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Lawson Lundell LLP

Ritu N. Mahil

Partner

Expertise

Employment and Labor
Labor Law
Labor Relations
Litigation

WSG Practice Industries

Activity

Lawson Lundell LLP
British Columbia, Canada

Local Time: Fri. 07:54

604 631 9156

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Profile

Ritu is a member of our Labour and Employment Law Group. She is a former Vice Chair of the BC Labour Relations Board. As an experienced adjudicator, Ritu offers our clients a unique perspective on labour and employment law matters.

Ritu is also an experienced negotiator, mediator and skilled litigator with a proven track record appearing at arbitration hearings, the BC Labour Relations Board, and in Court proceedings including BC Court of Appeal.

Ritu advises on all aspects of labour and employment matters including harassment investigations, collective bargaining negotiations and mediation, and essential service disputes.

Ritu's experience as a Vice Chair at the BC Labour Relations Board has given her a working knowledge of the intricacies of labour and employment issues in the following industries:

Construction
Forestry
Gaming
Healthcare
Hospitality
Mining
Retail & Food Services
Transportation

In addition to serving as Vice Chair of the BC Labour Relations Board, Ritu previously served as in-house counsel to a union, was a lawyer in private practice, and an instructor at the Capilano College Labour Studies program. Ritu has spoken at a number of labour law conferences and workshops.

Ritu regularly provides commentary to media on a range of labour and employment issues. She has been interviewed on legal topics by several local and national outlets, including CBC (BC and national news), CKNW, CTV National News, Canadian Press, Vancouver Sun and Toronto Star.

Bar Admissions

British Columbia (2002)
Nunavut (2015)

Education

University of Victoria (M.PA., 2001)
University of Victoria (LL.B., 2000)
University of Victoria (B.A., 1996)

Areas of Practice

Professional Career

Professional Associations

*Canadian Bar Association, Member
*Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers

Community Activities
*Board of Directors of West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund (2002 - 2008, President 2006 - 2008)

Seminars

"State of the Union: A Labour Arbitration Update", 52nd Annual BC Human Resources Management Association Conference, Vancouver, BC (April 15, 2014)

"Hot Topics in Labour Relations Law", Canadian Electricity Association Labour Relations Symposium, Toronto, ON (March 24, 2014), Speaker

"A Promise is a Promise, or is it? Estoppel in day-to-day labour relations", Labour Arbitration Conference, Lancaster House (November 20, 2013), Speaker

"Labour Law Update for BC", 10th Annual Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers (CACE) Conference, Banff, AB (October 3 - 5, 2013)

"Latest Developments in Labour Relations (Unionized Employers)", Lawson Lundell Labour & Employment Law Seminar (June 6, 2013), Speaker

"The Role of the Parties in Accommodation: Employer Responsibilities, Union Role and Employee Responsibilities", 8th Annual Western Canada Labour Relations Conference, Insight Information, Vancouver, BC (February 21, 2013), Speaker

Articles

Do You Really Have Zero Tolerance for Bullying and Harassment? Your Answer May be Costly
Lawson Lundell LLP, February 2021

Workplace harassment is once again in the news given our former Governor General’s resignation from her post after a 132 page investigation report was issued following accusations of a toxic work environment at Rideau Hall. While the Government of Canada took the correct steps in hiring an independent investigator once the allegations surfaced, meeting with all witnesses, and then meeting with Ms...

Can You Fire a Rioter? Maybe…
Lawson Lundell LLP, January 2021

As we all know by now, the U.S. Capitol was stormed by a mob of President Trump’s supporters on Wednesday January 6, 2021. A great deal of the mob, as well as police officers who appeared to stand aside as rioters streamed inside, were captured on video and replayed repeatedly over the news. This includes two Canadian nurses who allegedly travelled to Washington D.C. to participate in an anti-lockdown event which preceded the Capitol Hill riot...

Addressing Racism in the Workplace
Lawson Lundell LLP, June 2020

It is astonishing that in the same week that we’ve read about astronauts going into space in a reusable rocket, we have also experienced the horrors of humanity reading about the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor...

Additional Articles

Supreme Court of Canada Releases Right to Strike Decision: Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v. Saskatchewan, 2015 SCC 4 (February 2, 2015)

Landmark Case on the Freedom of Association from the Supreme Court of Canada: Mounted Police Association of Ontario v. Canada (Attorney General), 2015 SCC 1 (January 19, 2015)

Discussion of sexual harassment in the workplace and what employers can do to ensure proper polices are in place to address allegations, CTV: National News (November 6, 2014)

Teachers ask for binding arbitration; Government wants more details before agreeing, but deal would open schools next week, Vancouver Sun (September 6, 2014)

Discussion of labour relations and the teacher's strike, CBC: The Early Edition (September 3, 2014)

Union's Right to Employees' Home Contact Information from Employer Trumps Privacy Concerns (February 11, 2014), Co-author

"Constructive Dismissal: Should I Stay or Should I Go?", Canadian Employment Law Today (January 22, 2014), Author

Women's Day Brings Legal Rights in Workplace Closer to Home (March 8, 2013), Author

Blogs