Soma Ray-Ellis

Articles and Presentations

Media Appearances

• Mallorca, Spain – May 2023 – participated in a panel discussion “Hybrid Employees and Digital Nomads.
• Bucharest, Hungary – May 2023 - chaired a panel “The Role of A.I. in Law and Accounting.”
• Halsbury’s Laws of Canada – Employment (2023 Reissue). This title covers employment law topics such as human rights legislation, employment standards, obligations and duties of the employee, and more.
• Published article on the topic of “Termination clauses continue to be under judicial scrutiny in Ontario”, published by Law Times – (June 1, 2021)
• Interviewed by CBC National News: The National on the topic of Canadian law as it applies to privacy concerns when employers require their employees to install geo-tracking on their personal mobile phone – (April 11, 2021)
• Interviewed by The Toronto Star on the topic of “People are scared of coming to work’: CIBC employees say they want to work remotely following COVID-19 outbreak at Yonge Street call centre” – (March 10, 2021)
• Interviewed by CBC News, “Why err on the side of caution as COVID-19 looms in health-care workplaces”– (July 2020)
• Keynote Speaker, “Managing the Return to Work in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic What Canadian Employers Need to Know” (Mondaq, webinar) – (July 2020)
• Interviewed by Stephen LeDrew on The LeDrew Three Minute Interview, “What Is Your Employer Legally Required to Do During COVID-19” – (July 2020)
• Published article on the topic of “A Covid-19 Lay Off May Not Be Termination”, in Labour Notes published by LexisNexis – (May 15, 2020)
• Panel speaker during Q & A on Cross Country Check Up with CBC Radio on the topic of “COVID-19 and how it has disrupted your job” – (March 29, 2020)
• Participated during Q & A hosted by The Toronto Star on the topic of “Workers’ Rights During the COVID-19 Pandemic” – (March 27, 2020)
• Interviewed on CP24 on the topic of “the Harvey Weinstein Conviction and it’s impact on workplace issues” – (February 24, 2020)
• Interviewed on CP24 Live@Noon and discusses #MeToo, the law and how it played a significant role in the executive departures at McDonald’s – (November, 2019)
• Participated in a Global meeting of Lawyers in Asumain, Paraguay  discussing issues of “Effective Marketing Legal Services in the Electronic Age” – (October, 2019)
• Presented at University of Toronto, Faculty of Law on the topic of “#MeToo Movement and Risk Management” – (September 30, 2019)
• Interviewed by Advocate Daily on the topic of "Societal shift a remedy for gender discrimination" – (September 2019)
• Interviewed by Advocate Daily on the topic of “Toxic workplaces a ‘lose-lose’ proposition for employers” – (July 2019)
• Interviewed by Advocate Daily on the topic of “Progressive discipline vital in just-cause terminations” – (June 2019)
• Interviewed by Advocate Daily, on the topic of “Despite #MeToo, workplace sexual harassment persists” – (May 2019)
• Interviewed on CBC Radio’s Ontario Today, “Secret recordings at work” – (April 2019)
• Published in The Toronto Star on the topic of “Can employees record conversations in the workplace?” – (April 2019)
• Interviewed on CBC Radio’s Cross Country Checkup, “Jody Wilson-Raybould’s secret SNC Lavalin recordings” – (March 2019)
• Interviewed on The John Oakley Show, 640 Toronto, “Top 10 Office Party Don’ts” – (December 2018)
• Interviewed on CBC News, “How ready are employers for making rules surrounding legal pot? An employment lawyer tells us guidelines are all over the map”– (October 2018)
• Interviewed on CP24, “Employer responsibilities and Canada’s cannabis legalization” – (October 2018)
• Published in The Globe and Mail on the topic of “Employer readiness ahead of cannabis legalization” – (October 2018)
• Interviewed on CBC News, “Cannabis legalization – are employers ready?” – (October 2018)
• Interviewed on CP24, “Are employers ready for the coming legalization?” – (October 2018)
• Interviewed on CBC News, “’I feel betrayed by my company’: TTC subway operator barred while using medicinal cannabis” – (September 2018)
• Interviewed on CBC News, “Canada’s legalization and its impact on employer/employee rights” – (September 2018)
• Interviewed on CP24, “Legalization of cannabis and employer/employee rights” – (September 2018)
• Interviewed on CTV News, “New Metrolinx policy ensures employees are ‘Fit For Duty’” – (September 2018)
• Published in The Globe and Mail on the topic of “How marijuana legalization will affect the workplace” – (August 2018)
• Interviewed on Global News, “Two GO Transit officers previously fired and rehired have been dismissed” – (April 2018)
• Interviewed on CP24 Live@Noon, “Starbucks customer in Brampton who alleges to have had scalding hot water poured on them” – (January 2018)
• Interviewed on CP24 Live@Noon, “Employees’ benefit clawbacks by Tim Horton’s franchises in Ontario to offset Ontario’s ESA wage hikes” – (January 2018)
• Interviewed on Global News, “Tim Horton’s franchise clawbacks in Ontario” – (January 2018)
• Interviewed on Global News, “How Organizations Are Dealing With Sexual Misconduct Allegations” – (November 2017)
• Interviewed on CP24, “Sexual misconduct outings ‘a revolution’” – (November 2017)
• Interviewed on CP24 Live@Noon with Stephen LeDrew, “Sexual assault and harassment and settlements. Is it hush money?” – (October 2017)
• Interviewed on CP24 Live@Noon with Stephen LeDrew, “Sears’ CCAA application” – (July 2017)
• Interviewed on CBC Newsworld, “The rights of employees in the event of a CCAA application” – (Summer 2017)
• Interviewed on Global TV, “The Effect of Legalization of Marijuana in the Workplace” – (April 2017)
• Interviewed on CP24 Live@Noon with Stephen LeDrew, together with client, James Barker, the former General Manager of the Toronto Argonauts, “James Barker’s departure from the Argos” – (February 2017)
• Interviewed on CP24 Live@Noon with Stephen LeDrew, “Professional firefighters ‘double hatting’ as volunteers in smaller communities” – (January 2017)
• Interviewed on CP24 Live@Noon with Stephen LeDrew, about client “Mathieu Chantelois, the immediate last Executive Director of Pride Toronto’s resignation and subsequent controversy including issues involving Black Lives Matter” – (August 2016)
• Interviewed on CTV National News with Katie Simpson, “Hydro One employee terminated upon making sexist comments on television” – (May 2015)
• Interviewed on CP24 Live@Noon with Stephen LeDrew, “Can what you do in your personal life cost you your job?” – (May 2015)
   

Publications and Presentations

• CLUC – Education Day – Speaking Session (September 2022)
• Chaired Global Panel Discussion in Dublin, Ireland, on “Employment Trends in Canada during Covid-19” (September 2022)
• Panelist at International Conference on the topic of “Biggest Mistakes Senior Counsel Has Made” (June 2022)
• Panelist at International Conference on the topic of “Covid protocols in Canada” (March 2022)
• Chaired Global Panel on “Employment Trends in Canada during Covid-19” (February 2022)
• Published volume for Halsbury’s Laws of Canada (674 pages), on Discrimination and Human Rights, LexisNexis, 2022
• Presented at the Scarborough Rotary Club on the topic of “Top Ten Things You Need to Know about Managing Cannabis in the Workplace” – (November 2018)
• Chaired International Panel Discussion in Prague, Czech Republic on the topic of “Termination Law and Employer Obligations” – (October 2018)
• Presented at The Advocates Society on the topic of “Best Practices for Negotiation” – (September 2018)
• Presented at The Canadian Institute on the topic of “Sexual Harassment Investigations: Pitfalls & Best Practices” – (June 2018)
• Presented at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law on the topic of “Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault and Corporate Compliance Requirements in Canada” – May 2018
• Chaired Global Panel Discussion in Dublin, Ireland on the topic of “Employee Rights to Reinstatement” – (May 2018)
• Published Halsbury’s Law of Canada volume on Discrimination and Human Rights (Lexis Nexis; 2018) (674 pages)
• Presented at the Gardiner Roberts Toolbox Seminar on the topic of “#METOO Movement, Guillotine Justice and the Law of Sexual Harassment” – (February 2018)
• Presented at the Gardiner Roberts CPD Event on the topic of “Being Weinsteined: The Law of Sexual Harassment” – (November 2017)
• Presented at Feldman Daxon Human Resources Breakfast on the topic of “Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination” – (November 2017)
• Presented at the Osaka Bar Association on the topic of “Enforcing contracts in Canada” – (October 2017)
• Chaired a Panel discussion at a Global Conference of lawyers in Amsterdam on the topic of “Social Media and the Practice of Law” – (May 2017)
• Presented at the 4th Annual Pay It Forward Legal Gala on the topic of “Basic Employment Rights” – (December, 2016)
• Presented at a Global Conference of Lawyers in Shanghai, China on the topic of “The Use Of Social Media To Educate People On Employment Related Rights” – (October 2016)
• Presented at the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association Conference on the topic of “Employment Law 101: Sex, Drugs and Money” – (October 2016)
• Presented at a Global Conference of Lawyers in Milan, Italy on the topic of “Enforceability of Non-Competition Covenants” – (May 2016)
• Presented at the Law Society of Upper Canada’s The Six-Minute Employment Lawyer on the topic of “Breaches of the Employment Standards Act, 2000” – (May 2016)
• Presented at a Global Conference of Lawyers in Cape Town, South Africa on the topic of “Effectiveness of Non-Competition Clauses in Employment Contracts” – (October 2015)
• Presented at a Global Conference of Lawyers in Barcelona, Spain on the topic of “Drafting Effective Intellectual Property Clauses” – (May 2015)
• Published article on the topic of “A Nuanced Decision on Constructive Dismissal”, in The Lawyers Weekly – (May 2015)
• Published Halsbury’s Laws of Canada volume on Employment Law, 785 pages (Lexis Nexis; 2015)
• Published the Employment Equity Manual (Carswell)

Media

Soma Ray-Ellis - Employer Responsibilities & Cannabis (CP24)

Soma Ray-Ellis - Employer Readiness & Cannabis Legalization (CBC News)

Soma Ray-Ellis CBC News - Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)

Soma Ray-Ellis CTV News - Go Transit/Metrolinx

Soma Ray-Ellis Global News - Go Transit/Metrolinx

 

Soma Ray-Ellis CP24 - Starbucks Scalding Water Case

My Blog

• Examining former NHL player Kyle Beach’s sexual abuse lawsuit from a Canadian Employment law perspective - October 28, 2021
• Ontario’s New Stay Home Order Effective January 14, 2021 - January 13, 2021
• Can your boss force you to take the COVID-19 vaccine? - December 11, 2020
• A COVID-19 lay off may not be termination - April 21, 2020
• Federal government announces significant change to Emergency Wage Subsidy - April 8, 2020
• Top 10 Work Refusal Questions for Employers and Employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic - April 6, 2020
• New Ontario Legislation To Protect Workers: COVID-19 - March 20, 2020

Board Memberships

• Toronto Philharmonia
• The Haliburton Club (in support of Scouts Canada)
• The South Asian Bar Association
• GS1

Recognition

• Business Leadership Award (Women Entrepreneurs of Canada)
• Lawyer of the Year (SABA)
• Elected Chair, Employment Law Group Consulegis (2-year term)