Professional Profile

I was employed during the summers of 1965 -1974 by Falconbridge Nickel Mines Limited. For the first two summers, I worked in plant bargaining unit positions. Then I spent the following seven summers in the Industrial Relations Department where I was involved in the investigation of grievances and workplace incidents, preparations to assist counsel in connection with grievance arbitrations, and attending at the negotiations of renewal collective agreements.

I articled at Blake, Cassels & Graydon, with particular emphasis on labour and employment litigation, and joined the firm as an associate in 1976.   I was a partner at Blakes from 1981 to 2012, and the head of the Toronto Labour & Employment Law practice from its establishment as a practice group separate from the Litigation Department in 1988 until my retirement effective January 31, 2012. 

I was responsible for all of the labour and employment-related affairs of numerous clients in a wide range of industries and undertakings. In addition to providing on-going advice regarding law, policies, and practices, I represented employers in proceedings before provincial and federal labour relations boards, in human rights investigations and complaints, in labour negotiations as lead spokesperson or as counsel advising the employer’s committee, in the arbitration of grievances and interest arbitrations to settle terms of collective agreements in the public sector, in the investigation and trial of occupational health and safety matters, and in judicial review and appellate proceedings.  Also, I advised and represented both employers and employees in contract negotiations, employment terminations, employment standards matters, and “wrongful dismissal” litigation.

While in practice I served from time to time as an employer nominee to boards of arbitration dealing with grievances in both the public and private sectors.

During the period 1991-2012 I served as the General Editor of the Employment and Labour Law Reporter, a monthly publication of Butterworths/LexisNexis. Long before that, I contributed to the second edition of Canadian Labour Arbitration by Donald J.M. Brown and David Beatty.