HRPA Meeting Details

Adrian Ishak’s practice at Rubin Thomlinson focuses on all aspects of employment law including employee relations, terminations, wrongful dismissals, employment contracts, and employment policies. He provides strategic counselling on a number of human resources, privacy and human rights issues. With a joint Ontario and Québec call and with experience in both jurisdictions, Adrian guides his clients through employment standards matters, pay and employment equity, and human rights obligations in Canadian common law and Québec’s civil law jurisdiction. Adrian represents clients in both English and French.
Before joining Rubin Thomlinson, Adrian spent nearly eight years at one of the world’s largest law firms where he counselled employers, including many Global 500 companies, across various industries.
In 2015, Adrian was recognized as a Lexpert "Rising Star”, an award that honours Canada’s leading lawyers under 40.
Adrian is President of Eva’s Initiatives, providing shelter, training and counselling to homeless youth. He also sits on the Young Leadership Council of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and he volunteers at the Legal Advice & Referral Clinic of The 519 Church Street Community Centre.

Karina Pylypczuk is a labour and employment lawyer in Hicks Morley’s Toronto office. She provides advice to employers and management in both the private and public sectors on labour, employment, and human rights issues. This includes labour disputes, grievance arbitrations, human rights complaints, and wrongful dismissal litigation. Karina obtained her Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School. While at Osgoode Hall, she competed in several Provincial and National level moots. She also travelled to Bangkok, Thailand during her first summer of law school to work as a legal intern at a non-profit human rights organization. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours with Distinction) in Anthropology from York University. Karina both summered and articled at the firm before returning in 2016 as an associate.

I was attracted to employment law because of the people-focused nature of the practice. I enjoy getting to know my clients and learning their stories. Every case is unique, and often deeply personal. At the same time, the stories and situations are inherently relatable, as work forms a hugely significant part of our day to day lives. This area of the law is also constantly evolving, which makes my job even more engaging and challenging. Since being called to the Ontario Bar in 2013, my practice has been dedicated to assisting both employers and employees to manage their workplaces. My approach to workplace issues is one that is pro-active and preventative. I take great satisfaction in assisting employees and employers to identify and deal with potential issues before they have an opportunity to evolve into serious headaches for both parties. I also take great pride in acting as a vigorous advocate on behalf of my clients, whether at the bargaining table or beyond to the trial stage.