Lia Chiarotto is a partner in the Toronto Labour and Employment Group. She has a varied practice, encompassing all areas of employment law, workplace human rights, and workers’ compensation law.
Lia regularly represents employers in employment-related litigation, human rights proceedings, employment standards proceedings and worker’s compensation proceedings. She also represents employers in independent contractor status disputes with Canada Revenue Agency.
Lia’s employment litigation practice encompasses more than wrongful dismissal litigation. She regularly represents employers in a broad range of employment-related litigation including insurance claims for disability benefits, and actions based on breaches of fiduciary duties and breaches of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements.
In addition to litigating, Lia provides practical and strategic advice to both federal and provincially regulated employers on all manner of workplace issues including discipline, terminations, employment standards, employment contracts and policies, workers’ compensation issues, and harassment and discrimination issues.
Lia conducts client training sessions, and writes and speaks regularly on a broad range of employment topics.
Education
- LL.B., University of Toronto, 1994
- B.Comm. (with Distinction), University of Toronto, 1989
Professional Affiliations
- Canadian Bar Association
- The Advocates' Society
- The Law Society of Upper Canada (Ontario)
- Toronto Board of Trade
Publications & Conferences
- Contributing Author to Ultimate Corporate Counsel Guide, published by CCH (Author of chapter on Canadian Workers’ Compensation Law).
- Panelist, “Employee Terminations: Minimizing Your Risks”, Heenan Blaikie’s Managing the Workplace 2012 Labour & Employment Seminar Series (April 26, 2012).
- Speaker, “Handling Medical Information: Requests for Medical Information and Independent Medical Assessments”, Insight’s 5th Annual Disability Claims Management and Litigation Conference, February 28, 2012.
- Panelist, “Stop Stressing about Disability Claims: Understanding Employers’ Rights and Responsibilities in Managing Disability Claims”, Heenan Blaikie’s Managing the Workplace 2011 Labour & Employment Seminar Series (October 5, 2011).
- Speaker and Co-Author, “The Do’s and Don’ts of Drug and Alcohol Testing”, presented at the Industrial Accident Prevention Association Golden Horseshoe Regional Conference in 2011.
- Panelist, “Recruitment and Hiring: What Employers Need to Know” , Heenan Blaikie’s Managing the Workplace 2010 Labour & Employment Seminar Series (November 9, 2010).
- Panelist, “Managing the Workplace during an Economic Downturn”, Heenan Blaikie’s Managing the Workplace 2009 Labour & Employment Seminar Series (July 21, 2009).
- Speaker and Author, “Damages in Wrongful Dismissal: A Review of the Law after Honda and Evans”, presented at the Ontario Bar Association’s 8th Annual Conference on Current Issues in Employment Law, February 2009.
- Speaker and Author, “Work-related Stress Claims under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act”, presented at the Municipal Health and Safety Association Conference, October 2008.
- Speaker and Author, “Responding to Work-related Stress Claims”, presented at the Industrial Accident Prevention Association Annual Conference and Trade Show, April 2008.
- Speaker, “The Legal Side of Employee Relations: How to Minimize Future Liability for your Organization”, presented at the National Conference of the Canadian Society of Association Executives, October 2007.
- Speaker and Author, “Canada-US Cross-Border Workers’ Compensation Issues”, presented at the Midwinter Meeting of the Workers’ Compensation Section, American Bar Association, March 2006.
- Speaker and Author, “The Workplace Safety and Insurance Act– An Employer’s Perspective”, presented at the Lorman Conference on Employment Law, October 2005.