What are the five best employment law boutiques in Toronto?

[pro boner]

In your opinion. 

[PalomaBlanca]

Employment only or also L&E? Plaintiff-side?

Edited March 20, 2023 by PalomaBlanca

[pro boner]

1 hour ago, PalomaBlanca said:

Employment only or also L&E? Plaintiff-side?

Also L&E. plaintiff and defence side. Repping employees and employers. 

[Lethal Weapon 7]

Who is the bestest lawyer in all the land?

[Jaggers]

Me! But you can't do a list if you won't at least choose between labour and employment, and plaintiff or employer side.

[LMP]

Whoever has the most radio advertisements. 

[Jaggers]

That's old fashioned. The good ones sponsor an entire show!

[PalomaBlanca]

3 hours ago, pro boner said:

Also L&E. plaintiff and defence side. Repping employees and employers. 

In that case its obviously Wildeboer Dellelce

[Jaggers]

Dustbag firm.

[Turtles]

49 minutes ago, PalomaBlanca said:

In that case its obviously Wildeboer Dellelce

Did you know they have a pool table?

[Jaggers]

No air hockey? Dustbag firm!

[QueensDenning]

I'd be interested in an Employer side list! 

[Jaggers]

I don't think there are five that I would use.

[QueensDenning]

37 minutes ago, Jaggers said:

I don't think there are five that I would use.

How about 2 or 3? 

[Jaggers]

Mathews and Hicks.

Though I might hire a few more one time, to conflict them out.

[PalomaBlanca]

Care to elaborate?

[Jaggers]

What's your question?

[PalomaBlanca]

Why do you procure Hicks and Mathews over other boutiques, and what other firms you consider if they're conflicted?

Thanks! 

[Jaggers]

Hicks and Mathews have better lawyers, more areas of niche expertise, and bigger teams.

[beyondsection17]

On 3/22/2023 at 8:52 PM, Jaggers said:

Hicks and Mathews have better lawyers, more areas of niche expertise, and bigger teams.

I've never been particularly impressed by the lawyers I've met from either Hicks or Mathews.

[Jaggers]

I have worked with many of them. Some are good, some are not.

[Jaggers]

At this point in my career I choose lawyers, not firms, though in a lot of cases it's routine and the lawyer doesn't really matter. 

For that work, you just go to the firm(s) with a relationship partner who you trust and makes things work smoothly.

[Jaggers]

For example, if you have a fatality at a work site, you are going to go to Mathews, even if you wouldn't go them for routine employment litigation.

[t3ctonics]

Even way out here in SK I've hired Hicks for some specialized expertise, but like Jaggers alluded to it was more about the particular lawyer than the firm overall. Expertise is worth a lot, and firms with larger teams usually allow for individual lawyers to develop more niche expertise (though smaller firms can have a similar level of expertise with a more niche practice).

[QueensDenning]

On 3/22/2023 at 8:52 PM, Jaggers said:

Hicks and Mathews have better lawyers, more areas of niche expertise, and bigger teams.

Any chance you could list out what you think the major areas of particular niche expertise are for Hicks and Matthews respectively (beyond worksite fatalities at Matthews)? 

More broadly, are there any niche areas that you would try to seek out as a junior in this area (i.e., with the knowledge you have now, is there any particular area of L&E you would try to pursue in hindsight? Or would recommend incoming articling students to pursue)?

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by QueensDenning