Natalie Bussière > Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP > Montreal, Canada > Lawyer Profile

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
3000-1 Place Ville Marie
Montreal QC H3B 4N8
Canada

Work Department

Employment & Labour; Pension, Benefits & Executive Compensation

Position

Natalie dedicates her practice to employment and labour law, as well as pension, benefits and executive compensation. She has represented clients in litigation concerning surplus assets of a pension plan, the validity of contribution holidays taken by employers party to a pension plan and in litigation contesting the legality of clauses found in rules and regulations of pension plans. Natalie also counsels various boards of trustees, pension committees and plan sponsors, and acts as Quebec counsel for a few multi-employer pension plans.

Natalie has worked extensively in the field of labour relations, negotiating employment contracts, collective agreements and other agreements, including issues related to the application of the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. She also advises on the transfer, hiring or termination of upper management and employees.

Natalie has pleaded before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Court of Appeal, the Superior Court, the Federal Court and the Labour Tribunal, as well as before many specialized administrative tribunals.

Additionally, Natalie is closely following developments on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, including with respect to employee relations and benefits management, and she advises clients in this regard.

Lawyer Rankings

Canada > Pensions

(Leading individuals)

Natalie BussièreBlake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

The team at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP is well-equipped to handle the gamut of pensions matters, and is routinely instructed by Canadian government bodies, as well as corporations in the oil and gas and manufacturing segments. The group advises on jointly sponsored pension plans, pensions and employee benefit schemes, de-risking and plan consolidation and executive compensation issues. Toronto-based partners Kathryn Bush and Jeffrey Sommers lead the department; Bush focuses on advising on the structuring of pension, benefit and executive compensation arrangements and investments, while Sommers advises clients on the taxation, funding, administration and wind-up of pension and group benefit plans. Additional key partners in Toronto include Jeremy Forgie and Adam Ngan, while Natalie Bussière at the Montreal office is noted for her expertise in both employment and pensions work. In Calgary, Sean Maxwell majors on employee benefits matters and deferred compensation plans. In Toronto, Maggie Carmichael is of note at the associate level. Counsel Philipp Knoll joined the team from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in March 2022. Partner Lindsay McLeod left the firm in May 2023.