Melanie Samuels

Sending my heartful gratitude for Melanie’s assistance with my employment law matter. I cannot stress enough how much better my life is being supported by credible and dependable lawyers such as Melanie – and her competent and responsive team.

Director
Health Care Company

Rankings

Melanie Samuels is top-ranked by Leading Global Rankings Agencies and Directories.

Profile
Experience
Publications + Presentations
News + Insights

Professional Background

Melanie Samuels (she/her) is a Partner at Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP with extensive experience in Labour and Employment Law, and has been practicing in this area for more than 30 years. She is Chair of the Employment and Labour Group, Co-Chair of the Diversity and Inclusivity and Strategic Planning Committees, and the first woman on the firm’s Management Committee. She advises clients on all workplace issues including providing guidance on disciplining and/or dismissing employees, drafting employment contracts and policies and advising on human rights issues, including harassment and the duty to accommodate.

A particular area of focus for Melanie is working with creative industries, including the film and music industry, to help guide and inform their harassment policies and advise them on how best to implement protocols in the workplace to effectively deal with bullying and harassment. Melanie works with employers to investigate these kinds of claims and provides recommendations on how to manage these difficult issues. Melanie is regularly invited to speak on key workplace issues including bullying and harassment. She also provides hands-on training to various industry groups seeking to ensure respectful work environments.

Melanie also specializes in business-related immigration including applications for labour market impact assessments, exemption applications, work permits and temporary resident permits and visas. She determines the best option for Permanent Residency Applications, Provincial Nominee Programs, Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry and Federal Skilled Worker Programs. In addition, she assists with Spousal and Family Sponsorships and Rehabilitation Applications.

Melanie is a regular speaker on workplace law issues for the legal profession, and various industry groups and associations.

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Lee College (University of Judaism/UCLA), 1986
Bachelor of Laws, University of British Columbia, 1989
Called to the Bar of British Columbia, 1990

Rankings + Recognitions

Recognized in Benchmark Canada – The Definitive Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys as a “Litigation Star”

Community + Volunteering

Member, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP
Founder, Lipstick Brigade (providing needed services to Women’s shelters)
Past President, Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver
Trustee, Jewish Community Foundation
Cabinet Member, Jewish Federation
Family Visionary, Jewish Family Service Agency

Advising on individual termination and group layoffs in non-union and unionized workforces.
Advising on employment issues related to sales of business and bankruptcy proceedings.
Negotiating and drafting Employment Agreements.
Preparing and implementing Personnel Policies including Workplace Harassment Policies and investigating human rights complaints.
Filing labour market opinion applications and exemptions for mining and hospitality industries and in unusual circumstances.
Advising on all matters relating to business immigration including work permits, and permanent residency applications.
Advising as a Roster Investigator for the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA).

Publications

Featured, “B.C. Worker Fired for Causing Workplace Hazard, Lying About It,” Canadian HR Reporter, March, 2024
Featured, “After the Fact: Alleging Cause Post-Termination is Fair Game, but Tread Carefully,” March, 2024
Featured, “Melanie Samuels: Rewriting the Script – A Tribute on International Women’s Day,” March 8, 2024
Featured, “Cupid in the Cubicles: Balancing Love, and Law, in Workplace Romances,” HR Law Canada, February, 2024
Featured, “BC Truck Driver Fired After Hitting Pedestrian, Shifting Blame,” Canadian HR Reporter, February, 2024
Co-author, “New return-to-work obligations for both employers and employees in British Columbia,” January, 2024
Co-author, “New Return-to-Work Obligations for Both Employers and Employees in British Columbia,” January, 2024
Featured, “Railway Worker’s Dishonesty, Second Relapse Constitute Undue Hardship,” Canadian HR Reporter, August, 2023
Featured, “BC Employer Successfully Defends Against Sex, Disability Discrimination Complaints,” Canadian HR Reporter, June, 2023
Featured, “Toronto Worker Tries to Walk Back Verbal, Written Resignation – Is It Accepted?,” Canadian HR Reporter, April, 2023
Featured, “‘Don’t Be Intimidated’ in Asking for Medical Info, Says Lawyer,” Canadian HR Reporter, December, 2022
Featured, “Post-Incident Drug and Alcohol Testing Justified for Near Miss,” Canadian HR Reporter, October, 2022
Featured, “New Rules for Work Refusals in B.C. Take Effect,” Canadian HR Reporter, August, 2022
Featured, “Husband Quits, Wife Fired and $70,000 Given Out in Discrimination Damages,” Canadian HR Reporter, July, 2022
Featured, “B.C. Supreme Court Clarifies Family Status Discrimination Test,” Canadian HR Reporter, May, 2022
Co-author, “B.C. Court Deducts CERB Payment in Wrongful Dismissal Claim,” Canadian HR Reporter, May, 2022
Featured, “$15,000 in aggravated damages for false allegations of cause,” Canadian HR Reporter, March, 2022
Featured, “B.C. tribunal dismisses worker’s mental disability discrimination claim,” Canadian HR Reporter, February, 2022
Quoted in the Canadian Lawyer Magazine article, “Wrongful Dismissal Claim Hinges on Reasonableness of Policy, Accommodation Argument,” January, 2022
Co-author, “B.C. Deducts CERB Payments In Wrongful Dismissal Claim,” December, 2021
Featured, “Women in Law: Tips for success from leading female lawyers in the legal industry,” Canadian Lawyer Magazine, April, 2021
Co-author, “Why the Length of Notice Provided by Employees is Important,” PeopleTalk, March, 2021
Co-author, “Can Discrimination Arise from Just One Incident?,” HR Reporter, March, 2021
Co-author, “GEA Refrigeration Inc. v Chang et al., 2020 BCCA 361 – The BC Court of Appeal provides guidance on remedies available for breach of confidence by former employees in the high-tech industrial marketplace,” January, 2021
Co-author, “How can a Release Eliminate Legal Liability?,” HR Reporter, June, 2020
Co-author, “Travel Restrictions and Self-Isolation Requirements in the Ongoing Spread of the COVID-19 Virus in Canada,” March, 2020
Co-author, “Termination and Bad Faith: Proper Dealing in the Manner of Termination,” HR Reporter, March, 2020
Co-author, “Disclosing Issues with Mental Health,” Canadian HR Reporter, March, 2020
Co-author, “Just when the Smoke was beginning to Clear,” PeopleTalk Magazine, November, 2019
Co-author, “Post-Glimhagen: Mischaracterizing Working Relationships Continues to Cost Employers,” August, 2019
Co-author, “Employees Hold the Key to Enforcement of New Terms,” August, 2019
Co-author, “Policy Makes Perfect?,” People Talk Magazine, May, 2019
Co-author, “Independent Contractors vs Employees: Knowing the Difference Before it Costs You,” People Talk Magazine, February, 2019

Presentations

Co-presenter, “In Real Life (IRL): Managing Tomorrow’s Challenges in the Office Environment,” (with David Edinger), Singleton Reynolds’ Workplace Law Webinar, November, 2022
Speaker, “Best Practices for Meeting Legal Obligations Associated with a Hybrid and Remote Workforce,” Canadian Lawyer Employment Law Masterclass West, November, 2022
Speaker, “Raising the Bar: Creating a Culture of Giving Back,” FCI’s Women in Leadership Conference, November, 2021
Co-presenter, “Mental Health and the Duty to Accommodate,” Human Resources: Current Realities and Charting the Path Forward, First Nations Public Service Secretariat, June, 2021
Co-presenter, “Business Travel and Immigration in a COVID World,” Singleton Reynolds’ Workplace Law Group Lunch and Learn, April, 2021
Co-presenter, “Employer/Employee Obligations in a COVID World,” Singleton Reynolds’ Workplace Law Group Lunch and Learn, April, 2021
Co-presenter, “Termination Options in a COVID World,” CPHR BC & Yukon, January, 2021
Speaker, “Human Rights and Diversity Policies in the Workplace,” Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of BC & Yukon Diversity and Inclusion Virtual Symposium and Showcase, November, 2020
Speaker, “Respectful Work Places,” Inclusivity in Publishing Workshop, Association of Book Publishers of BC, May, 2019