5 TH ANNUAL Human Rights Summit

Transcription

1 5 TH ANNUAL Human Rights Summit Biographical Summaries for Program Faculty [In Alphabetical Order]

2 Antonella Ceddia Antonella Ceddia is a litigation lawyer with the City of Toronto. She practises human rights defence on behalf of the City, Chief of Police, the Toronto Police Service and the Toronto Police Services Board and provides advice on contentious human rights issues involving the City and its services to the public. Antonella practiced commercial litigation and medical negligence defence at McCarthy Tetrault LLP for six years before joining the City. She articled at the Court of Appeal for Ontario where she clerked for Justices Abella, Feldman, Moldaver and Austin. Before law, Antonella held senior professional roles in the public and private sectors including the following: Policy/Issues Analyst at the Ontario Cabinet Office, Policy Advisor at the Office of the Mayor, Barbara Hall, Toronto; Principal of her own human rights management-side consulting firm; Human Rights Investigator at the Ontario Human Rights Commission; and, first full-time Human Rights Investigator at a Canadian university. Antonella holds an LL.B. from Queen s University, an M.A. from the University of Waterloo in Canadian Political Science (Public Policy and Administration) and an Hons. B.A. in Political Science/French minor from the University of Toronto. She holds a Certificate in Advanced Alternative Dispute Resolution and has particular interest in mediation and alternative dispute resolution. Antonella is the C0-Chair of the Practice Advisory Committee to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and served on the Executive of Constitutional Civil Liberties and Human Rights Section of the Ontario Bar Association. Antonella regularly lectures at conferences and universities in Ontario and Canada on human rights issues. For the past twelve years, she has been a faculty member teaching legal writing to lawyers at the Intensive Course on Written Advocacy offered by Osgoode Professional Development. Antonella is a Director on the Board of Directors of WoodGreen Community Services and is the Chair of its Governance Committee. She has served on the Board of Directors of United Way Toronto and was Chair of its Allocations Committee and a Member of its Governance Committee. She has been Chair/President of not- for-profit boards of directors including Community Resources Consultants of Toronto, Nightwood Theatre, and the Canadian Association Against Sexual Harassment in Higher Education. She has served as Executive Member of the Women s Law Association of Ontario. Antonella recently developed a course on human rights obligations and municipal planning and teaches the course at Ryerson University.

3 Dr Bruce Demers MD, CCFP, MRO, ACBOM Assistant Professor Northern Ontario School of Medicine Dr. Demers is a graduate of the University of Ottawa. He completed his postgraduate training in family medicine at McMaster University and is certified with the College of Family Physicians of Canada. He is currently an associate of the Canadian Board of Occupational Medicine and provides occupational health consulting services to a variety of industries. He is a certified Medical Review Officer (MRO) and has been actively providing MRO services to Canadian companies for over two decades. He is the Medical Director and Chief Medical Review Officer for CannAmm Occupational Testing Services, a company he cofounded. Dr. Demers has lectured on a number of topics most notably on drug testing, to a variety of audiences across Canada and internationally. He has recently participated as a subject matter expert in the revision of the Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA) Canadian Model for Alcohol and Drug testing Guidelines and Work Rule. Dr. Demers is an Associate Professor with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and has spent a great deal of time teaching and assisting in the administration of medical education at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He maintains hospital privileges at the North Bay Regional Health Center where he works with the Regional Specialized Mental Health Program and the District Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Unit.

4 PETER ENGELMANN Peter Engelmann has practised labour and human rights law for over 25 years. He is a senior partner of the firm Goldblatt Partners, a firm with offices in Toronto and Ottawa. Peter practises in the Ottawa office. Peter s practice focuses on all aspects of labour law, human rights, pay and employment equity law, Charter litigation and professional discipline. He has appeared at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and appears regularly before arbitrators, human rights tribunals, and other administrative tribunals. Peter has also served as Commission counsel to a public inquiry. Peter is the co-author of Trade Union Law in Canada and speaks regularly at legal seminars on labour and human rights topics. He also provides educational seminars to unions and other groups. He has been selected by his peers to be named in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a leading practitioner in labour law and workplace human rights law. Peter received his law degree from the University of Alberta in 1981 and was called to the Alberta Bar in 1982 and to the Ontario Bar in He is a member of the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers, the Advocates Society, and the Canadian Bar Association.

5 BIOGRAPHY Katherine Ford is a lawyer with Sherrard Kuzz LLP and represents employers in all aspects of the employment relationship. Katherine has experience litigating before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Courts, the Labour Relations Board and before labour arbitrators. As a component of her practice, she deals extensively with human rights related matters. She is also frequently retained as a neutral investigator in workplace investigations. Katherine is a Member-at-Large of the National Labour and Employment Section of the Canadian Bar Association, and a member of the Ontario Bar Association. She is called to the Bar in both Ontario and British Columbia. Katherine has written and lectured for and at industry and client seminars on a variety of employment, labour and human rights issues. Katherine is a co-author of Carswell s Practice & Procedure Before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia Law School and holds a Bachelor of Arts, Honours Degree, in Psychology from Queen s University.

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7 Michael Gottheil, Executive Chair Social Justice Tribunals Ontario Michael Gottheil is the Executive Chair of Social Justice Tribunals Ontario (SJTO), a cluster of eight adjudicative tribunals, with jurisdiction ranging from human rights, to residential tenancies, social benefits and disability support, compensation for victims of crime, special education and child and youth service oversight. He previously served as Chair of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, and as Executive Chair of the Environment and Land Tribunals Ontario, the province s first tribunal cluster. Mr. Gottheil is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School and began practicing law in 1987, specializing in labour, employment and human rights law. He is a frequent presenter at conferences and seminars, and has written widely on administrative law, institutional design and alternative models of adjudication. He is particularly interested in ways to create both organizational capacity and community partnerships in order to build a robust, accessible and equitable justice system. Recent access to justice initiatives Mr. Gottheil has been involved with include: Targeted Legal Services, a series of workshops jointly sponsored by SJTO and the Law Society of Upper Canada; Shared Steps, an online public legal information portal; Eviction Diversion, a project which aims to link vulnerable tenants with community supports, and a pilot to hold social assistance hearings out of the Rexdale Community Hub. Mr. Gottheil is a firm believer in the value of diversity. Through his personal journey as a person with a disability, and his professional perspectives, he has sought to explore and share the rich experiences that connect us all.

8 Anne M. Gregory Anne M. Gregory is a member of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Legal Branch, currently working in CUPE s Ontario Regional Office. At CUPE, she provides advice to the union s officers, staff and members on all aspects of labour law and administrative law, including human rights. She also assists CUPE s education department in the creation and presentation of courses for members and staff. Prior to working for CUPE, Ms. Gregory was in-house counsel to United Food & Commercial Workers Local 832, staff representative at what is now the Manitoba Government Employees Union and Acting Executive Director of the former National Radio Producers Association. She is called to the Bar in Ontario and Manitoba, and a member of the Canadian Bar Association. She is a member of and Recording Secretary of the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers. Ms. Gregory is also a regular moderator for the Lancaster House Audio Conference series, as well as a frequent workshop leader and conference speaker.

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10 Stephanie Hobbs Stephanie Hobbs is a labour lawyer in the Toronto office of Goldblatt Partners LLP. She represents clients in all types of proceedings before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, including certification, unfair labour practice complaints, related employer applications, and construction industry grievances. She also represents public sector clients in labour arbitration proceedings, including in the education, hospital and energy sectors. In addition, Stephanie represents clients before other administrative tribunals, including the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and in professional disciplinary proceedings.

11 Adrian Ishak LL.B., LL.L., Partner Adrian Ishak s practice at Rubin Thomlinson focuses on all aspects of employment law including employee relations, terminations, wrongful dismissals, employment contracts, and employment policies. He provides strategic counselling on a number of human resources, privacy and human rights issues. With a joint Ontario and Québec call and with experience in both jurisdictions, Adrian guides his clients through employment standards matters, pay and employment equity, and human rights obligations in Canadian common law and Québec s civil law jurisdiction. Adrian represents clients in both English and French. Before joining Rubin Thomlinson, Adrian spent nearly eight years at one of the world s largest law firms where he counselled employers, including many Global 500 companies, across various industries. In 2015, Adrian was recognized as a Lexpert "Rising Star, an award that honours Canada s leading lawyers under 40. Adrian is President of Eva s Initiatives, providing shelter, training and counselling to homeless youth. He also sits on the Young Leadership Council of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and he volunteers at the Legal Advice & Referral Clinic of The 519 Church Street Community Centre. Toronto: Adelaide Street East, Toronto ON M5C 2T6 Mississauga: 2425 Matheson Blvd. East, 8 th Floor Mississauga, ON L4W 5K4 Tel: x122 aishak@rubinthomlinson.com

12 Farah Malik Farah Malik is Counsel with the Ministry of the Attorney General, Civil Law Division, Education & Advanced Education and Skills Development Branch. Prior to joining government, Farah carried on a private civil litigation practice in the areas of professional discipline and regulation, administrative, constitutional, human rights, employment, labour and professional negligence law. She is also experienced in the areas of commercial litigation, estates litigation, and construction law. Farah has advocated for equality-seeking groups in constitutional and Human Rights Code matters, including in Peart v. Ontario (Community Safety and Correctional Services), a test case that was litigated on behalf of SAWP migrant farm workers before the HRTO. She has a keen interest in all forms of public law, and in this regard, she has co-chaired and spoken at various programs with a human rights and administrative law focus. Farah is a former member of the HRTO s Practice Advisory Committee and a former adjunct advisor to the University of Toronto s Julius Alexander Isaac Diversity Moot team. She completed a clerkship with various judges of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, including the former Chief Justice R. Roy McMurtry. Farah is a graduate of the University of Toronto (Hon. B.Sc. in Biochemistry), the University of Windsor (LL.B.) and the University of Detroit Mercy (J.D., magna cum laude). She was called to the Ontario bar in 2005.

13 Melanie D. McNaught Melanie is a partner with Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP practising in all areas of labour and employment law. She represents employers in the courts, at arbitration and other administrative tribunals, and advises employers on workplace issues, such as human rights, discipline and discharge, and pay equity. Melanie has a particular interest in privacy law and human rights. Melanie received a Bachelor of Journalism with a Minor in Economics from Carleton University in 1999, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Victoria in 2002, where she was awarded the Bette Kennedy Scholarship. She participated in UVic s co-operative education program, with work placements at FWTA, a national law firm and a government tribunal. Melanie articled at the Ontario Court of Appeal, clerking for O Connor A.C.J.O., Laskin, Sharpe and Armstrong JJ.A. Melanie is a co-author of the Canada Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act: Quick Reference and the Ontario Human Rights Code: Quick Reference. She has also contributed to the Employment Litigation Manual and Accommodation Issues in the Workplace, and written numerous seminar papers. Melanie is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers and of the Labour Relations, Education and Privacy Law sections of the Ontario Bar Association.

14 NAOMI CAMPBELL OVEREND Naomi Overend holds an LL.B. from the University of Toronto. Prior to her appointment to the Tribunal in 2008, Ms. Overend was discipline counsel at the Law Society of Upper Canada. From 1989 to 2003, she was counsel to the Ontario Human Rights Commission and in that role litigated numerous human rights cases before the Tribunal, the Divisional Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.

15 Kecia Podetz Kecia, a partner with Emond Harnden, has practiced exclusively in the areas of labour and employment since Her clients include those in the not-forprofit, health, manufacturing, technology, retail and professional services sectors, as well as First Nation governments and related organizations. Kecia is a practical and skilled negotiator with experience in a variety of unionized and non-unionized workplaces. She provides expert guidance and advice to her clients in their dayto-day human resources matters, including development and review of employment agreements and policies, workplace investigations, attendance management, benefits and pension, and discipline/dismissal. She is regularly called upon to speak at conferences and to lead seminars on a diverse range of labour, employment and human rights matters. In 2012 and 2013 Kecia taught employment law to future human resources professionals at Algonquin College.

16 Renu Mandhane Chief Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission Renu Mandhane is the former Executive Director of the International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto s Faculty of Law. She has an LL.M in international human rights law from New York University, and is a recognized expert. Renu sits on the Canada Committee of Human Rights Watch, and has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada and the United Nations. She has also trained Canadian and foreign judges through the National Judicial Institute of Canada. Renu has worked at several domestic and international organizations to advance women's human rights, and has represented survivors of domestic and sexual violence and federally sentenced prisoners. Renu was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission in October 2015.

17 Lauri A. Reesor Partner Toronto Year of Call: Ontario, 2003 Lauri Reesor is a partner in Hicks Morley s Toronto office and is also the chair of the firm s Human Rights practice group. Lauri advises a wide variety of both public and private sector employers with respect to labour relations and employment issues, with a particular focus on human rights litigation, class action litigation and labour arbitrations. Lauri has also developed a strong education law practice representing school boards, including a concentration in special education law. She works closely with her clients to provide strategic advice designed to meet the legislative and other challenges facing employers. Lauri is a strong advocate, regularly appearing on behalf of employers, municipalities, school boards and other service providers at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal and before labour arbitrators. The breadth of Lauri s practice also takes her to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Divisional Court and the Court of Appeal for Ontario. Lauri is frequently called upon to speak at conferences on issues relating to human rights and special education law, pay equity and other labour and employment issues. Areas of Practice Human Rights, Labour Relations, Employment Law, Litigation, Pay Equity Industries Education, Financial Services, Healthcare, Mining & Natural Resources, Municipalities & Municipal Agencies, Retail & Wholesale Trade, Social Services Awards and Recognition The Legal 500 Canada Guide (2015) Labour and Employment Law 77 King Street West 39 th Floor TD Centre, Box 371 Toronto, ON M5K 1K8 hicksmorley.com

18 Representative Work Successfully defended a financial institution in a proposed overtime class action brought by investment advisors and counsel to a financial institution in a national off the clock class action. Successfully defended an international trucking manufacturer in a proposed class action resulting from an Ontario plant closure. Successfully defended two large municipalities before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and Divisional Court in human rights litigation over mandatory retirement for firefighters at age 60. Successfully defended an in-home healthcare provider in a significant discharge case for sick leave abuse and achieved a successful result in having the long-time inclusion of a supervisory group of employees overturned and the group removed from the bargaining unit. Successfully defended a university and a municipality in various human rights litigation alleging a failure to accommodate disability and family status in employment. Successfully defended a mining company in having the discharge of a long service employee upheld for dishonesty, misconduct and sleeping on the job in a safety-sensitive workplace. Publications and Presentations Family Status Discrimination: The Search for Clarity Continues LSUC 4th Annual Human Rights Summit (November 2016) Mandatory retirement upheld suppression fire fighters in Ontario Employment Law Today (2013) Professional and Community Affiliations Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers - Member Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario Practice Advisory Committee - Member, Respondent Representative (2015 to date) Ontario Bar Association Executive Member (Education Law Section) (2014/2015) Member (Administrative Law, Civil Litigation, Class Actions Law, Constitutional, Civil Liberties and Human Rights Law, and Labour & Employment Law Sections) Advocates Society Member Victim Services Program of Toronto - Director and Chair ( ) Education University of Western, B.A., LL.B. 77 King Street West 39 th Floor TD Centre, Box 371 Toronto, ON M5K 1K8 hicksmorley.com

19 Geri Sanson, SANSON LAW OFFICE Professional Corporation The Canadian Bar Association magazine describes Geri Sanson as one of Canada s local heros for her work in human rights. Geri has practised for over 26 years in the areas of human rights, labour, employment and administrative law. Geri currently practices as a third party neutral - resolving disputes for governments, unions, companies, non-profit agencies, institutions, and professional associations. She provides due diligence and expert advice and conducts adjudications, mediations, facilitations and investigations of workplace issues which include issues of harassment, discrimination and violence. Geri won the Law Society Medal for her work in equality rights in 2000, the 2014 Barbra Schlifer Award for enhancing women s equality and safety, and is frequently identified in L'Expert, Canada's Legal Directory, as a leading lawyer in workplace human rights for both employees and employers. Geri previously served as Counsel to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, and as Senior Litigation Counsel for ARCH Disability Law Center. Geri has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall and a Bar Admissions Instructor, teaching Human Rights and Administrative Law respectively. She is past Chair of the OBA Human Rights, Constitutional and Civil Liberties Executive and past Co-Chair of the Annual OBA Conference on Human Rights. Geri also served two terms of appointment to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal Advisory Committee.

20 Kate Sellar Kate Sellar articled and then worked as an associate at a boutique disability rights firm in Toronto. She then joined the Human Rights Legal Support Centre when it opened in As Counsel at the Centre, her work includes very regular appearances in mediations and hearings before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. Kate is a member of Legal Aid Ontario s Group Applications and Test Case Committee. She was the inaugural Program Coordinator for the Anti-Discrimination Intensive Program, a joint pilot project with Osgoode Hall Law School and the Human Rights Legal Support Centre. Kate regularly guest lectures in law schools and in a course at the Critical Disability Studies program at York University. Kate and her partner moved to Regent Park in 2010 and are raising their two young children there. In addition to her contributions at the local school (58% of children in Regent Park live in poverty the highest child poverty rate in the city), Kate leads public education sessions in her neighbourhood on the human rights system and on racial profiling. Kate was the NDP candidate for Toronto Centre in the 2014 provincial general election. She is the co-creator of a television drama that received pre-development funding from the Canadian Media Fund in She is a regular commentator on human rights issues in print, television, and on social media.

21 Tess Sheldon has worked with ARCH Disability Law Centre in a variety of roles at different times since She has appeared before Courts and administrative tribunals, including the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada. She is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto (JD 2004, LLM 2008). She articled with the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

22 BIOGRAPHY DAVID WRIGHT David is one of the founding partners of the Toronto union side labour law firm Ryder Wright Blair & Holmes LLP and has more than 25 years of experience representing a broad range of union clients in the education, public and industrial sectors before courts, labour boards, arbitrators, human rights tribunals and other administrative bodies. While experienced in all areas of labour and employment law, David has particular experience in representing university faculty members; human rights and accommodation matters; successor rights cases; union certification and unfair labour practice complaints; and long term disability cases. David has been counsel in ground breaking human rights cases, including cases which have vastly expanded the remedies available to employees who have been the victims of workplace discrimination. He is also skilled at obtaining successful and practical results for clients in mediation. David has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the publication Best Lawyers in Canada in the specialty of labour and employment law since 2008 and also for inclusion in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a leading labour practitioner. Education Admitted to the Ontario Bar University of Toronto (LLB) University of Waterloo (BA) 1982 Activities Contributing author: The Labour Arbitration Yearbook ( and ). Treasurer: Canadian Association for Labour Lawyers ( ) Ontario Vice-President: Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers ( ) Union Co-Chair: Ontario Labour Relations Board Advisory Committee ( ) David has given seminars to union clients and others on human rights remedies, the duty to accommodate, successor rights, pensions, plant closures and other employment issues. David spends as much time as he can on vacation and travelling.