SMEENK DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Brian Smeenk has over 40 years of experience in employment and labour law, across both the private sector and the broader public sector, which included both provincially regulated and federally regulated clients. He is known for his problem-solving skills in complex labour & employment cases.
Having retired as a partner of a leading Canadian law firm in 2020, Brian is now Chair of Ontario's Public Service Grievance Board and part-time Vice-Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Brian is now available to conduct private mediation and arbitration.
ABOUT
Brian began his career as a neutral Fact Finder appointed by Ontario’s Education Relations Commission in the late 1970s to report on several school board-teacher bargaining impasses. Brian subsequently entered private practice where he shared his knowledge, expertise, and skill with companies and organizations of all sizes, across many parts of both the private and public sectors.
Brian has a demonstrated ability to work with parties in identifying their interests, clarifying issues, developing options and establishing objective criteria to 'cut to the chase' and reach an agreement through mediation process. If arbitration is required, Brian is known for conducting fair and efficient hearings.
Brian is a Past President of the former, tripartite Toronto Area Industrial Relations Association, as well as the Toronto Human Resources Professionals Association. He has been a member of the Ontario Labour Management Arbitrators' Association since 2021.
Brian has been ranked for many years as a leading lawyer in the area of labour relations and employment law in various legal publications and listed in Best Lawyers in Canada since 2010.
Brian is also the founder and President of the Merit Award Bursary Program, which helps provide deserving students in Toronto and Peel with assistance to pursue a post-secondary education.
Professional Experience & Education
2021 -
CURRENT
Member, Ontario Labour Management Arbitrators' Association
2021
Appointed as the Chair of the Public Service Grievance Board and Vice-Chair of Ontario Labour Relations Board
2015
Inducted as a Fellow of the tripartite College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
2008 -
2020
Fasken Martineau DeMoulin - Partner, Labour Employment Human Rights Group
1992 -
2008
McCarthy Tetrault - Partner, Labour & Employment Group
1987 -
1992
Winkler, Filion & Wakely -
Partner
1981 -
1987
Winkler, Filion & Wakely -
Associate
1981
Call to the bar
of Ontario
1979
University of Michigan
Business School, MBA,
Diploma in Labour Relations
1977
University of Ottawa,
Common Law Section - L.L.B.
1979 -
1980
Articled with Cassels, Mitchell, Somers,
Dutton & Winkler