Profile
Stuart’s practice is focused on employment law. His goal is to help clients adopt a strategic approach to human resources that will maximize their rights and flexibility while minimizing obligations and potential liability. To do so, he provides advice regarding all aspects of employment law, including policies and procedures, hiring, employment agreements, human rights issues, reducing labour costs, restrictive covenants, discipline and terminations.
Stuart represents clients before courts, mediators and tribunals. In 2008, he represented the Human Resources Professionals Association at the Supreme Court of Canada in a landmark employment law case. At every stage, Stuart advises and represents his clients in a manner designed to achieve practical, cost-effective solutions.
Stuart has been repeatedly named in Canadian HR Reporter’s Employment Lawyers Directory (a comprehensive directory of the top employment law and immigration law practitioners in Canada). He has also been named as one of Canada’s top Legal Social Media Influencers. He speaks and writes regularly on employment law and litigation topics, as set out below under Publications & Presentations. Stuart has also been interviewed on television, radio and in print in relation to HR and employment law issues.
Stuart also acts as a mediator in employment-related disputes, assisting parties and their counsel to reach a resolution.
Stuart believes that an understanding of a client’s circumstances and concerns is vital to providing them with quality legal advice. At the same time, he ensures that his clients understand the legal process and the options available to them. His focus is the bottom line: helping clients to maximize results while minimizing costs.
Education
- Advanced Alternative Dispute Resolution Workshop, Stitt Feld Handy, 2011
- Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, 2001
- LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, 1997
- Stephen Leggatt, Q.C. Prize for Best Academic Paper-Intensive Programme in Criminal Law, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, 1997
- B.A. (Hons) Industrial Relations, McGill University, 1994
Directorships
- Chair, Labour & Employment Section, Ontario Bar Association
- Board of Directors, Ontario Bar Association
- Advisory Committee, Family Education Centre
- Board of Directors, Lawyers' International Food Enterprise (LIFE)
- Editorial Advisory Board, HR Professional
- Editorial Advisory Board, Consult Carswell
- Director, Osgoode Professional Development’s Certificate Course – HR Law for HR Professionals
Memberships
- Member of Council, Ontario Bar Association & Canadian Bar Association
- Member, Canadian Bar Association – Civil Litigation and Labour & Employment Sections
- Member, Human Resources Professionals Association, Canadian Human Resources Planners, Strategic Capabilities Network, and International Association for Human Resource Information Management
- Member, Advocates Society
Presentations
- Chair, Osgoode Professional Development’s Annual Employment Law Conference (2007 to Present)
- Regular presenter at seminars and conferences hosted by organizations such as the Human Resources Professionals Association, the Ontario Bar Association, the United Way, the B.C. Human Resources Management Association, and the Law Society of Upper Canada
Published Works
- Author, You're Fired! Just Cause for Dismissal in Canada, (2011, Thomson Reuters)
- Author, Employment Law chapter of Bullen & Leake & Jacob’s Canadian Precedents of Pleadings, (2010, Thomson Reuters)
- Author, Employment and Labour chapter of Business Laws of Canada (2009 and 2010 editions, West Publishing)
- Co-author, Canadian Employment Law Answers, (2008, Thomson Reuters)
- Author, Legal Source, a regular column in Network, the official magazine of the Human Resources Institute of Alberta
Other Editorial Contributions
- Host and Moderator of Canadian HR Law – a blog and monthly web-television show
- Legal reviewer, ClearSite’s Company Handbook Toolkit (and their recommended employment lawyer)
- Contributor, First Reference legal blog
- Editor and Contributor, Miller Thomson LLP’s Labour & Employment Group Blog
- Responder to reader questions in the Ask an Expert column of Canadian Employment Law Today
- Regular contributor on employment law issues in the Canadian Human Resources Reporter, Globe and Mail,National Post, Law Times and Lawyers Weekly
Key Practice Expertise
Areas of Focus
- Human Resources
- Discipline & Dismissals
- All Aspects of the Employment Relationship
Year of Call
- Ontario Bar, 1999