Maxwell J. Brunette

Max Brunette is the practice group leader of the Employment & Labour Law Department in Gowling WLG's Vancouver and Calgary offices. He represents employers from all sectors of the economy in labour and employment law. Max regularly defends employers in wrongful dismissal litigation, labour relations matters, employment standards disputes, human rights complaints, and workplace investigation matters.

Max also represents employers in collective bargaining negotiations for unionized employees (including those within federal labour guidelines). He provides pragmatic and effective advice on the design, interpretation and enforcement of employment and consulting contracts, termination agreements, workplace policies and handbooks, and workplace safety issues and workplace investigations. Max is very familiar with the implications and enforcement of post-employment duties arising from non-competition and non-solicitation agreements and arising as a result of an employee's fiduciary duties.

Max has extensive experience conducting unbiased workplace investigations for clients in a variety of industry sectors. He has advised on complaints relating, but not limited to: harassment, discrimination, misconduct, conflict of interest and policy breach. Additionally, he works with clients in advance of, and after a complaint to accurately pinpoint the preliminary and ongoing concerns within an organization. Max understands the sensitivity and complexity surrounding each investigation and approaches each matter with a prudently considered assessment. In his immigration law practice, Max counsels corporate clients seeking to hire foreign workers.

He has earned recognition in a host of leading legal publications such as Chambers Canada, Lexpert, Legal 500 Canada and Acritas, including being named in Band 4 of Chambers Canada and as a Leading Lawyer in Legal 500. His experience includes:

• Labour relations and dispute resolution before labour relations boards, arbitrations, and the courts of various jurisdictions across Canada
• Collective bargaining
• Litigation involving the interpretation of executive employment contracts, shareholder disputes, wrongful dismissal actions, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements and workplace investigations
• Negotiating, drafting and advising on the employment, labour and privacy aspects of corporate transactions
• Advising and troubleshooting for corporate clients on all aspects of labour, employment, occupational health and safety and privacy compliance, including training of employees, managers and privacy officers within organizations
• Preparing and drafting employment policies, guidelines, executive employment contracts and restrictive covenants for corporate clients
• Advising clients with respect to workplace investigations