Arleen Huggins, LSM*
Partner

Practice Area
Expertise
Employment Law: Services For Employees, Employment Law: Services for Employers, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Leasing Litigation, Mortgage Enforcement
Called to the Bar
Ontario, 1991
Arleen is a partner at Koskie Minsky LLP and the head of the firm’s Employment Law Group (an area in which our firm ranked among top-rated firms according to Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada).
In December 2020, Arleen was selected to receive a Law Society Medal, the highest honour bestowed by the Law Society of Ontario. In 2021, she was elected by the readers of Canadian Lawyer as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in the Human Rights, Advocacy and Criminal Law category. Arleen has also been recognized in the area of Labour and Employment Law in The Best Lawyers in Canada for 2022.
Arleen Huggins’ expertise lies in employment law and human rights; commercial litigation; mortgage enforcement and litigation; commercial leasing litigation and real estate litigation.
In the employment law area, Arleen acts on behalf of both employers and employees. Arleen is sought to provide opinions and to litigate all types of employment-related disputes at various court levels, including the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Divisional Court, the Court of Appeal and administrative tribunals. She has extensive experience drafting and negotiating complex employment contracts and related documents, including non-solicitation and non-competition agreements and shareholder agreements for employers and executives. She also represents both employer and employees in disability claims and in the area of human rights. She is also experienced in investigating workplace harassment allegations and related matters.
Arleen’s commercial, commercial leasing, mortgage and real estate litigation practice, with a particular emphasis on beneficial ownership interests, includes both the resolution of disputes, as well as litigating at various court levels, including the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Divisional Court, the Court of Appeal and administrative tribunals.
Arleen is a regular speaker for the Ontario Bar Association, the Law Society of Upper Canada, Osgoode Hall Professional Development and others, including presenting at a variety of seminars on employment law, human rights and civil matters. She has authored various topical articles and papers in her areas of expertise, including “Taxing Issues”, relating to CRA rules in the context of wrongful terminations; Fixed Term Employment Contracts; Severance and the Disabled Employee; and Drug and Alcohol Testing.
Arleen is an experienced practitioner who is well-respected by clients and lawyers for her legal expertise and practical resolution of complex legal issues. Her clients include private corporations in a variety of industries, pension and trust funds, disability plans, Not-For Profit organizations, and individual employees.
*practicing through a Professional Corporation
-
Education
LL.B., 1989, University of Toronto Law School
Hons. B.A., 1986, University of Toronto
-
Memberships / Affiliations
- Immediate Past President, Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL)
- Pro Bono legal counsel to the Human Resources Committee of Médecins Sans Frontières Canada
- Member, Canadian Bar Association
- Past Chair, Ontario Bar Association Equal Opportunity Committee
- Past Chair, Canadian Bar Association Standing Committee on Equity
- Past Executive Committee Member, Ontario Bar Association
- Past Recipient, Ontario Bar Association Linda Adlam Manning Award for Volunteerism
- Member, The Advocates’ Society
-
Latest News & Events
Arleen Huggins to Speak at The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans’ 55th Annual Canadian Employee Benefits Conference
July 5, 2022
Arleen Huggins will be speaking at the 55th Annual Canadian Employee Benefits Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, on November 22, 2022. Arleen will take part in a panel discussion with Karen M. DeBortoli and Allison Tremblay on: Going Beyond Lip Service—A Deeper Look at Diversity and Inclusion in Pension and Benefit Plans. The panel will
Arleen Huggins to Speak at the 2022 FBS Annual Conference
November 3, 2022 - November 4, 2022
Arleen Huggins will be speaking at the 2022 FBS Annual Conference, which will be held in Ottawa from November 3-4, 2022. Arleen will participate in a panel discussion focused on the legal and human rights framework of Identity, Citizenship, and Membership, within the context of hiring and other aspects of the employment relationship. More information
Arleen Huggins To Speak At The Osgoode Advanced Certificate in Workplace Investigations Program
February 4, 2022
Arleen Huggins will be speaking at The Osgoode Advanced Certificate in Workplace Investigations Program on March 21, 2022. Arleen’s session will focus on “Investigating Allegations of Racism, Systemic Racism Prejudice and Bias in the Workplace”. For more information about the program, please click here
-
Arleen's Publications
- The Impact of Paquette v. TeraGo Networks Inc. on Payment of Bonuses and Other Issues of Compensation upon Termination
- Changing Workplaces Review
- Individual Human Rights Remedies
- Workplace Mental Health Law: Due Diligence Legal Strategies
- Employment Considerations in the Sale of a Business
- Emerging Trends in Human Rights Remedies
- Untangling the Intersection of Disability and Employment
- Investigating Allegations of Harassment and Workplace Violence: Practical Considerations
- Employment Law Blog
- Obligations of a Departing Fiduciary: Two Views from the Bench
- What is Just Cause?
- Drug and Alcohol Testing
- Termination of Employment in the Dental Office
- Severance and the Disabled Employee – Egan v. Alcatel Canada Inc.
- “If it Ain’t Fixed, Don’t Broke It!” – Flynn and Fixed Term Contracts
- Taxing Issues – “Tax-Friendly” in CCRA’s Ever-Changing World
KM News