Our Team
Keith P. Burkhardt

Keith P. Burkhardt (he/him)
Direct: 416.603.6252
Cell: 416.788.4893
24 Hour: 416.420.0738

kburkhardt@sherrardkuzz.com

University of Toronto, Juris Doctor &
Master of Industrial Relations
Lakehead University, Bachelor of Commerce

Assistant:
Kim O’Regan
416.217.2231 koregan@sherrardkuzz.com

Keith P. Burkhardt

(he/him)

Keith is recognized by Lexpert® and Best Lawyers® as one of Canada’s leading labour lawyers and by Canadian Occupational Safety® as a Five-Star Safety Lawyer.  Keith regularly appears before the Ontario Labour Relations Board and labour arbitrators and is frequently invited to speak at industry and legal conferences.

Keith is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, Progressive Contractors Association of Canada, Ontario General Contractors Association, Hamilton-Halton Construction Association, Canadian Bar Association, and Ontario Bar Association ( Administrative Law, CCCA Ontario Chapter/Corporate Counsel, Labour & Employment, Privacy and Access to Information, Construction Law, Pensions and Benefits, Civil Litigation, Workers’ Compensation, Constitutional, Civil Liberties and Human Rights).

Keith holds the distinction of being Sherrard Kuzz LLP ’s very first summer law student (many, many years ago). During his articling year, Keith was seconded with the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

Areas of Focus:

Publications & Media

Speaking Engagements

  • 2023 Year in Review… And what to expect in 2024

    December 06, 2023

  • Top 5 Things in Key Areas of Law Impacting Construction

    November 06, 2023

  • Lancaster’s Workplace Essentials: Tackling progressive discipline issues

    August 15, 2023

  • Workplace Investigations – A Primer on Best Practices and Avoiding Pitfalls

    June 08, 2023

  • Osgoode Certificate in Construction Law: Module 4 – Top 5 Things in Key Areas of Law Impacting Construction

    October 21, 2022

  • Working for Workers Act(s): What Employers Need to Know

    June 16, 2022

  • Osgoode Certificate in Labour Law – Module 2 – Collective Bargaining

    March 22, 2022

  • The Independent Medical Exam: Working Together to Make it Work

    March 10, 2022

  • Osgoode Certificate in Construction Law – Module 4 – Top 5 Things in Key Areas of Law Impacting Construction

    February 22, 2022

  • The ABCs of IMEs Reimagined: Reviewing the basics, exploring more collaborative models

    October 21, 2021

  • Bill C-65 Explained: An expert forum on the new federal violence and harassment regulations

    June 24, 2021

  • The Price of Inaction: Liability for failure to investigate and respond to workplace concerns

    June 03, 2021

  • Join the Experts: COVID-19 Testing & the Construction Industry

    April 19, 2021

  • COVID-19 Vaccination & the Workplace

    April 08, 2021

  • Osgoode Certificate in Construction Law – Top 5 Things in Key Areas of Law Impacting Construction

    November 6, 2020

  • Workplace Violence and Threat Assessment: Essential guidance from the experts

    August 13, 2020

  • Benefits That Benefit: Designing affordable plans that meet employee needs, enhance retention, and prevent discrimination

    July 23, 2020

  • Webinar: COVID-19 and the Road Building Workplace: Labour & Employment Law

    May 20, 2020

  • Impact of COVID-19 on the Construction Industry

    April 28, 2020

  • Impact of COVID-19 on the Construction Industry

    April 21, 2020

  • Impact of COVID-19 on the Construction Industry

    April 14, 2020

  • Impact of COVID-19 on the Construction Industry

    April 7, 2020

  • Impact of COVID-19 on the Construction Industry

    March 31, 2020

  • The Lunchbox Series – Responding Appropriately to Union Organizing in the Construction Industry

    March 12, 2020

  • Trendsetting Cases on Undue Hardship: What are the limits of the duty to accommodate

    February 20, 2020

  • Alcohol & Drug Testing in the Construction Workplace. Impairment and the Liabilities that come from Impairment.

    December 10, 2019

  • Construction Labour Law: Top 5 Things You Need to Know

    November 14, 2019

  • Stoned Age: Preparing the workplace for cannabis edibles

    November 05, 2019

  • Workplace Privacy in a Digital Age: Foundational cases and recent developments

    October 03, 2019

  • Navigating the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000: Common Employer Pitfalls (and how to avoid them!)

    September 25, 2019

  • Disability and Accommodation: Foundational cases and recent developments

    September 10, 2019

  • Who Judges the Judges: Ensuring arbitrator impartiality, dealing with bias, and seeking judicial review

    August 13, 2019

  • Construction Labour & Employment Legislative Update

    April 12, 2019

  • Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 : An update on post-incident, reasonable cause, and random drug and alcohol testing

    March 7, 2019

  • Big Issues in Fine Print: Non-compete, non-solicitation, and mandatory arbitration clauses in employment contracts

    January 31, 2019

  • What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You: When does the law impose a “duty to inquire” about disability?

    September 27, 2018

  • The Latest on Disability-Related Misconduct: What’s changed since the Supreme Court’s decision in Elk Valley?

    August 21, 2018

  • Navigate Difficult Conversations with Employees

    June 5, 2018

  • Work/Life Juggling Act: An update on the developing law of family status accommodation

    March 1, 2018

  • Legalization of Marijuana & Impact on Employers in the Construction Industry

    February 13, 2018

  • What you Need to Know about Bill 148

    February 13, 2018

  • Co-Chair

    December 17, 2017

  • 4 Shift Changes, 3 Doctors Notes, 2 Prescription Pills And an Accommodation Request

    December 14, 2017

  • Unions, Certification, and Employer Rights

    December 11, 2017

  • Card Based Certification

    November 21, 2017

  • Bill 148 (the Better Jobs Act): What changes are coming to Ontario’s workplaces?

    November 14, 2017

  • Construction Grievances: Best Practices for Better Results

    February 28, 2017

  • Managing Workplace Absenteeism

    February 23, 2017

  • Under Pressure: Dealing with stress, overload, and burnout in the workplace

    February 7, 2017

  • Collective Bargaining

    February 1, 2017

  • 1st Annual Labour Board Update: A cross-Canada review of key cases and trends

    January 24, 2017

  • Damages and Dignity: Trendsetting remedial awards in human rights cases

    October 13, 2016

  • Leaving your Business / Selling your business

    September 29, 2016

  • Ontario Retirement Pension Plan – What to expect. How to prepare.

    August 16, 2016

  • Legal Obligations of the Landscape Employer

    March 23, 2016

  • GPS Tracking, Electronic Devices and Social Media in the Workplace

    March 9, 2016

  • Reducing Turnover, Retaining Talent and Performance Management

    February 16, 2016

  • Collective Bargaining – The Fundamentals

    February 3, 2016

  • Responding to Union Organizing in the Construction Industry

    January 23, 2016

  • Looking Back, Looking Forward: Experts Assess Important Caselaw And Related Developments

    December 10, 2015

  • Ontario Labour Relations Board Update

    April 11, 2015

  • Legal Obligations of the Landscape Employer

    March 25, 2015

  • Returning Turnover, Retaining Talent

    February 20, 2015

  • Labour Law Foundations: Collective Bargaining

    February 3, 2015

  • Looking Back, Looking Forward: The most important developments of 2014 (and what they mean for you in 2015)

    January 22, 2015

  • Breaking New Ground: Will Random Drug and Alcohol Testing Survive the Supreme Court’s Decision in Irving?

    October 22, 2014

  • Fair Criticism or Trash Talk: Where to Draw the Line in Workplace Expression

    September 29, 2014

  • Labour Arbitration Advocacy – Practice Makes Perfect: Becoming a Better Labour Advocate

    March 24, 2014

  • Labour Law

    February 26, 2014

  • Construction Grievances – Best Practices for an Efficient and Effective Process

    January 24, 2014

  • Responding to Union Organizing in the Construction Industry

    January 23, 2014

  • Counseling or Discipline: What Works Better? When Is It Grievable?

    September 17, 2013

  • Discipline in the Workplace – An Overview of Best Practices and Pitfalls

    September 17, 2013

  • Career Panel

    March 15, 2013

  • Construction Raids

    February 7, 2013

  • Navigating Discharge and Discipline: A Roadmap for Employers and Unions

    December 19, 2012

  • Medical Information: Who Is Entitled to Know What? And How Do You Get What You Need?

    December 14, 2012

  • Sin and Redemption: Aggravating and Mitigating Factors in Assessing Discipline

    September 27, 2012

  • Managing Social Media in the Workforce – Tips and Traps

    July 24, 2012

  • Managing Social Media in the Workforce – Tips and Traps

    July 16, 2012

  • Kissing and Dissing: Intervening When Workplace Romance Goes Wrong

    June 28, 2012

  • Strikes, Lockouts, Picketing and Work-to-Rule: What’s the Latest Law on Industrial Warfare?

    May 17, 2012

  • Employer-Employee Meetings and Dealings: When Should the Union Be in the Room? When Can Management Go It Alone?

    March 1, 2012

  • The Key Factors in Assessing Undue Hardship: Which Are Important and How Important Are They?

    November 2, 2011

  • Collective Bargaining Basics for Employers

    September 5, 2011

  • Social Media in the Workplace – Uncharted Territory for Employers

    May 31, 2011

  • Practical “Do’s and Don’ts” During Union Organizing Activity

    May 6, 2011

  • Accommodating Parenting and Family Responsibilities: Recent Cases on Family Status Discrimination

    April 20, 2010

  • Legislative Developments – Labour Law 101: Hot Issues & Practical Guidance in Today’s Labour Environment

    November 4, 2009

  • Unions: How to Protect Yourself from Union Drivers

    September 17, 2009

  • Signs of Union Organizing & How to Avoid a Union Drive

    May 21, 2009

  • Unionization: Its Impact on the General Contractor in Ontario

    April 24, 2009

  • Managing Employees in Uncertain Economic Times

    March 26, 2009

  • Human Rights and Accommodation Conference: Facebook, Instant Messaging, Internet Use: What’s New in Technology and Privacy

    April 2, 2008

  • The Human Resource Perspective on Emergency and Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace

    June 14, 2007

  • Electronic Surveillance in the Workplace

    April 10, 2005

Sign up to receive our Management Counsel Newsletter, Briefing Notes and Invitations to HReview Breakfast Seminars and Conferences.

Subscribe