Lawyer Profile
Sean Kelly
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Overview
Sean is an experienced trial lawyer with a practice focused on employment litigation and representing professional regulators. He has appeared before all levels of Courts and Administrative Tribunals in Nova Scotia as well as the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Divisional Court and also defends employers facing occupational health and safety investigations and charges, negotiates collective agreements, litigates grievance arbitrations and is routinely engaged to provide employment and labour counsel in corporate transactions. His clients include a wide range of employers from national and multinational companies to small-medium sized enterprises across a wide array of industries. Sean also has an active sports litigation practice, having represented national and provincial sport organizations, as well as both athletes and coaches at discipline hearings, investigations and mediations.
Sean is the Labour & Employment Practice Group Leader, and also holds a certificate in mental health law from Osgoode Hall Law School. He brings a practical approach to resolving discipline and performance management issues, regularly conducts workplace investigations (often involving harassment and discrimination allegations) and is routinely engaged to negotiate and draft executive employment agreements and act in restrictive covenant litigation (non-compete and non-solicitation obligations).
He has significant governance experience both as a board member and as legal counsel, particularly in the area of crisis management, and frequently engages with industry associations and clients to facilitate education through seminars, presentations and has appeared in the media as a commentator on workplace legal issues.
Osgoode Hall Law School (York University), Certificate in Mental Health Law, 2021
Member & Panel Presenter, Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers, 2012 – present
Past Vice-Chair of Board of Governors & Chair of Governance and Human Resources Committee, NSCAD University, 2015 – 2021
Community Member, Admissions Committee, Dalhousie University Medical School, 2019 – 2020
Practice Areas
Bar Information
Called to the bar: 2011 (NS)