Biography: Management Labour and Employment

Geoffrey Howard is a partner in Gowlings' Vancouver office specialising in the areas of employment and labour law, and civil litigation. He is the leader of the employment and labour group for the Vancouver office.

Geoffrey has extensive experience in representing both employers and employees in all aspects of the employment relationship, including employment disputes in the courts and tribunals. He provides employment advice in connection with mergers and acquisitions, including executive employment and severance agreements. Geoffrey also advises on employment agreements, employment standards, termination of employment and human rights issues.

Geoffrey's litigation experience involves a wide spectrum of corporate/commercial matters, such as construction, product liability, debtor/creditor and shareholders litigation. In his work for clients, he strives to combine regular client communication and follow-up with a proactive, cost-effective and creative approach to resolving employment problems and the litigation process.

Geoffrey practises in both official languages.

Geoffrey is a prolific writer and speaker on employment law topics. He has written for the Financial Post, writes a regular column for Business in Vancouver and contributes frequently to a host of professional and industry association publications. He presents several seminars annually through the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC, has lectured at Simon Fraser University and has addressed human resource managers in a variety of settings.

Geoffrey has been listed as a leading lawyer in several legal industry publications, including The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers and Who's Who Legal: Canada.

His community involvement includes advising charitable groups as a donor partner with Social Venture Partners Vancouver, serving as a past chair of the Coastal Vancouver advisory council for the BC Human Resources Management Association, serving as a lead fundraising director for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of British Columbia and coaching with the Meraloma Mini Rugby programme for seven years.

He's currently an active member of the BC branch of the Canadian Bar Association (employment and human rights subsections) and is an active associate member of the American Bar Association (labour and employment law subsection).