I joined Aird & Berlis LLP in January 2012 and continue to assist a Partner/Head of the Labour & Employment Department, Lorenzo Lisi, with whom asked me to join him from Sherrard Kuzz LLP and also assist another Partner, Michael Horvat. As a team, we are part of the Labour and Employment Department of A&B. I have been in the Labour and Employment field for the past 25+ years. While managing the lawyers and their practice, I am also the Team Leader for our Department and the "go to" person. I am very much trusted in all aspects of this position and good independent judgement decision making is key in this role so the lawyers can do what they need to do. While managing the department and keeping everyone on track, in addition to being a mentor to many, I am also drafting correspondence, scheduling and managing calendars, scheduling and making flight/hotel arrangements and conferences/seminars whether it be within Canada, the U.S. or Internationally, are just a few of the administrative duties, I also have experience working and communicating with the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Superior Court of Justice, Small Claims Court, WSIB and the CIRB, while also arranging Mediations/Arbitrations and completion of the appropriate forms/documents/pleadings. Working with Lorenzo Lisi since 2009 has made my career an enjoyable experience, not to mention the additional knowledge I continue to gain. A very fast-paced environment with Lorenzo always getting new clients and also being on the Board of many Associations and keeping him organized and on top of every aspect of his practice including preparation of various PowerPoint presentations whether he be the Chair or the Speaker. Being 2 steps ahead of the lawyers is key in my role and one that I carry through without hesitation. Being efficient, detailed and organized is a must in leading our department.

I joined Sherrard Kuzz LLP in 2009 as an assistant for a Partner, Lorenzo Lisi and an Associate, who also practice Labour and Employment. While not having to manage the functions of a firm as I did in Shell Lawyers, working with Lorenzo Lisi definitely kept me busy with his practice. Not only was I assisting with his legal practice with the preparation of correspondence and documents/pleadings and meeting his many clients, but with Lorenzo attending various conferences whether it be within or outside of Canada, I began arranging and scheduling flight, hotel and registration whether it be for him as the Speaker or Chairing the Conference or just attending. In addition, I, along with one of our other assistants, planned our very first retreat that year. With the success of the retreat and co-ordination and organization, HR continued to involve me in other event planning and I was happy to assist as I continued to be a leader. At the beginning of 2012, Lorenzo Lisi decided to join Aird & Berlis LLP as the head of their Labour and Employment Department and asked me to join him. I was happy to do so.

I joined Shell Jacobs Lawyers in 1998 when the firm had just started its practice. This is where my practice in the Labour and Employment field all began. While being the only assistant in a small boutique firm, little did I know at the time, that Brian Shell would give me my lifetime experience not only in this field, but also give me the privilege of learning all the functions of running a firm and being a leader. I continued being the only assistant for 4 years, while assisting up to 5 lawyers and managing all of the functions of a law office. After a few years, it became Shell Lawyers. When a second assistant was hired and a third after growing, I continued to be a legal assistant/litigation clerk and also managed the office throughout my 10 + years there, while being the leader to the other 2 assistants. From ordering office supplies, contacting our IT and troubleshooting computer problems, fixing our photocopying machine, meeting with suppliers for potential new products and assisting with the decision making, preparing accounts to preparing correspondence, documents, communicating with clients, being the first point of contact and meeting potential clients, organization of the office and the list goes on. I was definitely dedicated to Shell Lawyers and enjoyed every moment there and very grateful to be given this experience. Thank you Brian Shell for giving me that opportunity and knowledge for where I am today!