Whether you're entering into an employment relationship, managing challenges as they arise, or navigating a termination, we provide strategic advice and tailored solutions that reflect your goals and protect your rights.

We advise both employees and employers across unionized and non-unionized workplaces on a full range of workplace matters, including:

• Employment Contracts

• Workplace Discipline

• Terminations and Dismissals

• Severance Packages

• Human Rights and Accommodation

• Workplace Harassment, Bullying, and Violence

• Wrongful and Constructive Dismissal

• Unjust Dismissal Complaints

• Employee Classification

• Choice of Forum

• Confidentiality, Non-Competition, and Non-Solicitation Clauses

• Duty of Fair Representation

• Workplace Policy Audits

• Workplace Investigations

• Appeals and Judicial Reviews

Workplace misconduct, including harassment, discrimination, and bullying, can seriously impact employees, morale, and productivity. Proactively addressing allegations not only supports affected employees but also helps employers mitigate liability and legal costs.

We approach workplace investigations with a compassionate rights-and-trauma informed approach, ensuring procedural fairness and minimizing re-traumatization risks. Our open-minded, fact-driven process respects the voices of all involved and carefully evaluates evidence and credibility.

Our findings are delivered in timely, concise, and clearly-worded reports, accompanied by practical recommendations. These recommendations empower employers to resolve immediate issues and effect workplace restoration moving forward.

At Progressive Barristers we support non-profits, community organizations, charities, co-operatives, and social enterprises in navigating the unique challenges that arise in mission-driven environments. We provide strategic, rights-informed advice on employment relationships, including hiring and termination, workplace policies, and compliance with employment standards, human rights and occupational health and safety obligations.

We also assist with responding to workplace harassment and discrimination complaints, conducting workplace investigations, and ensuring governance and employment practices align with both legal standards and organizational values.

Our approach is proactive, practical, and grounded in a deep understanding of the distinct needs of the non-profit sector.

At Progressive Barristers, we bring deep commitment and extensive experience to our human rights practice. We provide strategic guidance on rights and obligations related to discrimination, accommodation, sexual harassment, and reprisal, with a particular focus on the workplace.

Our expertise also extends to discrimination and harassment in a wide range of other contexts, including services, education, union membership, policing, rental housing, and condominiums.

We have successfully litigated and resolved matters under the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

We also have significant experience in appeals and judicial reviews, offering expert advocacy in cases involving complex human rights and constitutional issues.

We understand that rental housing is more than just a property—it is a home and a community. This perspective informs our proactive approach to residential tenancy matters, recognizing the profound impact that housing disputes and legal decisions can have on both tenants and landlords.

With over two decades of experience, our professionals possess the expertise to efficiently assess the merits of your case and ensure your rights are protected. We have a proven track record of representing clients in the full range of disputes before the Landlord and Tenant Board and successfully challenging or defending Board decisions before the Divisional Court.

On appeal or judicial review, the outcome of a lengthy litigation process can turn on a brief appearance before a panel of judges. These proceedings demand a specialized skill set combining persuasive written and oral advocacy with deep legal insight. This is our forte.

At Progressive Barristers, we bring extensive expertise in appellate advocacy before all levels of court in Ontario, as well as the Supreme Court of Canada.

Shibil has represented clients before all levels of court in Ontario, the Federal Court, and the Supreme Court of Canada. He regularly appears before administrative tribunals, including the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Ontario Labour Relations Board, and the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Before founding Progressive Barristers, Shibil practiced at a Toronto legal clinic serving marginalized communities and later worked exclusively in human rights law at an independent government agency. Internationally, he helped establish a legal aid clinic in Kabul, Afghanistan, in partnership with the International Development Law Organization. He has also been a Fellow at the Gordon Foundation and at the Centre for the Critical Study of Power and Politics at Trent University.

Shibil holds law degrees from the University of Warwick (LL.B.) and the University of Toronto (LL.M. in International Human Rights Law). He serves on the Law Society of Ontario’s Equity Advisory Group and is active in several professional and human rights organizations.

Sana has represented clients before the Landlord and Tenant Board, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, and Small Claims Court. Sana also enhances the firm’s services by providing research and case management support to its lawyers.

Before joining Progressive Barristers, Sana worked at a boutique personal injury law firm, gaining valuable experience in client advocacy and case preparation.

Sana earned her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Women and Gender Studies from the University of Toronto and a Paralegal Diploma from Seneca College. She also holds advanced certifications in Project Management and Alternative Dispute Resolution, bringing additional skills to her work.