About James

James Shields is of counsel at Shields Hunt Duff Strachan, where he has represented clients in both federal and provincial jurisdictions in civil litigation, labour and employment, and administrative law. He has developed particular expertise in commercial litigation, labour relations, and wrongful dismissal, and is nationally recognized for his work in the airline and railway industries. Shields has acted as counsel in a number of precedent-setting cases involving employee rights and the transfer of public sector enterprises to the private sector, and has represented senior members of the RCMP, the Canadian military, and the federal public service before commissions including the Somalia Inquiry. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1970, is a former lecturer at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, and is a member of the Advocates' Society.

Practice areas

Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Employment & Labour Law Administrative & Regulatory Law

Education & credentials

Law school
University of Ottawa

Listing compiled from public sources in July 2026. Confirm James L. Shields’s licence and standing in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗