Employment Law Conference 2026: Combo
Course Date: May 7, 2026
Total: 12h 25min
Total Ethics: 2h
Course Date: May 7, 2026
James D. Kondopulos (he/him) — Roper Greyell LLP, Vancouver
- identifying the processes available to support workplace conflict resolution and determining when collaborative approaches are appropriate
- advising clients on policies to support effective conflict resolution choices
- working with conflict resolution professionals to design the best process for each situation
Kyra L. Hudson (she/her) — Kyra Hudson Law Corporation, Vancouver
Cherolyn Knapp (she/her) — Knapp Resolutions, Victoria
- overview of the legal principles of just cause, repudiation, and constructive dismissal
- recent analyses, including how these principles apply in a working notice scenario, referencing Adrain v. Agricom International Inc., 2025 BCSC 1842
- lessons for practitioners when advising employers and employees
Roan Wallace (she/her) — KSW Lawyers, Surrey
- review and analyze scope of Employment Standards Act, s. 49.2 and comparable provisions
- review of new long-term personal illness leave under Employment Standards Act , s. 49.01
- best practices for updating attendance management programs and sick leave policies
- adress common compliance challenges
- guidance on transition from short-term to long-term leave
Claire Wanhella (she/her) — McMillan LLP, Vancouver
- brief overview of foundational legal principles related to discipline for off-duty conduct and inappropriate social media use
- consider recent caselaw on discipline arising from:
- gossip about the workplace, including in chat groups and DMs
- other social media usage that attracts workplace consequences
- discuss issues related to accessing employee texts/DMs/social media posts (methods of access and related employee privacy concerns)
- discuss cascading impact on the workplace (impact on non-participants, risks related to poisoned workplace, and other human rights concerns)
- brief overview of emerging issues related to social media (i.e., TikTok moonlighting)
Funmilola Ayotunde (she/her) — Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, UVic, Victoria
Sophie Toor (she/her) — Anita Atwal Law Corporation, Surrey
- legislative updates
- program updates
- review of notable cases
Mary Walsh (she/her) — Executive Director, Ministry of Labour - Employment Standards Branch, Richmond
- key cases
- analysis and trends
- effects on practice
Eric Ito (he/him) — Cooperwilliams Truman & Ito LLP, Vancouver
Lia Moody (she/her) — HHBG Lawyers, Vancouver
Veronica Ukrainetz (she/her) — Ascent Employment Law Corporation, Kelowna
Cameron R. Wardell (he/him) — Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP, Vancouver
James D. Kondopulos (he/him) — Roper Greyell LLP, Vancouver
- post-employment issues involving rogue former employees including theft of employer information
- overview of recent legal developments concerning:
- restrictive covenants
- common law post-employment fiduciary obligations regarding non-competition and use of confidential information and contractual obligations under employment agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and intellectual property agreements
- practical strategies and employer obligations when responding to theft or misuse of employer information
- injunctions including Anton Piller and Mareva injunctions
- forensic evidence
Richard E.K. Truman (he/him) — Cooperwilliams Truman & Ito LLP, Vancouver
- update on the law of damages for incentive compensation, including a review of post-Matthews cases dealing with incentive compensation provisions
- assessing damages for the loss of pension contributions or pension benefits during the reasonable notice period
- trends in the case law and practical implications for counsel dealing with complex compensation, equity, or pension benefits matters
Preston Parsons (he/him) — Overholt Law LLP, Vancouver
Salim Visram (he/him) — Dentons Canada LLP, Vancouver
- review of investigatory procedures and requirements for both employers and employees when there is a critical workplace incident or fatality
- how to minimize potential liability for administrative penalties, offence proceedings, or possible charges for criminal negligence
Eleni Kassaris (she/her) — Dentons Canada LLP, Vancouver
- artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the modern workplace, from recruitment tools to performance analytics to generative AI
- this session will examine the ethical, legal, and governance challenges arising from increased AI adoption
- topics covered will include bias and discrimination, workplace privacy, and acceptable use policies; we will also briefly address professional ethics and responsibility for lawyers using AI in the course of their practice
Robbie Grant (he/him) — McMillan LLP, Toronto
Neil Hain (he/him) — Neil Hain Dispute Resolution, Vancouver
Nazanin Panah (she/her) — Inlet Employment Law, Port Moody
- an overview of Tribunal processes and operations
- recent key decisions of the Tribunal
- notable judicial reviews of Tribunal decisions
E. Murphy Fries (she/her) — Legal Counsel, BC Labour Relations Board and Employment Standards Tribunal, Vancouver
- a lively moot style format and panel discussion of Mac's Convenience Stores Inc. v. Basyal, 2025 BCCA 284, its direct conflict with the ONCA, and where the SCC should land on the issue of mitigation and fixed term contracts
Valerie Dixon (she/her) — City of Vancouver, Vancouver
Nicole R. Howell (she/her) — HHBG Lawyers, Vancouver
James Hsu (he/him) — PortaLaw, Vancouver
James D. Kondopulos (he/him) — Roper Greyell LLP, Vancouver
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"They're Entitled to What?!"—Incentive Compensation, Equity and Pension in Wrongful Dismissal Litigation
[1h 3min]
Slides: They're Entitled to What?!"—Incentive Compensation, Equity and Pension in Wrongful Dismissal Litigation
Paper: Diving into Incentive Compensation Post-Matthews v. Ocean Nutrition
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"They're Entitled to What?!"—Incentive Compensation, Equity and Pension in Wrongful Dismissal Litigation
[1h 3min]
Slides: They're Entitled to What?!"—Incentive Compensation, Equity and Pension in Wrongful Dismissal Litigation
Paper: Damages in Wrongful Dismissal Litigation for Loss of Pension Entitlements
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Handout: Debts vs. Damages – Foundational Cases