Ogletree Deakins Enters Canadian Market

ATLANTA – January 13, 2016 – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, announced today that the firm is entering the Canadian market with a Toronto office led by a group of prominent lawyers from a large Canadian law firm. The Toronto office, which is Ogletree Deakins’ 49^th, expands the firm’s international platform that now includes offices in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Mexico.

“Canada is an important market for our firm, as many of our clients have operations there and need representation and counsel on Canadian and cross border labor and employment law matters,” said Kim Ebert, managing shareholder of Ogletree Deakins. “We know that we’ve chosen the right team of lawyers who share the firm’s culture and values to establish our presence in the country. The opportunities for us to grow in Canada are substantial, and we expect others to join us in Toronto soon.”

“The chance to service our Canadian clients’ growing U.S. and international needs through the Ogletree Deakins platform is a remarkable opportunity. We are excited to be joining an acknowledged leader in our area of practice,” said Hugh Christie.

Hugh Christie, who will serve as the managing partner of Ogletree Deakins’ Toronto office, has practiced labor and employment law in Canada for more than three decades and is the former chair of the national employment and labor practice group at his former firm. Christie’s practice is advising employers on the range of employment issues, from recruitment to employment, termination and post-employment. He also regularly handles employment issues arising out of workplace restructuring due to corporate transactions and trans-border employment issues.

Christie has been recognized throughout his career, including listings in The Legal 500 Canada, The Best Lawyers in Canada^©, The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, and Chambers (International). He earned his LLB from Queen’s University and an LLM with a mark of distinction from the London School of Economics. He currently is co-chair of the only center for labor and employment law at a Canadian law school, at Queens University.

Ed Majewski, who joins the Toronto office as a partner, advises employers on a broad range of employment issues, including pre-employment and hiring issues, employment contracts, workplace policies, noncompetition and non-solicitation agreements, corporate restructurings, dismissals and lay-offs, severance packages, employment standards legislation compliance, and human rights law obligations. He also advises employers regarding unionization, grievance arbitrations, and collective bargaining. Majewski earned his J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School.

About Ogletree Deakins
Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. Premier client service, as outlined in the firm’s Client Pledge, is one of the firm’s top priorities and a cornerstone of its core values. U.S. News – Best Lawyers^® “Best Law Firms” has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for five consecutive years. In 2016, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Employment Law – Management category. Ogletree Deakins has 750 attorneys located in 49 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies.