Canadian employment law

Robert Bayne has been a partner of the firm since 1996. Rob advises employers on all aspects of labour and employment law. Rob provides services to a broad range of private sector companies including those in retail, hospitality, manufacturing, logistics and publishing.

Rob received his Bachelor of Commerce from Dalhousie University in 1985. He then worked in human resources and production management with an Ontario manufacturing company prior to attending law school. He graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1989. Rob frequently speaks on labour and employment law issues to employers, human resource professionals and student groups, and has lectured on labour and employment law at Ryerson University and the University of Toronto.

Rob has presented papers on Ontario labour law reform at Ontario Bar Association conferences and other continuing legal education events. Rob is a member of the Advocacy Committee of the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers and the Canadian Institute Advisory Board on Labour and Employment Law. Rob chairs the firm’s Labour Arbitration Moot Programmes at Queens University, the University of Toronto and the University of Guelph.

Bonnea is a partner with Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP. She articled with the firm in 2007 before joining the firm as an associate in 2008. Bonnea became a partner in 2016.

Bonnea practises in all areas of labour and employment law. She regularly advises and represents employers inlabour arbitrations, wrongful dismissal cases, and in matters before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board. Bonnea also advises employers on a variety of labour and employment topics, including workplace policies, collective bargaining, and employment contracts.

Bonnea has intimate knowledge and experience in advocating on behalf of employers in matters concerning the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board. Bonnea continually advises employers on workplace policies, particularly those concerning health and safety, as well as substance use.

Casey Dockendorff is a partner at Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP, a leading management-side labour and employment law firm in Canada. While she is based in the firm’s London, Ontario office, Casey regularly advises clients throughout Ontario, including in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as across Canada. Casey advises and represents both public and private sector employers on all aspects of labour and employment law. She has a particular focus on human rights, civil ligation, and labour matters. Casey is recognized by her peers and clients as a leading practitioner in labour and employment law, and she regularly speaks at local, provincial and national conferences.

Jane M. Gooding is a partner in the Hamilton office of Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP. Jane practices exclusively in labour, employment, health and safety, human rights and disability law. She primarily advises clients on a range of issues such as wrongful dismissals, human rights claims, employment standards obligations, labour grievances, employment contracts and workplace harassment. She has appeared as lead counsel in cases before private arbitrators, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Divisional Court, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal and the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

Jane works with both private and public sector employers. Jane has extensive experience in providing advice to and advocating for clients in the retail, manufacturing, education and healthcare sectors.

Jane received her Bachelor of Science (Biology) (Honours) from McMaster University prior to attending law school at the University of Western Ontario, when she was called to the Ontario Bar in 2006.

Jane has spoken on all areas of human rights, labour and employment law at the request of various third parties, including the Hamilton Law Association, Ontario Bar Association and the Human Resources Professionals Association. Jane is the past Chair of the Today’s Family Board of Directors and past Board member of the Hamilton Health Sciences Volunteer Association. She sat on the YWCA Hamilton Women of Distinction Committee in several recent years. Jane is a member of the Hamilton Law Association.

Jamie is the Firm’s Managing Partner, working out of both the Hamilton and Toronto offices. He has more than 35 years of experience representing management in labour and employment law.

Jamie regularly appears before the courts, arbitration boards, and federal and provincial labour relations tribunals, as well as before adjudicators in human rights, employment standards and health and safety matters. He has extensive experience in collective bargaining and in guiding employers through the process of responding to union organizing campaigns.

Jamie’s clients operate in various sectors, including manufacturing, municipal, health care, entertainment, and financial and other services.

Jamie is a Fellow of the American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Jamie was named by Best Lawyers as the Lawyer of the Year for his work in Labour and Employment Law in Hamilton for both 2019 and 2021. In 2017, he was named the Canadian HR Reporter 2017 Employment Lawyer of the Year, as selected by Canadian Lawyer Magazine.

Melanie D. McNaught is a partner in the firm. She joined the firm as an associate in 2003. Prior to joining the firm,Melanie clerked at the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

Melanie practises in all areas of labour and employment law. She has a particular interest in civil litigation, education law, privacy and human rights. She has represented clients before all levels of court, at labour arbitration and numerous administrative tribunals, including the Ontario Labour Relations Board and the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. Melanie negotiates practical and cost-effective settlements for her clients, often without the need to expend time and money onlitigation.

Melanie regularly advises union and non-union employers on the duty to accommodate and responding to human rights issues in the workplace.

Melanie frequently advises employers regarding the termination of non-union employees, including appropriate severance packages. She regularly represents employers in wrongful dismissal litigation, including attending court and mediations.

Melanie represents and advises school boards on labour and employment matters, human rights (including student accommodation issues) and education law issues. She knows and understands the requirements of the Education Act and other legislation applicable to school boards. She is one of the executives of the Ontario Bar Association’s Education Law section.

Carol has over 20 years of experience in all areas of management labour relations and employment law. She articled with the firm in 1996 and joined the partnership in 2004.

Carol represents a wide range of unionized and non-union clients in both the federal and provincial jurisdictions. Her clients, both large and small businesses, operate in all sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, sports, social services, and information technology. She also represents municipalities and broader public sector organisations.

On a daily basis, Carol provides proactive advice and representation to develop cost-effective and practical solutions to avoid and resolve human resources issues. She is regularly involved in complex and high stakes litigation concerning pay equity, human rights and wrongful dismissals. She has extensive experience with and a detailed knowledge of employment standards legislation and requirements. She also routinely provides advice in such areas as disability management, performance management, discipline, discharge, and privacy.

Carol also assists purchasers and vendors in sale transactions. This work included representing a purchaser in respect of employment and benefits issues in a Canadian acquisition valued at more than $500 million.

Carol has appeared before various administrative tribunals and courts, and she acted as a management nominee in interest arbitrations as well as the management spokesperson at collective bargaining negotiations.

Carol is an active member of the labour and employmentlaw bar. As a member of the Ontario Bar Association, sheserved as the Editor of the Labour and Employment LawSection Newsletter for fi ve years. She also served for eight years as the Associate Eastern Editor, and before that as Contributing Editor, for the Canadian Labour Relations Board Reports.

She is a passionate cyclist and commutes to work on her bike.