Howard Levitt has appeared as lead counsel in more employment law cases in the Supreme Court of Canada and at more provincial Courts of Appeal than any lawyer in Canadian history. He has been lead counsel in thousands of employment law cases, acting as counsel in over 50 trials, appeals, judicial reviews and other hearings annually. He has regularly chaired employment law and labour law conferences across Canada, including the Ontario Law Society, for its first ten years 2001-2009, the maximum time permitted.
Howard is the best known and most widely quoted authority on employment law in Canada. Howard writes a twice weekly employment law column in the Financial Post, has weekly radio appearances discussing employment law, and is the author of one of Canada’s leading dismissal textbooks, The Law of Dismissal in Canada, five other texts, and is Editor-In-Chief of the national law report, The Dismissal and Employment Law Digest, which covers every notable dismissal and employment law case across Canada. The Law of Dismissal and accompanying law report is cited extensively in decisions across Canada. He is cited by the Canadian media more than any other lawyer in any field for his commentary on legal issues of the day.
Howard practices employment law and labour law in Toronto, the GTA and throughout Canada and has an extensive national profile. Any lawyer can settle a case in some amount. Howard Levitt’s settlements are noteworthy as a result of his effective and tireless representation. Mr. Levitt conducts his own trials, which is not the case for many employment lawyers.
Howard is the labour lawyer and employment lawyer for many of Canada’s largest corporations and acts as chief spokesperson for numerous collective bargaining negotiations in a variety of industries. He conducts lobbying at the Federal and Provincial level on behalf of several clients regarding labour legislation. Howard frequently represents other lawyers and provides his opinions on complex employment matters when requested.
Over the past 42 years, Howard has lectured at seminars across Canada, appearing at over 400 employment law conferences.
He is a recipient of the Governor General’s Award for Community Service and Citizenship.