Damon provides employers with a wide range of legal services. He advises unionized employers with respect to collective bargaining, collective agreement interpretation, disciplinary matters, and grievances. He also has a large labour arbitration practice.

He regularly appears before the Alberta Labour Relations Board and has extensive experience handling certification applications, unfair labour practice complaints, successor employer applications, common employer applications, and picketing injunctions.

Damon assists non-union employers with drafting employment contracts, implementing employee terminations and defending wrongful dismissal claims. He also defends Employment Standards Code complaints, human rights complaints and conducts Workers Compensation Board appeals.

Damon has appeared before all levels of the Alberta Court, as well as the Alberta Labour Relations Board, grievance arbitration boards, human rights tribunals, Boards of Reference appointed under the School Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Appeals Commission and the Workers Compensation Board Appeals Commission.

Damon represents a large cross-section of employers including retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, food processors, airlines, oil & gas companies, health care providers, utilities, educational institutions, construction companies, banks and mortgage brokers.

Based in Calgary, Damon appears on cases throughout Alberta.

Education

• LL.B. (Great Distinction), University of Saskatchewan
• B.Comm. (Great Distinction), University of Saskatchewan

Awards and Recognition

• Leading practitioner in Employment, Labour and Workplace Human Rights, as recognized by the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
• Calgary Labour and Employment Law Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers 2012
• Recognized as a leading lawyer in the area of Employment Law, 2012 Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada
• Leading practitioner - Labour & Employment (Management) and Workers’ Human Rights law, Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
• Recognized in the area of Labour and Employment Law, Best Lawyers in Canada
• BV Distinguished peer review rating, Martindale-Hubbell

Professional Associations and Affiliations

• Member, Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers

• Regularly represents unionized employers before grievance arbitration boards in disputes concerning discipline and discharge, scheduling issues, overtime claims, discrimination complaints, workplace accommodations, and benefit claims.
• Assists employers with development of bargaining proposals and bargaining strategies.
• Has provided strategic advice and counsel to employers during several major strikes and lockouts.
• Regularly assists employers with development of workplace accommodations for disabled workers.
• Helps employers respond to union certification applications and defend unfair labour practice complaints, successor employer applications and common employer applications.
• Argues judicial review applications before Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench and Alberta Court of Appeal.

2013

• "2012 Labour & Employment Year-in-Review", McLennan Ross Seminar

2011

• “17th Annual Labour Law Review”, Centre for Labour Management Development
• “Accommodation Law Conference”, Centre for Labour Management Development

 2010

• “Labour Experts Debate”, Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference
• “Adding Insult to Injury: How Unions Have Used (and Abused) B.C. Health Services”, Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers
• “16th Annual Labour Law Review”, Centre for Labour Management Development
• “Accommodation Law Conference”, Centre for Labour Management Development

 2009

• “Psychiatric Assessments: Easy to Demand – Tough to Justify”, Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference
• “15th Annual Labour Law Review”, Centre for Labour Management Development
• “Accommodation Law Conference”, Centre for Labour Management Development