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Karen Sargeant Toronto Regional Managing Partner

Karen M. Sargeant

Partner | Managing Partner, Ontario Fasken
Jurisdiction Ontario, 1997 | British Columbia, 1996
Language(s) English
Office(s) Toronto
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Overview

Karen Sargeant is Managing Partner of the Firm’s Ontario Region, with primary responsibility for leadership of the Firm’s Toronto and Ottawa offices. As Regional Managing Partner, Karen spearheads the region’s strategic direction, setting the highest standards for legal service delivery. Her leadership centres on fostering an environment that develops exceptional talent, promotes diversity, encourages innovation and prioritizes client service excellence.

In her legal practice, Karen has helped clients identify, and find solutions to, their workplace problems for more than 25 years. In doing so, she has taken the time to understand what’s important to each client’s workplace and helped them advance their objectives.

Karen is a Fellow in the American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and is recognized as a leading labour and employment lawyer by Chambers Canada, Best Lawyers, Lexpert and Thomson Reuters. Previously co-leader of Fasken’s Labour, Employment and Human Rights (LEHR) Group and past-chair of the Firm’s Ontario LEHR Group, Karen was instrumental in building the group to be the leading national practice that it is, achieving a top-tier (Band 1) ranking by Chambers Canada nationally and in each of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, as well as much other recognition.

Karen has also held various additional leadership positions such as Chair of Ontario’s Professional Development Committee. Karen has regularly lectured and taught at conferences and to groups of management employees on employment and labour matters. An active and revered legal thought leader, Karen was a founding editor of Fasken’s weekly bulletin, HR Space.

Achievements

Client Work

  • Humber River Hospital successful in having related employer and sale of business application dismissed by labour board, [Case - Humber River Hospital], Labour board dismisses related employer application as no prima facie case established
  • York University successful in having termination for benefits fraud upheld, [Case - York University], Top ranked international teaching and research university defends termination grievance
  • BrokerBay Inc. acquired by Carrier Global Corporation, [Deal - BrokerBay Inc.], BrokerBay and Carrier will provide a one-stop shop for realtors that combines scheduling and mobile lockbox access.
  • Ontario Nurses' Association v. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, [Case - Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre], Ontario grievance arbitration decision.
  • Air Canada Pilots Association v. Air Canada, [Case - Air Canada]
  • Essa Pharma signs agreement to purchase Realm Therapeutics, [Deal - Realm Therapeutics plc]
  • Ontario Nurses’ Association v. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, [Case - Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre]
  • Stella-Jones acquires Shelburne Wood Protection, [Deal - Stella-Jones Inc.]
  • CUPE, AC Component v. Air Canada, [Case - Air Canada]

Career & Education

Education

  • LLB University of Toronto
  • B Comm (Hons) University of British Columbia

Memberships & Affiliations

  • Member (by invitation), American Employment Law Council (AELC)
  • Member, Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association
  • Member, Ontario Bar Association - Labour and Employment Law Section
  • Member, Law Society of Upper Canada
  • Member, American Bar Association - Labor and Employment Law Section
  • Member, The Employers Counsel Network

Knowledge

Events

News

Publications

  • Litigation and the Aging Workforce: Have we gone too far?, 9/28/2016
  • Slapping Another Employee Not Necessarily Cause, 3/15/2013
  • Tales From the Great White North: Terminations in Canada, 9/25/2012
Book Litigation and the Aging Workforce: Have we gone too far? Annual Review of Civil Litigation 2016
Article Slapping Another Employee Not Necessarily Cause
Article Tales From the Great White North: Terminations in Canada

Speaking Engagements

  • Dealmaking in the Downturn, 1/12/2023
  • Extraordinary Damages Update, 10/1/2014
  • Update on Extraordinary Damages, 6/30/2014
Extraordinary Damages Update Human Resources Professionals Association
Update on Extraordinary Damages Law Society of Upper Canada Six-Minute Employment Lawyer Conference

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