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Appointee Biographies

Ontario Labour Relations Board

BRIAN O'BYRNE

Brian O’Byrne is a partner for Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP, and a former Articling student/Associate/Partner for Fraser & Beatty. Brian’s community involvement includes serving as member on the Board of Directors for Providence Healthcare Foundation.

JACK SLAUGHTER

Jack J. Slaughter is a Vice-Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Mr. Slaughter has extensive experience in the construction industry having served as General Counsel to the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 793 and General Counsel to the Central Ontario Regional Council of Carpenters, Drywall and Allied Workers. He was Legal Counsel to the Railway Commission, established by Parliament to resolve thirteen collective agreements amongst CN, CP and the various railway unions. Mr. Slaughter is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School, where he received the Ivan C. Rand Award in Constitutional Law.

NEIL KEATING

Neil Keating became a Vice-Chair in 2021 after practicing law as in-house counsel for a construction industry trade union and at a firm specializing in labour and employment law. During his time in practice he regularly appeared before the Board and acted as counsel in private collective agreement arbitration matters. Originally from Newfoundland, he has an undergraduate degree from St. Thomas University and a law degree from the University of New Brunswick.

C MICHAEL MITCHELL

C. Michael Mitchell practiced law at Sack Goldblatt Mitchell, an Ontario labour law firm, for his entire legal career. He appeared regularly in many cases before the Ontario Labour Relations Board. He also co-authored the leading textbook on the Labour Relations Board. Mr. Mitchell together with the Hon. J. C. Murray was appointed by the Government of Ontario to lead the Changing Workplace Review from February 2015 to March 2017. He co-authored the interim report and the final report of the Review. Mr. Mitchell was appointed through the court insolvency process as Deputy Chief Arbitrator at Essar Steel to clear a backlog of over 3000 grievances. he has served as a Vice-Chair of the Board since 2018.

MIREILLE GIROUX

Mireille Giroux was appointed as a Vice-Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board after working in private practice as a labour lawyer for more than 10 years. She has considerable experience appearing before the Board and in private arbitration proceedings, including in matters relating to the construction industry. She is fluent in French and English.

TIM LIZNICK

Tim Liznick is originally from the northern Ontario community of Iroquois Falls where he attended elementary and secondary school. Tim hold Honours Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Industrial Relations degrees from Queens University in Kingston and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Western Ontario. He also holds a post-graduate certificate in Mining Law from York University. He has practiced labour and employment law out of Toronto as a lawyer licensed by the Law Society of Ontario since 1992.

MAHEEN MERCHANT

Maheen Merchant is a lawyer with over ten years of experience practicing in labour and civil litigation. Prior to joining the Ontario Labour Relations Board, she was in house counsel for one of the largest construction trade unions in North America for a number of years. Her community involvement includes serving as a board member for the Daily Bread Food Bank.

ROSLYN MCGILVERY

Roslyn McGilvery practiced labour and employment law at a boutique law firm prior to joining the Ontario Labour Relations Board as a full-time Vice-Chair. She holds an LL.B from the University of Western Ontario as well as a Bachelor of Journalism degree. Ms. McGilvery has written on various topics in the field of labour and employment law, including co-authoring a text on the Labour Relations Act, 1995 and serving as contributing editor to a labour relations law reporter.

RISHI BANDHU

Mr. Rishi Bandhu practiced labour and employment law exclusively since his call to the Ontario Bar in 2004. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Bandhu maintained a diverse litigation and solicitor practice out of Oakville, Ontario representing employees and employers in matters relating to employment, labour and human rights. Since 2018, Mr. Bandhu has served as an instructor at the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Education for Industrial and Labour Relations.

DANNA MORRISON

Danna Morrison was called to the Ontario Bar in 2010 and has previously worked as a partner in a boutique law firm in Toronto specializing in labour law, a mediator with the Ontario Labour Relations Board specializing in construction labour law, and in house counsel with a construction trade union. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from Queen’s University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Western Ontario.

JOHN LEWIS

John Lewis is a Partner with Heenan Blaikie LLP, with a focus on labour and employment law. Previously, Mr. Lewis was Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister of Labour and Associate Lawyer with Filion, Wakely & Thorup, Barristers and Solicitors. He is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association - Ontario, the Toronto Board of Trade and the Toronto Construction Association. Mr. Lewis holds degrees from the University of Western Ontario and Queen's University.

ALAN FREEDMAN

Alan Freedman was appointed a full-time Vice Chair in the spring of 2024. He is an alumnus of McMaster University, received his law degree from the University of Toronto and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1999. Mr. Freedman practiced labour and employment law for 25 years with a focus on labour board proceedings, collective bargaining, and labour arbitrations. Prior to his appointment to the Board, he was a partner at a prominent labour and employment law firm and frequently appeared at the Board, often in construction industry proceedings. He was also counsel in cases in the Ontario courts and the Federal courts.

MICHAEL MCCRORY

is a Director for Labor Relations at Air Canada. He is a former Head of Flight Crew for Employee Relations at Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd, and a former Counsel for Labor and Employment Law at Air Canada.

PEIGI ROSS

is a Partner at Dunsmore Law P.C. Peigi is a former Counsel for Employment Law Group at Bank of Nova Scotia and a former Associate at Hicks Morley Hamilton Steward Storie. Peigi’s community involvement includes serving as Founding Member for 100 Women Toronto.

MICHAEL MCFADDEN

Prior to his appointment to the Ontario Labour Relations Board in 2014, Michael McFadden has spent his entire legal career as a lawyer in private practice with an exclusive focus on labour relations and employment law. He joined Koskie Minsky in 1991, where he acted on behalf of trade union clients. Mr. McFadden then joined Norton Rose Fulbright Canada in 1998, where he became a partner, and worked on behalf of employer clients. His community involvement has been in the provision of pro bono legal services to numerous and various non-profit and charitable organizations in Ontario. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Queen`s University.

THOMAS BLACK

Thomas Black was called to the Ontario Bar in 2006. He practiced labour and employment law as in-house for construction unions for most of his career. Originally from Manitoba, Mr. Black has a law degree from the University of Windsor.

JERRY RASO

Jerry Raso practiced labour and employment-related law since being called to the Bar in 1988. He has worked both in-house and in private practice representing unions. He has considerable experience appearing before the Board and other tribunals, with special expertise in construction labour relations.

PAUL YOUNG

Paul Young is a former Partner at Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti, and a former Articling Student/Associate Lawyer for Beard Winter Gordon. His community involvement includes serving as a Referee for the Ontario Volleyball Association.

BRIAN MULRONEY

Brian Mulroney was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1953, but has lived in Toronto for most of his life. He attended St. Michael’s College School, Harvard University, and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. He practiced law with Borden Ladner Gervais (and one of its predecessor firms, Borden, and Elliot) from 1981 until 2018 and with Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti from 2018 until 2022. In 2023 he became a part-time Vice Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board. He has been a director of several charitable agencies in the Greater Toronto Area. Among his hobbies are running, kayaking and cross-country skiing. He is married and has three adult children and one grandchild. He is an avid part-time resident of Carling Township in the District of Parry Sound.

WALTER JASON HANSON

W. Jason Hanson is a lawyer who was formerly a partner at a major Canadian law firm. A past Chair of that firm's Labour Relations and Employment law group, he represented clients before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, a wide variety of other employment related tribunals, collective agreement arbitrators, and the courts, including the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. His practice focused on labour relations, employment, health and safety and human rights law. He has written on a broad range of employment and labour relations topics and is a co-author of two books on workplace issues. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto (BA) and the University of Windsor (JD).

ALLAN KAUFMAN

Allan M. Kaufman holds Bachelor of Arts and LL.B. degrees from the University of Manitoba, and a Masters of Law degree (B.C.L.) from Oxford University. Prior to joining the Ontario Labour Relations Board, he practiced employment law in Toronto, primarily representing employees. Mr. Kaufman also has extensive management experience as Vice President, Legal, for the Canadian subsidiary of the world's largest transportation company, and as Director of Legal Affairs for an Ontario supermarket chain. He has served as an examiner for Canada's National Committee on Accreditation for foreign lawyers since 1997, and as a labour adjudicator for Canada's Ministry of Labour from 2010 to 2020. Mr. Kaufman was a visiting professor at McGill University and a lecturer at the University of Ottawa law schools. He currently teaches Advanced Business Law at a Toronto university.

BRIAN SMEENK

Brian Smeenk has over 40 years of experience in employment and labor law, across the broader public sector (both Ontario and federal) and the private sector. He retired as a partner of the national law firm, Fasken, in January 2020. In 2021 he was appointed to the positions of Chair of the Public Service Grievance Board and Vice-Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board. He is a Past President of the former, tripartite Toronto Area Industrial Relations Association and past Vice-President of the Human Resources Association of Ontario. Brian was inducted as a Fellow of the tripartite College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in 2015. He has been ranked as a leading lawyer in the area of labor relations and employment law in various legal publications and listed in Best Lawyers in Canada since 2010. Mr. Smeenk is the founder and President of the Merit Award Bursary Program, which provides support to deserving youth in Toronto and Peel, to help them pursue a post-secondary education.

JOHN (GIOVANNI) MARTELLI

John Martelli is an arbitrator and mediator. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1998 and holds a B.A; M.A; and LL.B. John practised labour and employment law as an associate on Bay Street in Toronto before becoming Bruce Power's Assistant General Counsel (Labour and Employment). He retired from Bruce Power after 20 years at the end of 2020.

SCOTT THOMPSON

Scott G. Thompson recently retired as a senior partner from a prominent labour and employment law firm and has been regularly recognized as a leading labour and employment lawyer across Canada. He graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1980 and was in house counsel for the British Columbia Labour Relations Board from 1982 to 1984. In 1991 Scott published the book Managing Under the Electrical Contractors’ Collective Agreement and has extensive experience in construction industry labour relations, as well as all aspects of labour and employment law.

PATRICK KELLY

Patrick Kelly was appointed to the Ontario Labour Relations Board as a Vice-Chair in May of 1999. He is a graduate of the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Arts (B.A. 1980) and Faculty of Law (LL.B. 1983). Upon being called to the Bar in 1985, Mr. Kelly immediately began a career in Human Resources, beginning with a labour relations portfolio at Women's College Hospital. In 1990, he was appointed as Director of Human Resources with the Regional Municipality of York. He then joined the City of York as its senior Human Resource lead in 1996. Upon amalgamation of York into the new City of Toronto in 1998, he was appointed at a Director level to provide human resource services to the new Fire, Ambulance and Public Works Divisions of the City. Mr. Kelly is also Alternate Chair of the Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal.

DEREK ROGERS

Derek Rogers is currently a Partner Emeritus with Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes). From 1981 to 2012, he was head of the labour and employment law practice at Blakes. He was also a former General Editor of the Employment and Labour Law Reporter, a monthly publication of Butterworths. Mr. Rogers served as chair/president and past president of SPRINT (Senior Peoples' Resources in Northern Ontario). He is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Bar Association and the Labour Relations Research Association.

JOHANNE CAVÉ

Johanne Cavé has been working as a bilingual adjudicator since 2019. She is former Senior Counsel for the Canadian National Railway Company (CN) and Bell Canada, as well as former Counsel for Canada Post Corporation. She is involved in her community.

HEATHER ANN MCCONNELL

Heather Ann McConnell is a part-time Vice Chair at the Ontario Labour Relations Board. She is also a Member of the Grievance Settlement Board and a mediator and arbitrator specializing in labour, employment, and human rights disputes. She brings creativity and tenacity to solving workplace disputes and delivering practical results for workplace parties. She was called to the bar in 2007, after receiving her Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School. She also holds two degrees from the University of Toronto – a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) and a Master of Arts from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). Before becoming an Arbitrator, Heather Ann was a partner in a leading labour law firm in Toronto, where she regularly appeared before boards and tribunals in the areas of labour, human rights, occupational health and safety, education, professional regulation, and administrative law.

ARCHANA MATHEW

Archana Mathew was educated at McGill University and Osgoode Hall Law School. She was called to the Bar in 2005. After working in-house for eighteen years at a leading union, with a focus on labour and human rights law, she graduated from the Arbitrator Development Program in 2023. Having held a variety of legal roles, she brings a broad range of experience and skills to her work. She is a frequent public speaker and currently teaches "Rethinking Procedural Justice: Human Rights and Fairness in Adjudication" at Osgoode Hall.

JESSE KUGLER

Prior to becoming an adjudicator, Jesse Kugler practiced law as a partner in a prominent labour law firm. Jesse obtained his law degree from Queen’s University in 2007 and was called to the Bar of the Law Society of Upper Canada in 2008. He thereafter practiced labour and employment law in one of Canada’s premier boutique labour and employment firms. He resigned his partnership in that firm in 2021 to accept an appointment as Vice-Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

GENEVIEVE DEBANE

Geneviève Debané is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2002. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Concordia University in Montreal. Ms. Debané was a partner at Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP practising labour, employment and human rights law. Prior to her appointment with the Ontario Labour Relations Board Ms. Debané was a full-time Vice-Chair at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario for five years. Ms. Debané is fluent in both French and English.

CAROLINE ROWAN

Caroline Rowan was appointed to the Ontario Labour Relations Board as a Vice-Chair in 1999. She graduated from the University of Toronto (Honours B.A. in 1986) and from Osgoode Hall Law School (LL.B. 1989). Since her call to the Bar in 1991, she has worked exclusively in the field of labour relations and employment law. She spent her first seven years in private practice in the labour and employment law group of a large multi-service law firm. In the year prior to joining the Board, she worked in-house at a retail and wholesale operation with a large union and non-union workforce. Ms. Rowan is also Deputy Presiding Officer and the Alternate Presiding Officer of the Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal.

DAVID ST.LOUIS

David St. Louis is Executive Director of the Terrazzo Tile and Marble Guild of Ontario. He is also a former Senior Mediator with Dispute Resolution Services, Ministry of Labour. His community involvement has included the Daily Bread Food Bank. Mr. St. Louis holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from York University.

WILLIAM COOK

William Cook has been a member on the employer side of the Ontario Labour Relations Board since 2015 and is a former partner with Matthews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP. His practice included negotiation of collective agreements and extensive counsel work at the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Mr. Cook's community involvement has included Eglinton and St. George's United Church and fundraising for the Jimmy Huega Multiple Sclerosis Charity. He is an Honorary Member of the Law Society of Upper Canada and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Toronto.

LORI BOLTON

Lori Bolton has been a member of the Ontario Labour Relations since 2015, and is Director of Human Resources at the City of Orillia. Her responsibilities include collective bargaining, grievance procedures, administration of payroll and human resource policies. Ms. Bolton is a member of the Ontario Municipal Human Resources Association Board of Directors, the Human Resources Professional Association, and the Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers. Her community involvement includes serving as Chair of the mid-Western Strategic Coordinated Bargaining Committee.

WILLIAM NICHOLLS

William Nicholls has been a member of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) for the past 45 years. He has served in many leadership roles of the IUPAT negotiating collective bargaining agreements, as an organizer, health & safety representative, administrator, and mentor to IUPAT leadership. Mr. Nicholls has served on numerous labour/management boards, trade related committees and has been a trustee on several trust funds. He has served as a member of the Minister of Labour Construction Industry Panel, on the board of the Ontario Construction Secretariat, past President of the former Construction Safety Association of Ontario, and past President of the Provincial Building & Construction Trades Council of Ontario.

BRIAN MACDONALD

Brian MacDonald is a fourth term President of Teamsters Local Union No. 91 based in Ottawa, and a member of the National Executive for Teamsters Canada. Mr. MacDonald has sat on various Labour Panels and Committees; inclusive of currently sitting on the Consultation Committee for the Canada Industrial Relations Board. Mr. MacDonald holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law, an Honour’s degree in Law, and a Graduate Studies Diploma in Conflict Resolution from Carleton University.

HEINO NIELSEN

Heino Nielsen graduated from Laurentian University and soon became involved with the union representing LCBO workers. His activism as steward ended with his appointment as Ontario Liquor Boards Employees' Union (OLBEU's) provincial Business Agent. In 2003 he became the Executive Assistant to the President of the Ontario Public Services Employees Union (OPSEU) where he negotiated the merger of OLBEU and OPSEU; a change that benefited the members of both unions. He was then assigned to the position of Division Administrator, responsible for managing units addressing grievance representation and arbitration, interest arbitration research, pensions, benefits and compensation appeals, health and safety, communications, campaigns, IT, and human rights. Mr. Nielsen retired in 2015 and is now a part-time member of the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

WAYNE ZACHAR

Wayne Zachar is Director of Employee Relations with the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. He is a former Employee Relations Manager with the Liquor Control Board of Ontario and with Sola Canada, as well as a Personnel Services Manager with Goodyear Canada. Mr. Zachar's community involvement includes having coached for the Mississauga Soccer Club. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto.

JOHN DOWDING

John Dowding has been employed as Administrator and Labour Relations Consultant with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for the past 24 years. He is a Director with the Board of Infrastructure Health Safety Association and has been a regular participant in litigation (arbitration and settlements) at the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Mr. Dowding holds a 309A Construction and Maintenance Electrician licence.

MARGARET TAYLOR

is a senior level executive with extensive hands-on experience in management and business leadership. Margaret has been a main player in the Construction industry for the past 19 years. Prior to starting M. Taylor Services Inc., she ran the financial division for one of the largest environmental abatement companies in Ontario for 16 years. Since October 2016, M. Taylor Services Inc. has maintained the Executive Director Role and Management Services for the Ontario Association of Demolition Contractors (OADC). She has also served as a member of their Board of Directors from 2013 to 2016. She sat on the OADC’s negotiations committee for two rounds of bargaining, in 2013, 2016, and recently led the Negotiations team in their round of bargaining held in the Spring of 2019. Margaret took part in Lobbying at Queens’s Park on behalf of the industry to pass Bill 142- The Construction Lien Act, otherwise known as the Prompt Payment Legislation's. She met with over 40 MPP’s on four different Lobby Days over the past two years, which were facilitated by Prompt Payment Ontario and Council of Ontario Construction Associations.