How I Practice
Employment Law is a practice weighted with emotions. Almost always there is a broken relationship at the core.
I see it as my job to recognize how difficult it is for my clients; not only from a financial, but emotional perspective. Those that solicit my help come to me because they’ve encountered difficulties that impact their ability to earn a living, pay their bills, and properly care their family’s needs.
First and fore-most, it’s my job to listen. Unlike many lawyers who work in large downtown law firms, I work and live in the same community as my clients. They are friends, neighbours and colleagues. Respect for their lives is a starting point.
That said, it’s not enough to take on a case simply because a client can afford to fight it. There are times when my clients need to make a tough decision. While they may win a case against their employer, they may spend twice the amount of money in fighting it than they might receive in settlement. Sometimes too, the odds are simply not in a client’s favour. I see it as my job to tell them so.
When we do embark on a case together, I can assure my clients that they’ll be treated with the fullness of my attention. My case load is determined not by billing quotas, but by the needs of those who I’ve committed to helping. Together, we engage in process that will lead to outcomes that result in greater levels of certainty in the careers and employment prospects of my clients.
Leslie J Smith
Barrister and Solicitor
Oakville, ON
