Walter Pavlic, K.C.

Partner

Edmonton

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Education & Qualifications

  • Alberta Bar (1986)
  • LLB (Alberta, 1985)
  • B.Comm. with distinction and first class standing (Alberta, 1981)

Services and Industries

Walter Pavlic helps employers with their labour relations and employment matters.

Walter Pavlic offers creative and timely solutions to organizations facing employment and labour relations issues. He is experienced in collective bargaining, arbitrations, human rights complaints, employment contracts, discipline issues, dismissal planning, wrongful dismissal litigation, non-competition actions, employee fraud and recovery as well as Labour Relations Board hearings.

He has extensive experience advising employers on developing effective, up-to-date workplace policies. He has helped employers draft policies that address the legalization of recreational cannabis, COVID-19 and numerous other developments that have impacted workplaces. He advises regulatory bodies when sanctioning professionals for misconduct and acts as independent legal counsel to regulatory bodies.

Walter has served as a member of the board of directors of the Law Society of Alberta and as President of the Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch.  He routinely appears before administrative boards and arbitration panels, and has appeared before all levels of Alberta courts as well as the Federal Court of Canada.

Walter is a frequent speaker at provincial, national and international seminars and conferences.

Walter is extensively involved in the legal community and has served as:

  • Member, Law Society of Alberta Board of Directors (Bencher) (2016-2020)
  • Chair, Trust Safety Committee, Law Society of Alberta (2020)
  • Chair, Appeal Committee, Law Society of Alberta (2020)
  • President, Alberta Branch, Canadian Bar Association
  • Director, Legal Education Society of Alberta
  • Director, Pro Bono Law Alberta
  • Alberta Council Member, Canadian Bar Association
  • Member, Conduct Committee, Law Society of Alberta
  • Chair, Habitat for Humanity Judicial Build
  • Member, Federal Judicial Advisory Committee
  • Member, Provincial Court Nominating Committee
  • Member, Steering Committee, American Law Firm Association’s Labour and Employment Practice Group
  • National and Provincial Chair, Labour and Employment Law Section, Canadian Bar Association
  • President, Edmonton Bar Association
  • Chair, Boyle Street Co-op Community Services
  • Presenter, “Employee Disability and Accommodation: What Employers Need to Know,” Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute (September 2022)
  • Presenter, “Sanctions: Guilty, Now What?” MLT Aikins Labour & Employment Seminar (September 2021)
  • Presenter, “Alberta Employment Law Update 2020 Webinar Series,” MLT Aikins Labour & Employment Seminar (October 2020)
  • Presenter, “Investigating Professional Misconduct in the time of COVID-19 Webinar,” MLT Aikins Labour & Employment Seminar (October 2020)
  • Presenter, “Back to Business During Covid-19 – Western Canada Legislative Updates and Important Information,” MLT Aikins Labour & Employment Seminar (July 2020)
  • Presenter, “What COVID-19 Has Taught B.C. Employers and What’s to Come,” MLT Aikins Labour & Employment Seminar (May 2020)
  • Presenter, “COVID-19 – One Month Out. What Have We Learned and What Do We Need to Know?” MLT Aikins Labour & Employment Seminar (April 2020)
  • Presenter, “Alberta Employment Law Update 2019,” MLT Aikins Labour & Employment Seminar (October 2019)
  • Presenter, “HR Professionals Seminar: Accommodation Workshop,” MLT Aikins Labour & Employment Seminar (May 2019)
  • Presenter, “#Metoo: Preventing and Investigation Sexual Harassment in the Workplace,” MLT Aikins Labour & Employment Seminar (March 2019)
  • Presenter, “Effective Anti-Harassment Programs and Investigations for the Construction Site,” Western Construction Labour Relations Forum (Edmonton, November 2018)
  • Presenter, “Weed in the Workplace: Are You Ready?” MLT Aikins Labour & Employment Seminar (February 2018, October 2018)
  • Presenter, “Legal Considerations Impacting Succession for Non-Profit Organizations,” MLT Aikins Labour & Employment Seminar (Edmonton, September 2018)
  • Presenter, “Responding to Employee Fraud in the Cloud Era,” Forensic & Valuation Services Conference, Association of International Certified Professional Accounts (AICPA) (November 2017)
  • Speaker, Calgary Labour Arbitration Conference,  Lancaster House (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015)
  • “Alberta Employment Law Update,” Canadian Association of Counsel for Employers (2009, 2011, 2014)
  • Chair, “Employment Law Update,” Legal Education Society of Alberta (2012)
  • “Cross-Canada Employment Law Check-Up,” Canadian Association of Counsel for Employers (2011)
  • Speaker, Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies National Conference (2011)
  • Session Chair, “Employment Law,” Legal Education Society of Alberta 43rd Annual Refresher Course (2010)
  • “Workplace Law Update 2010,” Red Deer Chamber of Commerce (2010)
  • “Managing Terminations and Layoffs,” Western Canada Employee Terminations and Restructuring Conference, Insight (2009)
  • “Business Law Boot Camp – Labour and Employment Law,” Legal Education Society of Alberta (2009)
  • Panellist, International Employment Law Client Seminar, American Law Firm Association
  • Client Nominated Stand-out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters (2023)
  • A leading practitioner, Employment Law (Management), Workplace Human Rights (Employer), Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 
  • Recognized in Lexpert Special Edition on Agribusiness and Cannabis (2020)
  • “BV” Peer Review Rated, Lexis-Nexis / Martindale-Hubbell
  • Appointed Queen’s Counsel (2005)