Nancy Shapiro*
Partner

Practice Area
Expertise
Employment Law, Employment Law: Services For Employees, Employment Law: Services for Employers, Appellate Court Practice, Privacy and Compliance
Called to the Bar
Ontario, 1998
Nancy Shapiro is ranked one of the top 500 lawyers in Canada by the Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada and is recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a leading practitioner in the area of employment law (both for employer and employee side work).
Nancy is a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. Nancy’s practice is devoted exclusively to the area of employment law. She represents non-unionized employers and employees in a wide variety of sectors. Nancy is thoroughly versed in issues surrounding all aspects of the employment relationship from hiring, discipline, disability management, performance management and human rights through to termination. She is frequently engaged on the preparation and negotiation of employment contracts, manuals and policies, legislative compliance, restructuring, workplace investigations as well as litigation and appellant work. Nancy focuses on working with her clients in an effort to proactively minimize risks and cost while being a zealous advocate.
As a member of the firm’s litigation department Nancy also acts on cases of wrongful dismissal, breach of contract, discrimination, constructive dismissal, director and officer liability and errors and omissions issues and partnership/shareholder disputes in the employment context. Nancy is on the LawPro preferred counsel list and offers representation to lawyers in errors and omissions cases involving this subject matter. Nancy is also a frequent speaker at industry conferences and author of many employment related articles.
*practising through a Professional Corporation
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Experience
Hakim v. North Bay Regional Health Centre 2020 HRTO 798
Manastersky v. Royal Bank of Canada et al., 2018 ONSC 966 (CanLII)
Cain v. Pfizer, 2018 ONSC 297 (CanLII)
Mikhail Kushevsky v. Michael Tulman, 2014 ONSC 1734 (CanLII)
Qubti v. Reprodux Ltd., 2011 ONCA 651 (CanLII)
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Education
LL.B., 1996, Osgoode Hall Law School
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Memberships / Affiliations
Member, American Bar Association
Vice-Chair, Ontario Bar Association, Professional Development Committee
Member, Ontario Bar Association
Member, Canadian Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs (CAWEE)
Member, Women’s Law Association
Member, Advocates’ Society
Past Elected CLE Liaison, Labour and Employment Law Executive Committee, Ontario Bar Association
Past-Chair, Ontario Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education Committee
Past-Member, Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario (HRPAO)
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Latest News & Events
Nancy Shapiro To Speak At the 2022 CAN-TECH Law Spring Conference: Moving Fast Without Breaking Things
June 3, 2022
Nancy Shapiro will be speaking at the online conference hosted by CAN TECH on June 8, 2022. Nancy’s session will focus on “Electronic Monitoring in the Workplace.” For more information about the conference, please click here
Secret Recording of Workplace Meetings was Cause for Termination
May 9, 2022
It is not a criminal act to record conversations where you have the consent of one of the parties, typically by the one who is doing the recording. However, we now have a case out of British Columbia finding, criminal or not, it was an invasion of privacy and was cause for the termination of
Expertise
Employment LawNancy Shapiro to speak at the Canadian Lawyer Employment Law Masterclass
March 3, 2022
Nancy Shapiro will be speaking at the online event hosted by the Canadian Lawyer Employment Law masterclass on April 28, 2022, regarding “Legal strategies and best practices to improve employee retention”. This event has been approved for CPD credits. For more details, please click here.
Early Termination Clause Invalid – Employee Entitled to Balance of 3-year Fixed Term Contract
February 22, 2022
In a recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the principles in the now infamous Waksdale v. Swegon North America Inc., 2020 ONCA 391 decision were applied to a fixed term contract, striking out a termination clause where the ‘for cause’ termination provision was broader than permitted by the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000
Expertise
Employment LawNancy Shapiro to Speak on Employment Law in the Dental Office – Covid Implications
January 31, 2022
Nancy Shapiro will be speaking at the West Toronto Dental Society’s Zoom Webinar Lecture, Employment Law in the Dental Office – Covid Implications, on March 3, 2022. For more information about the event, please click here.
Nancy Shapiro Guests on The Great Canadian Leader Podcast
January 25, 2022
Nancy Shapiro was a guest on The Great Canadian Leadership Podcast as part of their special series on navigating difficult conversations. Nancy specifically discussed giving feedback and how you can build your confidence and strengthen your team. Listen here!
Nancy Shapiro selected as one of Canadian HR Reporter’s 5-Star Employment Lawyers!
January 17, 2022
We are pleased to announce that Nancy Shapiro has been selected as one of Canadian HR Reporter’s 5-Star Employment Lawyers for 2022. She, and the other winners, are featured on the Canadian HR Reporter’s website here. Nancy Shapiro has over 20 years of experience and is recognized by Lexpert, Best Lawyers and Chambers Canada as
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Nancy's Publications
- Constructive Dismissal and COVID-19
- The New Concerns of Workplace Privacy – Technology
- The Impact of Paquette v. TeraGo Networks Inc. on Payment of Bonuses and Other Issues of Compensation upon Termination
- "Is Termination for Cause the Capital Punishment for Dishonesty?", by Nancy Shapiro, Employment and Labour Law Reporter: (2017), 27 E.L.L.R.
- Opportunities for Settlement and the Litigation Timeline
- Critical Issues in Workplace Investigations
- Challenging Claims of Privilege - Workplace Investigation Reports
- Just Cause...or Just Because?
- Extraordinary Damages in 6 Minutes – The Crash Course
- The Final (?) Word on Family Status and the Duty to Accommodate
- Evidence 101 - A Primer on Evidence Law
- The Scope and Limitations of Restrictive Covenants Since RBC and Shafron
- Employment Law Blog
- Termination of Employment: A Guide to Counsel for Employees
- The Evolving Area of Accommodation for Family Status: An Update
- Employment Law: The Essentials Made Simple!
- The Rising Significance of Cross-Border Employment: Issues, Difficulties and Solution
- Vorvis, Wallace and Keays - Is Wallace Dead?
- Mitigation - 6 Minute Employment Lawyer 2009
- Attendance Management: A Guide to Best Practices on Current Issues
- What is Just Cause in 2009?
- Common Employer - An Update on the Common Law Doctrine
- “Networking through community involvement and social activities”. Toronto, Ont. : Ontario Bar Association, 2008. Symposium: Clients, clients everywhere : essential tips for aspiring rainmakers.
- Protecting Yourself in the Contingency Fee Environment
- Managing Your Practice: Systems That Work
- Risk Management Communication with Clients and Documentation
- Danyluk Revisited
- “You have to show your client the money: This commercial litigator explores some underutilized remedies that will allow lawyers to better ensure that their clients collect” (2006) 26 Lawyers Wkly 4.
- Electronic Tendering - Welcome To The 21st Century
- “Procedural differences”. Toronto, Ont. : Continuing Legal Education, Ontario Bar Association, 2005. Symposium: Simplified procedure.
- “How long is too long? Obtaining dismissal for delay”. Toronto, Ont. : Ontario Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education, 2004. Symposium: Using the rules to your advantage : dispositions without trial (YLD).
- Structuring your pleadings” by Huggins, Arleen, and Shapiro, Nancy. Toronto, Ont. : Ontario Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education, 2003. Symposium: Dialogue with the bench : sharpening your advocacy skills.
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