Powell & Weir
2 lawyers · Established 2002 · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 478 handling Employment & Labour Law.
About Powell & Weir
Powell & Weir is a small Toronto law firm that concentrates on employment law and labour relations. Michael Lane Powell and Gordon J. Weir co-founded the firm in April 2002, and it operates from an office on Gervais Drive in Toronto. Powell was called to the Ontario bar in 1980 and worked as an associate at Rovet & Associates, a Toronto labour law firm, until 1985. That year Powell co-founded Griffiths & Powell, a general practice firm in North York, and headed the firm's employment law division. Weir studied at Queen's University and the University of Toronto, earning a B.A. and LL.B. from Queen's and an M.A. from U of T, and belongs to the Law Society of Ontario and the Canadian Bar Association.
The firm represents both employers and employees, handling wrongful dismissal claims, the negotiation and drafting of employment contracts, and employment standards and human rights matters. Weir's practice centres on the employer side, representing companies, public sector employers, managers and executives in collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, and before labour relations boards and tribunals. Powell has appeared as counsel before the Ontario and Canada Labour Relations Boards, the Superior Court of Justice, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Canada, and has published articles on the law of wrongful dismissal.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Michael Lane Powell was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1980 and worked as an associate at Rovet & Associates, a Toronto labour law firm, until 1985.
- In 1985, Powell co-founded Griffiths & Powell in North York, a general service firm, and headed its employment law division.
- Powell and Weir co-founded Powell & Weir in April 2002 to focus on employment law and labour relations.
- Powell earned a B.A. from Victoria College at the University of Toronto in 1975 and an LL.B. from McGill University Law School in 1978.
- Gordon J. Weir holds a B.A. and LL.B. from Queen's University and an M.A. from the University of Toronto, and is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and the Canadian Bar Association.
In the community
- While at McGill University Law School, Powell co-directed the McGill Legal Aid Clinic in Montreal, providing free legal services in English and French to students and the surrounding community.
- In 1977, Powell worked as a legal researcher for the Urban Alliance and Race Relations in Toronto, contributing to a handbook titled 'A Guide to Human Rights Legislation in Ontario.'
- Powell has volunteered as counsel to two amateur sports organizations: the Canadian Amateur Rowing Association in Ottawa and the Ontario Tae Kwon Do Association in Toronto.
- Weir has lectured at the university and community college level and conducted training seminars across Ontario, authoring publications on topics including the Ontario Human Rights Code, legal processes during a strike and discipline and discharge procedures.
Lawyers 2
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1980 · median 46 years in practice 1 of 2 lawyers
- Law schools
- McGill University Law School, Queen's University 2 of 2 lawyers
- Languages on the roster
- English, French
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
Powell & Weir's office is at 50 Gervais Drive, Suite 505, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1Z3.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Powell & Weir represent employees, or only employers?
- Both. The firm describes offering a full range of employment law and labour relations services to employers and employees, and Michael Lane Powell has assisted both employers and dismissed employees in an employment law practice going back to 1980.
- I think I was wrongfully dismissed from my job in Toronto. Can Powell & Weir help?
- Wrongful dismissal is one of the firm's core areas of practice, alongside negotiating severance packages and employment law litigation and mediation.
- Does the firm handle collective bargaining and labour arbitration for employers?
- Yes. Gordon Weir represents management in collective bargaining, drafts collective agreements and workplace policies, and appears as counsel before boards of arbitration on grievance matters and before labour relations boards and tribunals.
- Can Powell & Weir draft or review an employment contract?
- Yes, the firm negotiates and drafts employment contracts as part of its employment law and labour relations practice.
- When was Powell & Weir founded and where is the firm located?
- Michael Lane Powell and Gordon J. Weir co-founded the firm in April 2002. Its office is at 50 Gervais Drive, Suite 505, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1Z3.
- Does Powell & Weir appear before labour boards and tribunals beyond Toronto?
- Yes. Between them, the firm's lawyers have appeared before the Ontario and Canada Labour Relations Boards, Employment Standards Referees, Human Rights Boards, Occupational Health and Safety Adjudicators, Pay Equity Tribunals, and courts up to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Where to find them
50 Gervais Drive, Suite 505, Toronto, Ontario, M3C 1Z3 · 416-441-6840
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