HRPA Meeting Details

Darren Avery is an associate with the Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP, working out the London office. Darren practices in all areas of labour and employment law, as well as privacy and regulatory matters. Before joining the firm, Darren articled and worked as an associate lawyer at a full-service law firm in eastern Ontario where he represented clients at various levels of court and administrative tribunals. Darren focuses on Labour and Employment, Civil litigation, privacy law, and regulatory matters (including POA defence).

Cassandra is an associate with the London office of Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP. Cassandra’s practice focuses on a full range of labour and employment issues including collective bargaining, labour disputes, grievance arbitrations, human rights, wrongful dismissal defense litigation, employment standards, employment contracts, and workplace policies. Cassandra offers clients a collaborative and creative approach to solving complex workplace issues. She works with public and private sector employers alike, big and small, operating across multiple sectors. Prior to joining the firm, Cassandra practiced with a boutique management-side labour and employment law firm in London. Before being called to the Bar of Ontario, Cassandra represented a major U.S. city in collective bargaining, labour disputes, employment and human rights issues. While Cassandra maintains a broad and general practice, her past experience has instilled a keen understanding of the unique political, cultural and socio-economic environment in which municipalities operate. She also has particular experience with the labour and employment challenges relating to police services, utilities, and public sector employee unions. Having practiced labour and employment law in multiple jurisdictions, Cassandra is also uniquely positioned to assist U.S. employers navigate the Canadian regulatory landscape.

Casey has been a partner with the firm since 2015. She joined the firm in 2011 as an associate, and for five years before that, she held an in-house counsel role with a large Ontario municipality. Casey practises in all areas of labour and employment law. She acts for a wide variety of union and non-union clients in both the public and private sectors. Casey's practice focuses on public sector work, where she represents a number of municipalities, school boards, hospitals, and other broader public sector clients. Casey spends a considerable amount of her time on employment-related civil litigation matters, including wrongful dismissals, constructive dismissals, breach of restrictive covenant claims, and human rights disputes. Casey has acted as counsel in many arbitrations, wrongful dismissals, and proceedings before the Ontario Labour Relations Board and the Human Rights Tribunal. She provides regular and ongoing advice to her clients in respect to all labour and employment matters, including Workplace Safety and Insurance Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act matters. Casey has led collective bargaining as the spokesperson at the bargaining table (for both first collective agreements and renewal agreements), and she has provided advice on drafting collective agreement language. She has also provided "behind-the-scenes" advice to clients in all sectors during the collective bargaining process. Casey also regularly conducts workplace investigations on behalf of clients, and she regularly provides training to clients on how to conduct workplace investigations, including on the art of report writing. Casey also regularly speaks at conferences, meetings and seminars held by various human resources groups and organizations in London and throughout Ontario. Casey is very active in the London community serving on multiple boards and involving herself in many community fundraising events.

Brian MacDonald Brian has been a partner since 2016. He articled with the firm in 2009 before joining as an associate in 2010. Brian practises in all areas of labour and employment law. He acts for a wide variety of union and non-union clients, including federally-regulated clients. He has acted as counsel in many significant arbitrations, wrongful dismissals, and proceedings before the Ontario Labour Relations Board and the Human Rights Tribunal. He has also advised on and coordinated litigation strategy with employer associations and their members, both during the open season/raiding period and during the subsequent litigation. He regularly advises on WSIB issues as well as occupational health and safety matters. Brian’s practice has a particular focus on the construction industry and the transportation sector. He regularly appears before the Ontario Labour Relations Board representing construction industry clients in section 133 grievances, jurisdictional disputes, related employer/sale of business matters, Applications for Certification and unfair labour practices. Brian has significant experience collective bargaining. He has appeared as lead spokesperson for both federally and provincially regulated companies in both the public and private sector and in any number industries, including manufacturing, trucking, construction, professional services, and social welfare. He provides advice on drafting collective agreement language, and is a co-author of a major text on the subject. He also assists employers through the conciliation, strike, and injunction process where necessary. Brian believes in providing clients practical, efficient solutions to manage complex workplace situations.

Rusty is a partner in the London office of Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP practising in all areas of labour and employment law. Rusty represents clients at various tribunals and at all levels of court in all matters relating to labour and employment law, including labour arbitrations, human rights, wrongful dismissal actions and Ontario Labour Relations Board matters. Before joining the firm, Rusty was the Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel at Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. For many years, he was a Vice-President, Legal at BlackBerry where he oversaw all global employment law issues.