The Staff and Associates of MacDonald & Associates
Welcome to MacDonald & Associates
Natalie MacDonald and her Associates are the go-to experts for anyone facing challenges in the workplace.
Natalie offers a rich and varied perspective on the employment relationship, building upon the strength of her individual reputation as an expert in the field and gifted author of the only textbook in Canadian Employment Law on Extraordinary Damages.
Not afraid of the courtroom, but committed to resolution where possible, Natalie and her associates have helped hundreds of clients address workplace issues. With a balanced approach, they provide counsel of the highest calibre to employers and employees in all aspects of employment law including policies, procedures, hiring, employment agreements, bullying, harassment, human rights issues, downsizing, reducing labour costs, restrictive covenants, discipline, constructive and wrongful dismissal.
Their commitment is to deliver top quality service in a cost-effective manner. MacDonald & Associates and their Team of dedicated Administrative Staff are there to provide you with expertise, and efficiency, as all share a passion for assisting others.
With over 18 years of experience filled with accomplishments and success stories, Natalie has been repeatedly named among Canada’s Top Employment Law Practitioners, and amongst the Best in the World in 2016 and 2017 by Expert Guides in the prestigous “Women in Business Law” Guide. She has also been named as the Canadian Employment Law Litigation Expert by both Global Experts and Leaders in Law and was the winner of Canadian HR Reporter’s 2018 National HR Awards for Employment Lawyer of the Year.
In 2017, Natalie won Galea v. Wal-Mart Canada Inc., in which she achieved the highest amounts of extraordinary damages in employment law, where her client was awarded $500,000 for punitive damages, and $250,000 for moral damages for its bad faith manner of dismissal becoming the leading case in extraordinary damages in Canadian employment law. Her previous precedent setting case of Antidormi v. Blue Pumpkin Software Inc. [2004], touted as a leading decision in the area of inducement of employees to organizations, and in which she achieved extraordinary damages in that case was cited in Galea in support. Note: Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results and that the amount recovered and other litigation outcomes will vary according to the facts in individual cases.
Natalie MacDonald is the author of ‘Extraordinary Damages in Canadian Employment Law’, the only text of its kind, which has received critical acclaim by courts and members of the bar, and referred to in the following cases:
- Zesta Engineering Ltd. v Cloutier, [2010] O.J. No. 5810, 2010 ONSC 5810 (SCJ) at para 334. Canlii
- Brito v Canac Kitchens, [2011] O.J. No. 1117, 2011 ONSC 1011 (SCJ) at para 19. Canlii
- Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter Ltd. v Buchanan, [2010] B.C.J. No 2290, 2010 BCSC 1650 (BCSC) at para 18. Canlii
- Williams v TWU, [2011] A.J. No. 542, 2011 ABQB 314 (ABQB) at para 108. Canlii
- Chevalier v Active Tire & Auto Centre Inc., [2012] O.J. No. 3414, 2012 ONSC 4309 (SCJ) at para 59/fn 10.
- Harbour Air Ltd. and Maloney, Re, [2012] C.L.A.D. No 105, 2012 CarswellNat 7625 (Cda Adj) at para 202.
- Coppola v Capital Pontiac Buick Cadillac GMC Ltd., [2013] SJ No. 454, 2013 SKCA 80 (SKCA) at para 25/fn 3. Canlii
- Caskanette v Bong-Keun Choi Dentistry Professional Corporation, 2015 Canlii 31308 (ON SCSM) at para 32. Canlii
- Galea v. Wal-Mart Canada Corp., 2017 ONSC 245 (CanLII), .