Canada law firm

The Employers Counsel Network is comprised of top-level law firms in all 50 states - plus Washington, D.C. and Canada - that advise and represent employers in workplace-related issues and disputes. Attorneys with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP write Northern Exposure, a free weekly employment law e-zine for U.S. companies with employees in Canada.

Brian P. Smeenk
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
66 Wellington Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5K 1N6
416/868-3438

Brian P. Smeenk (Full bio) is a partner with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP and practices in the firm's Toronto, Ontario office. Since 1981, his practice has focused on management-side labour and employment law. Mr. Smeenk represents both private sector and public sector employers and appears regularly before administrative tribunals such as arbitration boards, labour relations boards, employment standards adjudicators, and human rights boards of inquiry. He also acts as counsel in employment-related civil actions, judicial reviews and appeals at all levels. In 2001, he acted for The National Ballet of Canada in a leading case regarding the departure of principal dancer Kimberly Glasco.

He has extensive experience in labour negotiations for a wide variety of employers in the private and public sectors. In 1995, he was named to national mediation-arbitration panels chaired by Mr. Justice George Adams to resolve national railroad strikes involving CP Rail and five of its unions. He has for many years represented major school boards in bargaining with both teachers and support staff.

E-mail: bsmeenk@fasken.com

Karen M. Sargeant
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
66 Wellington Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5K 1N6
416/868-3475

Karen M. Sargeant (Full bio) is a partner with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP and practices in the firm's Toronto, Ontario office. She was called to the British Columbia bar in 1996 and to the Ontario bar in 1997. Since then she has practiced with another large law firm, with her practice focussed on representing employers in a wide range of labour and employment issues. She also advises regularly on employment issues in corporate transactions. Karen's broad experience and expertise includes wrongful dismissal, human rights, employment standards, workplace safety and insurance, union relations, labour arbitrations and pay equity. She has represented employers before boards of arbitration and administrative tribunals, such as the Ontario Labour Relations Board, Ministry of Labour Employment Practices Branch, Human Rights Tribunal, Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal and Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal. Karen is a popular speaker at conferences on employment and labour matters, and also writes regular articles for a number of legal publications.

E-mail: ksargeant@fasken.com

About the firm

Firm Practice Areas: Aboriginal Law, Antitrust/Competition & Marketing, Asia Pacific, Banking & Financing, Communication, Complex Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Construction, Emerging Global Business, Energy & Environmental Law, Financial Institutions, Forestry, Global Mining, Government Relations and Ethics, Health Law, Insolvency & Restructuring, Insurance and Product Liability, International Law, Labour, Employment & Human Rights, Municipal Law, Privacy and Information Protection, Public-Private Partnerships, Real Estate, Securities and Mergers & Acquisitions, Tax (includes Wills, Estates and Charities), Technology & Intellectual Property

Number of Attorneys: 650

Office Locations: Vancouver, British Columbia; Toronto, Ontario; Calgary, Alberta; Ottawa, Ontario; Montréal, Québec; Québec City, Québec; London, U.K.; Johannesburg, South Africa