The firm has hired five lawyers, including partners joining from TELUS and Norton Rose Fulbright
Ogletree Deakins has added five lawyers to its Canadian offices, the US labour and employment firm announced Monday.
The firm has hired two lawyers for its Toronto office and three for its office in Montreal. Two hires, Alexa Sulzenko and Kevin MacNeill, join as partners.
“Our firm’s expansion in Canada is a testament to our ongoing growth and reinforces our position as a leading legal service provider in the labour and employment space,” Kathryn Bird, office managing partner in Toronto, said in a statement.
Lucie Guimond, office managing partner in Montreal, said, “We are thrilled to expand our Canadian presence with the addition of five exceptional lawyers to our team. Their diverse experience and commitment to providing excellent client service will significantly enhance our ability to serve our clients across Canada.”
Alexa Sulzenko joins Ogletree Deakins’ Toronto office from TELUS, where she served as senior employment counsel. Before her tenure at the telecommunications company, Sulzenko was a partner at Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP. She has advised clients on employment law issues like executive compensation, restrictive covenants, wrongful termination, accommodations, and employment standards in Canada and internationally and represented clients in court, arbitrations, and other administrative tribunals.
MacNeill joins Ogletree Deakins from Norton Rose Fulbright, where he served as a senior partner in the firm’s labour and employment group. He has over two decades of experience representing employers in labour and employment litigation concerning occupational health and safety, union certifications, wrongful dismissals, wage and hour, discrimination, and restrictive covenants. He is a member of the Ontario, Quebec, and New York bars and practices in both English and French.
Kshemani Constantinescu will return to the Ogletree Deakins as a Toronto associate after completing her summer and articles at the firm. Constantinescu holds a JD from Western University’s Faculty of Law.
Montreal associate Erin Schachter will join the firm from Therrien Couture Joli-Coeur LLP. Schacter is a 2017 qualified lawyer and received her JD and Masters of Law from Université de Sherbrooke. Her practice focuses on cybersecurity, intellectual property, personal property protection, and privacy legislation compliance. Schacter is also a course instructor at Université du Québec à Montréal, teaching courses on data governance. She practices in both English and French.
Ryan Smith, also a Montreal associate, joins the firm from Norton Rose Fulbright after completing his articles. His practice focuses on labour and employment law. Smith earned his LLB from the University of Montreal.
