George Avraam practices trial and appellate litigation. As part of his practice, Mr. Avraam has represented employers whose employees and former employees have engaged in significant misconduct, including committing fraud against their employers, as well misappropriating the employers confidential information or otherwise breaching their fiduciary duties. Mr. Avraam has been lead counsel in a number of cases involving employee and former employee misconduct. Mr. Avraam is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a specialist in civil litigation. He was named a leading lawyer in Chambers Global 2017 for Employment and Labour: Canada, and was recommended in the 2017 edition of Legal500. Mr. Avraam has been repeatedly ranked as a leading management side labour and employment lawyer in Canada in Who’s Who Legal: Canada, and was named one of Lexpert’s Rising Stars – Leading Lawyers under 40 in 2008.

Kevin Coon acts as counsel, and as trusted and strategic adviser to government, corporate and not-for-profit organizations, on human resource, regulatory, compliance and risk management, with emphasis on international labour standards; corporate social responsibility; ethics; codes of conduct; due diligence; human rights; workplace investigations; occupational health and safety; collective bargaining; executive contracts; workplace harassment; positive employee relations; local and global labour relations; government relations; officers and directors due diligence and fiduciary obligations; and, workers compensation. Mr. Coon has been ranked as a leading management side labour and employment lawyer in Canada by Who’s Who Legal: Canada 2012.

Bill Watson was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1981 and has practiced with Baker McKenzie for much of his career, becoming a Partner Principal in 1987. Bill has twice served as the Practice Group Leader for the Labour, Employment, Employment Benefits and Immigration Practice Group and is a former Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie in Canada. Bill’s practice focuses on large issue litigation and the conduct of complex negotiations, domestically and internationally, in the following fields:  arbitration and dispute resolution; collective bargaining; education law and university governance; employment law; health law; human rights; inquests; international labour standards; labour relations; occupational health and safety; and privacy law. Bill served as the Canada-wide negotiator in the negotiation of the first compensation package for victims of HIV tainted blood in the 1990’s. Bill served for 5 years as a member of the Canadian Employer Delegation to the International Labour Organization including a term as the head of that Delegation and Vice-President of the Annual ILO Conference. Bill has served as a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Waterloo since 2011 and previously served as President of the University of Waterloo Alumni Association. Bill was an initial recipient of the University of Waterloo 50th Anniversary Alumni Award in recognition of professional achievement and public service. Bill and his wife, Jeanne, are active supporters of the theatre community and are members of the Governor’s Council at the Shaw Festival Theatre – Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Bill and Jeanne have been recognized for their commitment to philanthropy by the Golden Horseshoe Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Christopher Burkett is an experienced trial advocate, having appeared before a variety of administrative tribunals, at all levels of trial court, and the Court of Appeal for Ontario. Mr. Burkett’s broad litigation and advocacy practice specifically focuses in the areas of labour and employment law, administrative and public law, professional discipline, corporate anti-bribery compliance, and criminal matters.

Prior to joining Baker McKenzie in 2011, Mr. Burkett was an Assistant Crown Attorney, where he was the lead prosecutor on numerous criminal trials; including serious commercial fraud prosecutions.

Mr. Burkett’s experience extends to matters involving internal investigations, administrative tribunals, judicial review applications, injunctions, trials, and appeals.

Jonathan Cocker heads the Firm’s Environment & Environmental Markets Practice Group in Toronto, where he also serves as chair of the Pro Bono Committee. He authored the Global Climate Change Law Guide, and has worked with the Management Board Secretariat of the Government of Ontario. Mr. Cocker has represented a wide range of clients before various administrative boards, the Superior Court of Justice and the Federal Court of Canada, among others.

Mr. Cocker routinely advises multinational companies on various environmental health and safety matters, as well as related regulatory issues. He also handles legal matters relating to environmental compliance and project development, including UNFCC-related Clean Development Mechanism projects, greenfields and brownfields transactions. Mr. Cocker’s practice also covers permitting and approvals work for clean energy projects. He is knowledgeable in related regulatory fields, including hazardous waste obligations and the requirements for the transportation of dangerous goods.

Mark Ellis is an experienced litigator who appears regularly before all levels of courts and tribunals in Ontario. Mark has also appeared as lead counsel on several occasions at the Supreme Court of Canada. As the author of Canada’s leading treatise on fiduciary obligations and three related books, his opinion is regularly sought in Canada’s boardrooms regarding all aspects of corporate compliance and governance. Mark is a highly-regarded speaker, having chaired over two hundred conferences throughout his career, and spoken internationally regarding compliance, governance and anti-corruption. He is also a visiting professor at Queen’s University.

Jeremy Hann’s practice is primarily focused on Employment and Labour litigation. He has appeared as defendant/respondent/employer counsel before the numerous Ontario tribunals, courts and arbitrators who hear labour, employment and human rights matters. Jeremy also maintains a busy day-to-day counselling practice where he assists employers in their HR counsel needs, as well as handling specials projects such as the employment, labour and benefits aspects of corporate transactions, mass reductions in force and workplace violence and harassment investigations. One of Jeremy’s principal strengths is his ability to leverage his litigation experience in order to provide practical and business-focused advice to employers as they navigate through the various human-rights related minefields. Jeremy has been a lawyer at Baker McKenzie since 2004.

Andrew Shaw has a general and diverse labour and employment practice. Mr. Shaw regularly represents employers in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and before various labour, employment and human rights related administrative tribunals. In particular, his practice is focused on providing his clients with strategic advice regarding various matters including employment standards, labour arbitration, collective bargaining, human rights, wrongful dismissals and occupational health and safety. Mr. Shaw also regularly assists clients with reviewing and updating their workplace policies and procedures, as well as providing the training required to ensure these policies are properly implemented and applied.

Prior to attending law school, Mr. Shaw held labour relations positions at both private and public sector companies. In these roles, he managed the processing of grievances to an appropriate resolution, assisted internal clients with the interpretation of employment-related legislation, and provided counsel to senior management as required.

Donna Walwyn heads the Pension and Employee Benefits Practice Group in Toronto. She advises corporations, boards of trustees, plan administrators and internal pension and benefits committees on all areas of pension and employee benefits law including plan and fund administration, governance issues and retirement fund investment. She also provides pension specialist support in litigation and insolvency matters.

Jennifer Bernardo has a broad litigation and advocacy practice, encompassing all areas of labour and employment law in Canada’s common law jurisdictions, with a particular focus on employment standards, labour relations, human rights claims and wrongful dismissal actions. Ms. Bernardo also advises on the labour and employment implications of corporate transactions, as well as issues relating to international labour and human rights standards, corporate compliance and risk management, and internal investigations.

Claire-Marie Colantuoni advises on a wide range of labour and employment law matters, providing practical legal and business advice to both domestic and international clients. Called to the bar in both Ontario and Quebec, her practice encompasses all areas of labour and employment law in both Canadian common law and Quebec’s civil law jurisdictions, with a particular focus on employment standards, wrongful dismissals, workplace policies, human rights, occupational health and safety, and privacy.

Jesse Freeman has a broad litigation and advocacy practice, encompassing all areas of labour and employment law in Canada’s common law jurisdictions, with a particular focus on employment standards, labour arbitration, human rights, wrongful dismissals and occupational health and safety. Ms. Freeman also advises employers on a wide range of labour and employment law matters, providing practical legal and business advice to both domestic and international private and public sector clients.

Jordan Kirkness advises and represents employers in all areas of labour and employment law. Jordan is experienced in litigation, negotiation, and compliance, and he is committed to identifying the most practical, cost-effective and permanent solution in each case. Before joining Baker McKenzie in 2013, Jordan practiced at a large, full-service firm in Vancouver. He has been called to the bar in both British Columbia and Ontario, and he regularly represents employers with operations in multiple Canadian jurisdictions.

Courtney Laidlaw has a broad litigation and advocacy practice, encompassing all areas of labour and employment law in Canada’s common law jurisdictions, with a particular focus on employment standards, labour relations, human rights claims and wrongful dismissal actions. Courtney also advises domestic and international employers on a wide range of labour and employment law matters.

Stephanie MacIntosh advises on global mobility and compliance issues, working with multinational companies to establish employer compliance mechanisms and internal mobility policies. Stephanie provides strategic advice to key stakeholders, corporate counsel and HR personnel with respect to global mobility strategies and immigration eligibility requirements in order to secure appropriate immigration authorization for foreign professionals coming to Canada. She also coordinates with global immigration colleagues to facilitate the transfer of expatriates to jurisdictions outside Canada.

Susan MacMillan is a Professional Support Lawyer in the Employment & Compensation Group in Toronto. Susan is passionate about exploring new developments in Canadian and global employment law and their implications for employers. Prior to joining Baker McKenzie, Susan had a broad employment law practice at a full-service, national firm. She was also seconded to a Canadian chartered bank as Legal Counsel in the bank’s Employment Law Group. Susan holds an LL.M. from the University of Toronto where her thesis focused on the interaction between seniority rights and the duty to accommodate.

Gillian Maharaj is an associate in Baker McKenzie’s Toronto office. A graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, Gillian completed her articles at a leading employment and labour law firm, focusing on human resources law and advocacy.

Gillian is also involved in pro bono work. Her experience includes the Family Law Information Clinic at Newmarket Superior Court, the Will Drafting Project with Pro Bono Students Canada, Court Intake work at Scarborough Criminal Court, and the Child Protection Externship at the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto.