The firm's managing director said the new office will help meet demand for labour counsel in Canada
Ten years after opening its first Canadian office in Toronto, global labour and employment firm Littler Mendelson PC has opened an office in Montreal.
Littler announced Monday that it has hired Olivia Girouard as of counsel in Montreal. Girouard previously served as employment counsel at G-P, which provides employer of record services.
“We see Canada as a key growth market and are actively building our teams in both Toronto and Montreal,” Girouard told Canadian Lawyer in a statement. “Over time, we anticipate adding offices in other regions, with Western Canada being an area of particular interest.”
Girouard said Littler decided to launch its Montreal arm because Quebec “stands apart in Canada with its civil law system and language requirements, and those differences create challenges that companies won’t encounter elsewhere.
“Establishing a team in Montreal gives our clients confidence that we can guide them through those complexities locally,” she added.
The firm has also added eight lawyers – including four partners – to its Toronto team. The Toronto office currently has 21 lawyers.
In a press release, Littler noted that the move will give the firm “the added and distinct capabilities to serve clients throughout the country.”
The firm said that its Toronto office, which opened in 2015, “has experienced notable growth as the rising demand for labour and employment services across the region continues to increase.”
Erin Webber, Littler’s managing director and president, said in a statement that the firm’s growth “is keeping pace with the accelerating demand for sophisticated labour and employment counsel and this latest expansion reinforces our deep bench of local talent and long-term commitment to the region.
“We’re excited to continue serving both the Canadian business community and the multinationals operating within it,” Webber added.
