Labour & Employment Associate

Job summary

The associate will represent national and international employers in all aspects of labour and employment law, including conducting hearings and arbitrations. Responsibilities also include legal research, drafting pleadings, managing discovery activities, and providing ongoing counsel to sophisticated clients.

Job details

Position Summary Our Toronto office has an opportunity for a Labour & Employment Associate to join the firm’s dynamic, entrepreneurial practice, representing premier national and international employers. This is an excellent opportunity for lawyers who are proactive and passionate about assuming a high-level role providing legal service within a sophisticated practice and who are seeking to assume a significant role in all aspects of labour and employment law. This role requires extensive contact with clients, adjudicators, governmental agencies and opposing counsel. Duties include, but are not limited to: conducting arbitrations, labour board, court and tribunal hearings, legal research, drafting of legal memoranda and pleadings, handling discovery-related activities and investigations, and counseling clients. The right candidate will have a passion for employment and labour law, strong analytical and writing skills, and an ability to relate to and inspire confidence with sophisticated clients. This is a great opportunity for a lawyer ready to take on a high level of responsibility on complex matters within a tight-knit and team-oriented environment. Our office is collegial with a commitment to mutual respect in the workplace. We hold regular in-person conferences with lawyers from across our global offices. We make associate development a priority and provide ongoing writing, publishing, and speaking opportunities as well as access to expansive professional development training programs and opportunities to work with the leading lawyers in this field. Requirements Juris Doctor (JD) or Bachelor of Law (LLB). Qualified candidates must be in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario or equivalent Canadian law society. During employment, must meet the requirements for continuing licensure for law practice. Candidates must possess at least 4 years of experience practicing labour and employment law. Excellent analytical, writing and communication skills are required. Please note, we are not working with outside recruiters for this position. Benefits Ogletree Deakins offers a robust suite of benefits for our attorneys including: comprehensive training and development programs including an annual firm-wide Attorney Retreat, CLE and licensing expense reimbursement, several competitive annual bonus programs, health benefits, fitness benefits, and employee assistance program. Contact Information If you have questions, please e-mail Ali Gardiner at ali.gardiner@ogletree.com with “Labour & Employment Associate – Toronto" in the subject line. Please note, applications submitted via e-mail will not be considered. Firm Overview Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. Best Law Firms® has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for 14 consecutive years. In the 2025 edition, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Litigation – Labor and Employment category. Ogletree Deakins has more than 1,100 attorneys located in 60 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, including many of the Fortune 50 companies in the U.S. We are fully committed to the importance of diversity within the legal profession, as well as all workplace environments. Equal Opportunity Employer.

What you’ll do

The associate will represent national and international employers in all aspects of labour and employment law, including conducting hearings and arbitrations. Responsibilities also include legal research, drafting pleadings, managing discovery activities, and providing ongoing counsel to sophisticated clients.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Juris Doctor (JD) or Bachelor of Law (LLB) and be in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario or an equivalent Canadian law society. A minimum of 4 years of experience practicing labour and employment law is required.

Benefits

• Comprehensive training and development programs • Annual firm-wide attorney retreat • CLE and licensing expense reimbursement • Competitive annual bonus programs • Health benefits • Fitness benefits • Employee assistance program

Listed skills

• Analytical · Preferred
• Organization · Preferred
• Training · Preferred
• Attention to detail · Preferred
• Health · Preferred
• responsibility · Preferred
• management · Preferred
• Communication · Preferred
• Development · Preferred
• Communication Skills · Preferred
• expense · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Labour law
• Employment law
• Arbitrations
• Legal research
• Drafting legal memoranda
• Pleadings
• Discovery activities
• Investigations
• Client counseling
• Analytical skills
• Writing skills
• Communication skills
• Litigation
• Legal Discovery
• Employment and Labor Laws
• Legal Pleadings
• Legal Hearings
• Management
• Lawsuits
• Communication
• Training And Development
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Labor Law
• Legal Research
• Memos
• Writing
• Team Oriented
• Investigation
• Continuing Legal Education

Job areas

• Legal
• Human Resources
• Consulting
• Labor and Employment Associate
• Employment Lawyer
• Lawyers