George J.A. Vassos

gvassos@littler.com
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George Vassos is a partner in Littler’s Toronto office, with more than 43 years at the Ontario Bar. He focuses on employment law advocacy before mediators, adjudicators, and administrative tribunals, and provides strategic counsel on a wide range of workplace issues. His practice includes executive employment contracts, wrongful and federal unjust dismissal, reductions in force, layoffs, employer policies, employment standards, human rights, and alternative dispute resolution. George has acted as counsel in numerous reported decisions, serves as an expert witness, and is a frequent speaker, author, and media commentator on employment law developments.

George is consistently recognized as a leading employment lawyer by Best Lawyers (20 consecutive years), Lexpert (27 years), and Chambers. He was also recognized by JD Supra’s 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards as a Top 10 Labour and Employment Author and by Mondaq as a Thought Leading Co-Author for Canada Employment and HR. George was also the co-founder and former senior partner of Kuretzky Vassos Henderson, a leading Canadian employment law boutique that integrated into Littler in 2015.

Credentials & Recognition

Speaking Engagements

The Coronavirus: What Should Employers Be Doing Now

  • February 6, 2020
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Littler Live Event

2019 Canada Conference

  • November 21, 2019
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Littler Live Event

Employment Law Update 2019

  • May 28, 2019
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Littler Live Event

Bills 47, 66 and 57: Everything You Need to Know About the Never Ending Changes to Ontario, Canada’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Labour Relations Act, 1995 and the Indefinite Delay of its Pay Transparency Act

  • January 11, 2019
  • Littler Webinar

2018 Canada Conference

  • November 16, 2018
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Littler Live Event

The Ever Evolving Landscape of Employment Law in Canada

  • September 21, 2018
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Littler Live Event

Managing Group Insured Benefit Risks: Employment Law Considerations

  • May 15, 2018
  • Littler Webinar

Good-bye 2017, Hello 2018: The Canadian Legal Landscape is Changing

  • February 20, 2018
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Littler Live Event

Ontario Employment and Labour Update - Bill 148: Compliance for Now, the New Year and Beyond

  • January 10, 2018
  • Littler Webinar

Ontario Employment and Labour Update - Bill 148: Compliance for Now, the New Year and Beyond

  • December 15, 2017
  • Littler Webinar

Second Annual Canada Conference

  • November 1, 2017
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Littler Live Event

Employment Law Update 2017

  • September 18, 2017
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Littler Live Event

Addressing Ontario Misclassification Issues Under Bill 148 and Preparing for Employment Standards Audits

  • July 26, 2017
  • Littler Webinar

Canada: Ontario Government's Proposed Legislation to "Create Fairer and Better Workplaces" Includes $15 Minimum Wage and Equal Pay for Part-Time and Full-Time Workers

  • June 6, 2017
  • Littler Webinar

Managing Benefit Risk: Employment Law Considerations

  • May 3, 2017
  • Canadian Group Insurance Brokers, Vaughan, Ontario

Important Employment Decisions for 2016 Affecting the Workplace

  • February 28, 2017
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Littler Live Event

Inaugural Canada Conference

  • November 21, 2016
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Littler Live Event

Senior Practitioners’ Panel

  • October 20, 2016
  • HRPA 2016 HR Law Conference, Toronto, ON

2016 Hot Topics for Ontario Employers

  • September 29, 2016
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Littler Live Event

Navigating the New Gig Economy

  • September 28, 2016
  • Canadian Legal Update webinar

Removing or Changing Benefits: Assessing Risk From an Employment Law Perspective

  • June 23, 2016
  • The Williamson Group, Toronto, ON

The Rise of Dependent Contractors: Employer Beware!

  • May 25, 2016
  • Littler Webinar

Maintaining and Managing a Respect-Based Workplace and Preparing for Bill 132

  • April 12, 2016
  • Toronto, Canada
  • Littler Live Event

Comparing U.S. and Canadian Taxation of Common Damages Paid in Employer-Employee Disputes

  • April 7, 2016
  • ABA Business Law Section Meeting, Montreal, QC

Additional Thought Leadership

Update on Labour and Employment Law Considerations in Commercial Transactions

  • June 10, 2015
  • Law Society of Upper Canada
  • Adrian Jakibchuk

Bashin v. Hrynew 2014 SCC 71: The Duty of Honest Performance

  • June 5, 2015
  • Law Society of Upper Canada
  • Jordan Waltman

Just Case or No Just Cause?

  • October 22, 2014
  • Human Resources Professionals Association
  • Jordan Waltman

Just Cause Update

  • June 6, 2014
  • Law Society of Upper Canada
  • Randy Ai

A Focus on Fidler v. Sunlife

  • January 9, 2013
  • Law Society of Upper Canada
  • Randy Ai

Books & Book Chapters

Just Cause Dismissals in Canadian Employment Law: Recent Developments

  • New Perspectives on Canadian Employment Law
  • LexisNexis, Chapter 3, chapter co-author with Adrian Jakibchuk
  • 2014

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