Stuart's practice focuses on employment law. He counsels clients on the creation, maintenance and termination of employment relationships. He provides strategic advice regarding the establishment of employment policies, procedures and agreements. When an employment relationship must be severed, he assists clients in understanding their rights and obligations with respect to issues such as severance, human rights and non-competition or non-solicitation covenants.

When disputes arise, Stuart works to find a practical, cost-effective solution for his clients. If matters cannot be resolved, he represents clients before courts, tribunals and mediators.

Stuart speaks and writes extensively on employment law and litigation topics. He is the a member of the panel of employment lawyers writing for the Ask an Expert column which appears in Canadian Employment Law Today. He also contributes regularly to Canadian HR Reporter, Law Times and Lawyers Weekly. Stuart speaks at programs put on by the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario, the B.C. Human Resources Management Association, the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Ontario Bar Association and others.

Stuart has also been interviewed on television, radio and in print in relation to employment law issues.

Accomplishments

•LL.B., Osgoode Hall, 199
•B.A., McGill University (Industrial Relations – Honours), 1994
•Called to Ontario Bar, 1999
•Member of Executive Committee and Council of the Ontario Bar Association
•Member, Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario, Canadian Human Resources Planners, and International Association for Human Resource Information Management.

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Named as one of Canada's most frequently recommended employment lawyers by The Canadian Legal LEXPERT Directory and the American Lawyer Media's Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, Peter Israel a senior partner with Israel Foulon LLP.

As counsel to management and with more than 26 years of experience in employment and labour law, Peter represents both public and private sector employers in healthcare, manufacturing, retail, broadcast, high technology, financial services, insurance and transportation matters. He regularly advises U.S. executives and in-house counsel responsible for overseeing Canadian operations and employees, and provides advice on preventative policies and procedures, recruitment, employment agreements, collective agreements, matters relating to health and safety and human rights in the context of employment, terminations and layoffs, plant closures, successor employer obligations and all manner of labour issues in both the federal and provincial arenas.

Israel has represented clients before many administrative tribunals, both federal and provincial, including the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Canada Labour Relations Board, various human rights boards of inquiry, employment standards referees, numerous grievance arbitrations, criminal and provincial offences, professional misconduct hearings, coroners' inquests and Occupational Health and Safety proceedings. He has also appeared before all levels of court, including the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.

Peter has been an instructor at the Bar Admissions Course and has lectured in the area of employment law for Continuing Legal Education.

Accomplishments

Admissions and Affiliations
•Called to the Ontario Bar (1978)
•Law Society of Upper Canada
•Canadian Bar Association

Education
•LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto, Ontario (1976)
•B.A. (Honours), York University, Toronto, Ontario, (1973)

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Natalie C. MacDonald is a partner at the Toronto employment law firm, Grosman, Grosman & Gale LLP, where she practices exclusively in employment law. MacDonald advises employers and employees in all aspects of employment law including issues in the hiring process, employee terminations, restrictive covenants, employment contracts and employment standard issues.

MacDonald represents both employees and employers before courts of law, statutory bodies including the Ontario Human Rights Commission and the Ontario Labour Relations Board. She has written on a wide variety of employment law issues including, but not limited to, restrictive covenants, issues in the hiring process, changes to the Employment Standards Act, 2000, sexual harassment, probationary clauses and employer liability. She writes regularly for the Employment Bulletin, Canadian HR Reporter and Canadian Employment Law Today. She also speaks at various employment related conferences. MacDonald has also written several papers and co-authored two of them with Brian A. Grosman, Q.C. of Grosman, Grosman & Gale LLP.

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Brian G. Johnston, Q.C., is a partner with Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales in Halifax.

Named as one of the leading employment law practitioners in Atlantic Canada by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Johnston was admitted to the bar in Nova Scotia in 1981.

Accomplishments

Education
•Mount Alison University (B. Comm., honours with distinction, 1977)
•Dalhousie University (L.L.N., 1980)

Queen’s Counsel: 1988

Law Society Memberships
•Canadian Bar Association
•Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society

Other memberships
•Member, Human Resources Association of Nova Scotia
•Member, Canadian Industrial Relations Association
•2005, Chair, Board of Regents, Mount Allison University
•1992 to present, Board of Regents, Mount Allison University
•1994 to 1999, Chair, Federal Judicial Advisory Appointments Committee
•1992, President, Nova Scotia Branch, Canadian Bar Association

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A partner of Harris & Company, Colin Gibson has practised management-side labour relations and employment law since 1986. He is identified by Lexpert as one of the leading employment lawyers in British Columbia.

Colin acts for a wide variety of employers in the private and public sectors. He regularly appears before the B.C. Labour Relations Board, the Canada Industrial Relations Board, arbitration boards, employment standards and human rights tribunals, and the British Columbia and Federal Courts. Colin has been employer counsel in high profile and complex cases. He focuses on obtaining cost-effective results, and on finding creative and durable solutions to difficult problems.

In addition to his counsel work, Colin also represents employers in collective bargaining, sits as the employer's nominee on arbitration boards, and acts as a neutral mediator in employment disputes.

Colin is a former Chair of the Labour Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association (B.C. Branch), and a longstanding member of the Human Resources Management Association. He has written numerous articles on labour relations, arbitration and employment law, and is a well-known speaker on those subjects at Continuing Legal Education, Human Resources Management Association and other seminars.

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Brian Kenny is an experienced litigator who has appeared before all levels of Courts in Saskatchewan. He has also made regular appearances before labour relations boards, human rights tribunals and professional disciplinary bodies.

Brian regularly advises employer clients on the breadth of issues involved in human resource management, collective bargaining, union certification and union-management relations. He has negotiated collective agreements for employers and also for a large employees' association. Brian has significant experience defending professional negligence actions, acting most often for dentists, accountants, engineers and architects.

Brian currently acts as General Counsel to the members of the Public Service Commission of Saskatchewan, and has acted as a Hearing Officer under The Saskatchewan Police Act.

A regular presenter at seminars and conferences on labour and employment law, Brian has also taught labour law and industrial relations at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences.

Accomplishments

• 1983 Bachelor of Laws - University of Saskatchewan
• 1977 Bachelor of Arts (Great Distinction) - University of Regina

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Timothy (Tim) has practiced employment law since being called to the Alberta Bar in 1996. Since joining Laird Armstrong in 1998,he has continued to practice employment law as well as advising employers on labour relations, human rights and workers' compensation issues.

Tim appears regularly before Boards of Arbitration, the Alberta Labour Relations Board and various other Administrative tribunals relating to employment and labour matters. Tim has also appeared before all levels of the the Alberta and Federal Courts representing Employers.

Tim obtained his Bachelor of Law degree in 1994 followed by a graduate certificate in Labour Relations. Tim was the Co-Chair of the Labour and Employment Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association (Alberta) from 2001 to 2003 and has lectured on employment and labour law issues and related matters.

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