Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP's Pensions, Benefits and Executive Compensation team is led out of Toronto by Jeffrey Sommers who is known for his work advising on taxation, funding, administration, wind-up of pensions and group benefit plans. The team has been active in de-risking and plan consolidation matters, as well as advising on pension aspects of sales, acquisitions and other large transactions. Natalie Bussière sits in Quebec and acts as counsel for boards of trustees, pension committees and plan sponsors. Senior counsel Jeremy Forgie is part of the Toronto team and is noted for his work on plan and fund governance, pension fund investment, divestiture, acquisitions and de-risking. Toronto-based Adam Ngan and Philipp Knoll are both well-versed in administration, governance, investments and advising on pension and employee benefits of corporate transactions. The firm assists an array of clients from major pension funds, domestic and foreign investment management companies, financial institutions and other corporate entities.
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Profile

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 plan sponsors and pension committees regarding plan design and administration related issues.

Natalie has worked extensively in the field of employment law and labour relations, negotiating employment contracts, collective agreements and other agreements, and advising employers on complex issues, 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 Administrative Tribunal, as well as before many arbitration and other specialized administrative tribunals.

Additionally, Natalie is closely following developments on the application of the Charter of the French Language as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, including with respect to employee relations and benefits management, and she advises clients in this regard.

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Key clients

  • Royal Bank of Canada
  • Maple Leaf Foods
  • OMERS Capital
  • BCE and Bell Canada
  • Cleveland-Cliffs
  • TC Energy
  • Advent International
  • Vallen Distribution

Work highlights

Advised Royal Bank of Canada on its C$13.5bn acquisition of HSBC Bank Canada and on the related integration.
Advised Maple Leaf Foods on the spin-off of its pork business into a separate public company.
Advised OMERS on its C$1.35bn sale of LifeLabs to Quest Diagnostics.