced People Skills Workshop
  • Stitt Feld and Handy Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop
  • OPG Empowered Women Program. Participant and Facilitator
  • Rubin Thomlinson LLP Human Rights Investigation Workshop
  • Osgoode Hall Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop
  • Rotman School of Business Advanced Program in Human Resources Management