Overview
A seasoned employment, labour, and human rights lawyer, Geoff provides practical, creative, and timely solutions to complex workplace issues. Geoff is uniquely attuned to his clients’ business needs, having been an entrepreneur himself and having worked with start-ups to Fortune 500 companies in industries spanning forestry, to mining, to high technology. Geoff leans on this experience to approach legal issues innovatively and pragmatically and deliver solutions tailored for his clients. While Geoff strives to enhance the way legal services are offered, he does not compromise on the fundamentals – competency, efficiency, and results – and he takes pride in being meticulous and devoted to his work.
Geoff helps businesses navigate all areas of law in the workplace, and frequently assists clients with:
- Drafting employment agreements, independent contractor agreements, confidentiality agreements, and intellectual property agreements;
- Drafting employment policies, including bullying and harassment policies, COVID-19 policies, drug & alcohol policies, and privacy policies;
- Occupational health and safety compliance;
- Disability management and workplace accommodations;
- Workplace investigations;
- Employment disputes and performance management;
- Employee hiring and firing;
- Employer-sponsored work permits; and
- Litigation.
Geoff regularly contributes his legal insights through media appearances, articles and public engagements. He has been a faculty member and featured speaker at the B.C. Continuing Legal Education Society’s Employment Law Conference, a guest lecturer for the Canada Bar Association and the Vancouver Premier College of Hotel Management, and a member of the board of advisors for Simon Fraser University’s RADIUS program. He has appeared on The Lynda Steele Show, This is Why (Global News Podcast), Vancouver Consumer (CKNW Newstalk 980), and Roundhouse Radio. He has been featured in Canadian Employment Law Today, Business in Vancouver, Pro Contractor News, and Nanaimo News.
Geoff completed his articles with one of B.C.’s largest law firms before moving to a leading Vancouver-based boutique firm to specialize in employment law. Prior to joining Miller Thomson, Geoff founded and operated his own employment law firm, assisting clients throughout B.C. and Canada and abroad. Geoff’s diverse and entrepreneurial background provides him with a broad understanding of the challenges and business realities his clients face and the practical assistance they need.
Geoff enjoys giving back to the community and promoting access to justice, and has been involved in a number of volunteer initiatives, including as a volunteer lawyer with the UBC Law Student’s Legal Advice Program, Access Pro Bono’s Lawyer Referral Service, and Access Pro Bono’s Residential Tenancy Program.
Notable matters
- Certainteed Gypsum Canada Inc. and TC, Local 213 (Aiello), Re, 2023 CarswellBC 2662 – Succeeded grievance arbitration which established that employees who were not actively employed were not entitled to statutory holiday pay under the collective agreement.
- WorkSafeBC Review Decision #R0281180 (November 24, 2021)– Succeeded in overturning a WorkSafeBC decision denying a worker coverage of vision therapy.
- Rush v. Fraser Health Authority, 2021 BCHRT 103 – Succeeded in defending an application to dismiss a Human Rights complaint.
- WorkSafeBC Prohibited Action Complaint No. 2019D558 (unreported) – Succeeded in bringing a Prohibited Action Complaint.
- Hyggen v. Teck Coal and others, 2020 BCHRT 34 – Succeeded in defending against an application to dismiss a Human Rights complaint.
- Kang v. Fetterly, 2019 BCHRT 118 – Succeeded in bringing an application to dismiss a Human Rights complaint by establishing that certain inappropriate remarks did not constitute a pattern of offensive behaviour that rose to the level of discrimination.
Thought leadership
- Regular contributor on The Jas Johal Show, CKNW 980, August 2022 - Present
- Supervising Lawyer, Pro Bono Students Canada Program, University of Victoria Faculty of Law, July 2022 - Present
- Keynote Speaker, “Keeping Pace: Duty to Accommodate Virtual Conference”, Birchmount Conferences Group, October 28, 2024
- Presenter, Chan Nowosad Boates seminar on employer strategies to avoid wrongful dismissal lawsuits and liability, February 9, 2024
- Author, “Dismissing Employees on Good Terms & Conditions: How to Avoid a Wrongful Dismissal Lawsuit”, Miller Thomson Labour & Employment Communique, January 31, 2024
- Co-author, “Perilous Times and Bottom Lines”, The Best Lawyers in Canada Fall Business Addition, September 28, 2023
- Author, “Employee Dismissal & Duty to Accommodate: Case Commentary – Teamsters Quebec, Local 106 c 1641-9749 Quebec Inc.”, Miller Thomson Transportation & Logistics Communique, September 6, 2023
- Co-editor, CanLII Manual to B.C. Civil Litigation annotated guide to the B.C. Supreme Court Civil Rules (Parts 10 and 11), July 2023
- Interview with CanadianHRReporter for article on legal considerations for employers during heat waves, July 26, 2023
- Interviews on “Future of Work” radio series, CKNW 980, April 2023
- Co-editor, CanLII Manual to B.C. Civil Litigation annotated guide to the B.C. Court of Appeal Rules (Part 9), January 2023
- Co-author, “Governance Issues Involving Contractors and Employees”, Miller Thomson Social Impact Newsletter, October 25, 2022
- Co-presenter, Bongarde Media seminar on “Quiet Quitting”, September 21, 2022
- Author, Two-part series on transitioning away from workplace Covid-19 mandates, Miller Thomson Labour & Employment Communique, April 5, 2022
- Author, “’EI-like Support’ Coming for Gig Economy Workers”, LinkedIn, August 5, 2020
- Advisory Board Member, Radius Program, Simon Fraser University Beedie School of Business, January 2020 - June 2020
- Advisor, Law Students’ Legal Advice Program, Peter A. Allard School of Law, January 2017 - June 2019
- Guest lecturer, precarious employment webinar, Canada Bar Association, May 2019
- Guest instructor, contract law, employment standards, and human rights course, Vancouver Premier College of Hospitality Management, March 2019
- Interview with Pro Contractor Newsfor article on independent contractors and vicarious liability, November 2018
- Interview on Vancouver Consumer, CKNW 980, regarding legal issues related to cannabis in the workplace, September 2018
- Interview on This is Why, Global News Podcast, regarding legal issues related to the “Gig Economy”, August 2018
- Interview on The Lynda Steele Show, Global News, regarding legal issues related to the “Gig Economy”, August 2018
- Interview on Roundhouse Radio regarding legal issues related to cannabis in the workplace, August 2018
- Featured speaker, 2018 CLEBC Employment Law Conference, May 2018
- “The Gig is Up: Adapting to the Growing Gig Economy” (author), 2018 CLEBC Employment Law Conference, May 2018
- Presenter at Diversified Rehabilitation Group seminar on accommodation in the workplace, April 2018
- Interview with Nanaimo News for article on the suspension of Nanaimo City Manager, February 2018
- “Sorting Out the Gig Economy” (author), Canadian Employment Law Today, September 2017
- Interview on Roundhouse Radio regarding independent contractor liability risks, September 2017
- Interview with Business in Vancouver for article on anticipated disruptions caused by the “Gig Economy”, August 2017
Professional memberships
- Law Society of British Columbia
- Canadian Bar Association
Bar admissions & education
- British Columbia, 2016
- J.D., Schulich School of Law, 2015
- B.A. (Hons.) Philosophy, 2011
