Practices: Labour & Employment
At Alexander Holburn Beaudin & Lang LLP, our goal is to service your labour and employment law needs in Western Canada. From our office located in the heart of Downtown Vancouver we service clients throughout the region. We offer our global network of law firms to assist you where your needs extend beyond our region. We want you to think of us as your in-house labour and employment law department.
Our Labour & Employment Practice is comprised of eight lawyers. Lawyers in our group bring a range of legal knowledge and experience levels, allowing us to match the right lawyer with each matter we handle for you. While we all have a general background in most workplace issues, different members of our Group focus on areas such as employment contracts and disputes, unfair competition, collective bargaining and labour relations matters including strikes and picketing, occupational health and safety compliance, human rights and pension issues. Your questions will find an answer with our experienced professionals.
Our lawyers also bring experience from servicing clients in specific industries to assist you in your business. These include forestry, oil and gas, aviation, railway, healthcare, technology, insurance, not-for-profits, financial, retail, construction, tourism, restaurants, and resort development to name a few. The experience gained working with clients in your line of business allows us to provide practical solutions to you in a timely manner.
As members of a 65-lawyer firm we also offer the ability to service your other legal needs. For example, we are available to provide assistance with the buying or selling of businesses, corporate planning, contract negotiation, real estate transactions, environmental concerns, family law issues, liability and insurance matters, commercial litigation or wills, trusts and estates. Our firm is available to meet your other legal needs if you choose.
We assist our clients with collective bargaining relationships. As you know, these services span certification through collective agreement negotiation and grievance arbitration. We take on the role of defending your interests during strikes and picketing. We also advise clients on the labour implications of corporate reorganizations.
Advising on the contract of employment between the company and the employee is a mainstay of our employment law practice. This includes drafting and reviewing employment contracts and policy handbooks, addressing issues arising from disabled employees and accommodation of disabilities in the workplace, advising on changes to terms of employment and dealing with employment terminations and any resulting litigation.
Human rights issues may arise infrequently for most employers but if they do the cost of dealing with claims can be substantial. We assist clients to draft and implement anti-discrimination policies, train employees, and handle complaints and investigations to try to avoid complaints. However, if complaints arise, we are experienced in defending claims before human rights tribunals. We will take on the defence of the claim for you. Call us early to implement policies and train your staff or call us later to defend complaints; either way assisting you is our business.
We provide clients with advice on compliance with occupational health and safety regulations, under both the Workers Compensation Act and the Canada Labour Code. We assist clients with WCB claims, assessment and prevention matters. We provide representation before the Review Division, the Appeal Tribunal and before the courts in prosecution and judicial review matters. Our experience in labour relations matters allows us to assist unionized clients in dealing with health and safety issues arising under their collective agreements, including fitness to work, accommodation, impairment and discriminatory action complaints.
We advise clients on provincial and federal statutory requirements including pregnancy and parental leaves and other statutory interpretation issues. We have experience representing employers in employment standards hearings. A telephone call to us will provide you with the proper interpretation of the statute and the process for dealing with any dispute.
We are pleased to advise clients on pension and benefits plans and the interpretation of provincial and federal pension legislation. Our clients include employers, plan members, third party administrators and plan trustees of pension plans. We have experience in this area. Call us for answers.
We provide a variety of business immigration services, including advising on foreign worker entry requirements, obtaining work permits, and other authorization for foreigners to work in Canada, and advising on international treaties and regulations which may facilitate the entry of a foreign worker into Canada, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. In addition, we work with individuals who wish to obtain Permanent Resident status in Canada and assist their employers in supporting these applications.
Michael Watt*
Direct Line: 604.484.1733 
