Robert
E. Boyd

Hotline: 514 787-3485

Robert E. Boyd specializes in labor and employment law, helping employers from various fields of business implement best practices, avoid litigation, and make strategic decisions when disputes inevitably arise. As a lawyer and certified industrial relations advisor, he takes a pragmatic approach to labor relations, seeking concrete solutions to complex issues to avoid litigation whenever possible.

He advises and assists clients in all aspects of labor and employment law, including hiring practices, earned value management, pension funds, occupational health and safety, labor standards, human rights, employment termination, and workplace harassment. He also defends employer interests in matters of union certification, wrongful dismissal suits, complaints of harassment, compensation for workplace injury, and grievance arbitration. In so doing, he argues cases before both administrative tribunals and the courts.

Assistant:

Expertise

• Labor and employment law (competition and duty of loyalty, federal labor law, human rights, pay equity, pay equity, occupational health and safety funding, collective bargaining, collective labor relations, individual labor relations, occupational health and safety)
• Administrative law (access to information, professional conduct, ethics, and governance, disciplinary law, professional orders, administrative remedies)

Education

• LL.B. (cum laude), McGill University
• Bachelor's degree in industrial relations, Université de Montréal

Professional experience

• Cain Lamarre, Montreal (2015 to present)
• McMillan, Montreal
• Dunton Rainville, Montreal

Lecturing, conferences, publications

• “Practical guidance on terminating employment contracts”, La Référence RH Thomson (2016)
• “Acceptability in work relations,” a presentation at Rendez-vous annuel des relations du travail, CRHA (2016)
• Lecturer on labor law, Accounting Program, HEC Montréal (2015)
• “Are Psychological Harassment Investigations Subject to the Rules of Procedural Fairness?”, VigieRT (2015)
• “Dismissing an Executive for a Harassment Charge Related to Behavior Outside of Work”, VigieRT (2015)
• “Dismissing an Employee for False Declarations Regarding His or Her Health”, La Référence RH (2015)
• Termination of Employment Notices: Recent Developments, a presentation given at the annual Labor Relations Rendez-Vous, CIRC (2014)
• Quebec employers cannot waive employee's notice of resignation – Supreme Court of Canada (2014)
• Right to close business: The Supreme Court of Canada rules store closure illegal during statutory freeze (2014)
• Supreme Court of Canada finds mandatory retirement lawful in professional partnerships (2014)
• Unions and privacy: Employer must disclose to union its employees' personal information, Canadian Privacy Law Review (2014)
• Don't deduct the "Nest Egg": The Supreme Court Of Canada upholds no deduction of pension benefits from wrongful dismissal awards (2014)
• Management training program for a retail multinational on Quebec labor law (2014)
• Management training program for an auto manufacturer on psychological harassment (2014)
• Guest lecturer on alternative forms of dispute resolution, Faculty of Law, Université de Montréal (2014)
• Management training program for a retail multinational (IT devices) on managing workplace relations (2013)
• Presentation on psychological harassment to Quebec’s Association of Corporate Legal Advisors (2013)
• Insight: a presentation on privacy in the workplace (2013)
• Guest lecturer on alternative forms of dispute resolution, McGill University (2013)
• Frequent contributor on employment and labor law in journals VigieRT (ORHRI), Labour Note (CCH), and La Référence RH (Thomson)
• “Labor Law’s Top Ten Rulings for 2013”, VigieRT (2013)
• “Commercial Restrictive Covenants Enforceable” (2013)
• “Does a Loss of Confidence Necessarily Entail Dismissal?”, VigieRT (2013)
• “ SCC: provincial legislation prohibiting workplace accident-related tort claims against negligent employers applicable to maritime industry” (2013)
• “Board Members: What Are Your Responsibilities Regarding Hiring?”, VigieRT (2013)
• “Supreme Court bars random alcohol testing by employers in the absence of reasonable cause” (2013)
• “The Right to Privacy in the Workplace: Can Employers Search Employees?” (2013)

Associations, committees, boards

• Member, Ordre des CRHA et CRIA du Québec
• Member, board of directors, Volunteer Bureau of Montréal
• Member, board of directors, CPE Whiteside Taylor

Distinctions

• Second place in Face to Face, a public speaking competition between Quebec’s faculties of law (2004)