Ryder Wright Holmes Bryden Nam LLP
11 lawyers · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 478 handling Employment & Labour Law.
About Ryder Wright Holmes Bryden Nam LLP
Ryder Wright Holmes Bryden Nam LLP is a Toronto law firm that works exclusively for unions and individual workers in labour and employment matters. It's based at 2 Berkeley Street in the city's Corktown area, its only office. The firm traces its founding to 1989, when Alick Ryder, David Wright, Pamela Chapman and Kevin Whitaker left Gowlings to start a practice devoted to union side work. Its lineage runs back further still: predecessor lawyers included James McRuer, a former Chief Justice of Ontario recognized for civil liberties work, Andrew Brewin, a Q.C. who defended the rights of Japanese Canadians and later sat as an NDP member of Parliament, and Ian Scott, a Q.C. who served as Ontario's Attorney General from 1985 to 1990. The firm took its current five name form, Ryder Wright Holmes Bryden Nam, on Labour Day 2022, as new partners joined the practice alongside earlier members' retirements.
The firm represents unions and workers in labour relations, human rights, professional regulation, pay equity, workplace health and safety, and pension and benefits matters. It appears before labour boards, arbitrators and human rights tribunals as well as the courts, up to the Supreme Court of Canada, and it also provides investigation and conflict resolution services to trade unions. Canadian Lawyer magazine named it a Top Union Side Labour and Employment Law Firm in 2024, and the firm is listed in the Best Lawyers directory.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Founded in 1989 when Alick Ryder, David Wright, Pamela Chapman and Kevin Whitaker left Gowlings to start a union side labour practice.
- Firm lineage traces to James McRuer, a former Chief Justice of Ontario, Andrew Brewin, Q.C., a former NDP member of Parliament, and Ian Scott, Q.C., Ontario's Attorney General from 1985 to 1990.
- Founding partner J. Alick Ryder held the designation of Queen's Counsel.
- Took its current name, Ryder Wright Holmes Bryden Nam LLP, on Labour Day 2022.
- Named a Top Union Side Labour and Employment Law Firm by Canadian Lawyer magazine in 2024.
- Listed in the Best Lawyers directory.
- Represented OPSEU/SEFPO in a Charter challenge to Bill 124; the Ontario Court of Appeal confirmed the wage restraint law unconstitutional in 2024.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleLawyers 11
Anson Cai
Associate
Employment & Labour Law
Behzad Akhkend
Associate
Employment & Labour Law
Chris Bryden
Partner
Employment & Labour Law
David Wright
Founding Partner
Employment & Labour Law
Ed Holmes
Partner
Employment & Labour Law
J. Alick Ryder, Q.C.
Founding Partner
Laura Johnson
Managing Partner
Employment & Labour Law
Mae J. Nam
Partner
Employment & Labour Law
Nancy Virk
Associate
Rebecca Jones
Associate
Employment & Labour Law
Robert Healey
Employment & Labour Law
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1988–2023 · median 16 years in practice 8 of 11 lawyers
- Law schools
- University of Toronto (3), McGill University (2), Osgoode Hall Law School (York University) (2), Queen's University, University of Ottawa (French Common Law Program), University of Toronto Faculty of Law 10 of 11 lawyers
- Languages on the roster
- Farsi, Kurdish, Turkish
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
The firm's office is in Corktown, at Berkeley Street and The Esplanade in downtown Toronto, an area that mixes converted heritage buildings with newer condo towers. St. Lawrence Market, one of the city's older public markets, and the Distillery District, a preserved Victorian era industrial site now home to galleries and shops, are both within walking distance. It's the firm's only location, representing union clients that include hospitals, school boards and provincial public sector unions from across Ontario.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Ryder Wright represent employers, or only unions and workers?
- Ryder Wright Holmes Bryden Nam LLP works only for unions and individual workers, not employers. It describes itself as a union side labour law firm dedicated to workplace advocacy.
- What kinds of workplace issues does the firm handle?
- The firm's practice covers labour relations, human rights, professional regulation, pay equity, workplace health and safety, and pension and benefits matters.
- Can Ryder Wright help with a human rights complaint at work?
- Yes. Human rights is one of the firm's listed practice areas, alongside labour relations and related workplace matters.
- Does the firm only go to court, or does it also handle labour board and arbitration matters?
- The firm represents clients before labour boards, arbitrators and human rights tribunals as well as the courts, up to the Supreme Court of Canada.
- How long has Ryder Wright been practising labour law?
- The firm traces its founding to 1989, when four lawyers left Gowlings to start a union side practice. It took its current name, Ryder Wright Holmes Bryden Nam LLP, in 2022.
- Where is Ryder Wright located?
- The firm's office is at 2 Berkeley Street, Suite 502, in the Corktown area of downtown Toronto.
Where to find them
2 Berkeley Street, Suite 502, Toronto, ON M5A 4J5 · 416-340-9070
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