Employment Lawyers restricted to Wrongful Dismissal litigation
The harder you fall,
the higher you bounce.
Wrongfully dismissed himself, Toronto lawyer Howard Markowitz (B.Com, Juris Doctor) recalls his own anger, uncertainty, and frustration at employer's unlawful withholding of fair severance pay.
Now recognized as one of "Toronto's leading employment law firms" by Lexpert/Thomson/Reuters news - I restrict my employment law practice specifically to maximum fair termination pay recovery for the wrongfully dismissed.
Prosecutor of more than 3000+ lawsuits, this is my 3rd decade providing aggressive fixed-fee representation of wrongfully-dismissed employees for maximum fair severance pay.
Referred by lawyers, this firm has expanded to serve more wrongfully dismissed employees with new/novel lawsuits - particularly in the areas of alleged misconduct, theft, fraud, against larger corporations, banks, law firms, and government - which we'll then prosecute through trial (if necessary) at no upfront cost.
Ranked Canada's #1 best employment lawyer by client reviews since October 2018 (lawyerratingz.com, out of 200+ rated). Howard averages 50 contested trials per year, for which he was called a "heavy-hitting do-gooder" in the November 2017 issue of MacLeans Magazine. In September 2017, two-thirds of the Canadian National Journal of Human Resource Management's “notable cases” were personally litigated by Howard Markowitz himself – including leading cases in the area of probationary rights and Employment Standards Act termination agreements.
When you fall, don't get up empty-handed.
Why choose us?
1) Employment practice specifically restricted to wrongful dismissal.
2) Representing employees only, so not trying to impress your former employer as our next client.
3) Predictable fixed-fee caps, so no surprise billings in the end.
4) Your case guaranteed to trial, so we're not just cherry-picking the easy cases to win.
5) No upfront fees until we win.
6) No lawyer pressure to settle your case, as trial is always your recourse to choose.
7) Representation by the actual named partner, so no junior associate, paralegal, nor law student delegation involved.
8) 3rd-decade experience, with more than 3000+ lawsuits specific to wrongful dismissal litigation.
9) Transparent offers, advice throughout.
10) Free, detailed, and straightforward opinions before we're retained - so that nobody's wasting time/money on a losing case.
11) Convenient mid-town parking at our Forest Hill Village (St. Clair West subway) location.
12) Secondary courthouse office for your trial-day comfort and preparation.
13) Referred by human resource professionals, lawyers, judges, and other courthouse staff.
14) Successfully taking on this country's largest employers - banks, law firms, insurers, and governments of all kind.
15) Effective relationships with court Masters, Judges, process servers, mediators, and opposing counsels for faster
resolutions where we can.
16) Ontario-focused as fair, professional, and credible lawyers who follow through.
17) Backed by litigation finance, therefore deeper pockets to see harder lawsuits through the end.
Why choose us?
You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do.
In May 2016, for example, we successfully motioned the Ontario Court of Appeal for re-hearing of a second appeal on a mere $15,000.00 Toronto Small Claims Court action, along with a further motion for appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada at no charge to our client at all.
On another 2013 Newmarket file, we successfully quadrupled a three-month employee's one-month severance award up to 4-months on appeal.
On a 2014 file, we fought a $20,000.00 Oshawa Court claim through 5 separate days of trial over the course of 2-years – eventually forcing employer's counsel off the file from their mounting legal defence costs, while our clients paid none at all.
On yet another 2014 file, we successfully fought the United States of America through the Canada Labour Board, then the Federal Court of Canada, and then one more time again through the Ontario Superior Court all at no upfront charge to our Toronto-based U.S. employee client throughout.
So unlike all the junior, pyramid, and figurehead law firms out there - we don't play popularity games with company counsel, nor do we necessarily need to profit from each individual claim.
As our "wrongfullydismissed.com" domain name implies, we're the original wrongful dismissal lawyers on the web, setting legal precedents in the areas of alleged misconduct, theft, fraud, against larger corporations, banks, law firms, and government - which we prosecute through trial (if necessary) at no upfront cost.
By restricting our employment law practice to only fair termination pay recovery for the wrongfully dismissed – we don't spread ourselves thin by accepting union files, out-of-province assignments, nor other employment law retainers beyond our 20+ years Ontario wrongful dismissal litigation expertise.
Along with our main Forest Hill Village location, Howard maintains a secondary 393 University Avenue downtown office at the same Toronto courthouse where your wrongful dismissal trial will be heard.
From there, we've successfully litigated against this country's largest employer defendants – including national law firms, banks, insurance companies, and governments including the United States of America.
It's because we guarantee all cases to trial – not just cherry-picking the easy winners - that we're a dangerous threat to employers' counsel who know we're locked in through the end regardless of how major or minor the claim.
You love what you find time to do.
Winner of McGill University's 1995 Scarlet Key - Howard studied advanced negotiations at Harvard Law School, where he ranked top-10% speaker at Harvard's 1997 North American Debate Championships, and 1998 first-place American Bar Association client counselling finalist at Osgoode Hall Law School.
Working his way through school at a national law firm - Howard received his 1998 Juris Doctor degree from Osgoode where he first represented wrongfully dismissed employees as a volunteer case-worker since 1995.
25+ years later, Howard's now married with 3-kids - empathizing even more with the devastating personal, financial, health, and family effects of losing one's job. Success is the best revenge, and so Howard helps his clients focus on the bounce back to greater heights than before.
Former Governor at the University of Waterloo, partner Stephen Du holds dual LL.B./Chartered Accountant designations for optimal tax planning of client settlements to come.
Not just figureheads on a website, you're actually hiring the name partner Howard Markowitz to personally advocate every aspect of your case – from demand letter to trial to no-charge appeals if necessary.
Howard ranks among the top-tier of Ontario trial lawyers professionally qualified as a Q.Arb (designation through the governing ADR Institute of Canada) to arbitrate employment disputes as a private judge.
Profiled by Canadian Lawyer Magazine in 2001, Howard has made 400+ career appearances on Toronto talk radio advising Ontarians about their employment rights.
By age-26, Howard was retained by the Law Society of Upper Canada to teach the Ontario Bar Admissions Course in negotiation skills, and returned to teach client service and professional ethics too.
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"Howard: Have been in court all day, but congrats. A beautiful bit of advocacy."
-- Congratulations from former Canadian Deputy Associate Justice Minister to Howard Markowitz, on July 15, 2014, following his $111,529.52 win against Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, 2014 ONSC 3882.
"Mr. Markowitz did not strike me as having given clouded or misguided advice, nor did he strike me as having been mesmerized by any of his clients, such that he might be seen to be simply advising what he felt they wanted to hear. On the contrary, he seemed personally passionate, even at this late date, about the facts."
-- Ontario Superior Court Registrar Scott W. Nettie, December 14, 2007, Reasons for Judgment, Ontario court file no. 31-442791.
"The client was kept apprised of the status of the proceedings throughout, and was provided with explanations and information on the legal process... Mr. Markowitz first contacted the former employer with a detailed demand letter, in which rather than merely making a demand for compensation for wrongful dismissal, he cited a number of legal precedents in support of the client's position. He followed up with a detailed Statement of Claim, and a comprehensive Affidavit of Documents; he prepared written interrogatories of the defendant corporation; he attended Examinations for Discovery; he addressed undertakings and refusals; he participated in mediation; and he negotiated a settlement which, on the evidence, appears to have been very attractive for the client. The exchange of correspondence and e-mails demonstrate that the solicitor put considerable thought into this matter... This was, on the evidence, an excellent result for the client."
-- Richard Ittleman, Registrar of the Toronto Superior Court, File number CV-09-372651, page 6, May 25, 2010
REVIEWS
(*** See many more at - https://www.lawyerratingz.com/reviews/1022839/Lawyer-Howard-Markowitz.html)
"Markowitz also acted for his client at the Small Claims Court trial. He says he didn't charge him for the subsequent appeals "because I believed on principle that it was necessary to uphold the right of all employees, even those on probation, to minimal [ESA] termination pay."
- Law Times newspaper - "Decision focuses on probationary employees", October 16, 2017, Vol. 28, No. 32
"You did come highly recommended by my co-worker... Her father is a court judge in Toronto, and he recommended your name."
--- August 8, 2014 referral to Howard Markowitz.
"You said everything you can on behalf of your client, and you did an excellent job."
-- Ontario Court of Appeal (Justice Harry LaForme), June 26, 2017, 2017 ONCA 540, court file no. M46111.
"[Markowitz] was perfectly reasonable, and he raised very interesting and creative arguments."
-- Judge John Twohig, October 31, 2018, Toronto court file judgment no. SC-000018-1878-0000.
" I hope you had a chance to get some sleep. I know that we've been at it since we left the trial and I'm sure you have too.
No matter what happens, I have enjoyed working with you. This is the way civil trials are to be conducted - leaving the disagreements between the clients and working together to present the case reasonably and efficiently."
-- Lead counsel for the defendant, April 18, 2019 morning e-mail, Trial day #3/3, Toronto Court file no. CV-12-462203.
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"I have had Mr. Markowitz appear before me many times. He has always been an officer of this court with the utmost highest standards."
-- Judge Catherine Buie, May 27, 2019, Toronto Court file judgment no. SC-18-10937-0000.
"You were well represented by Mr. Markowitz, and he got you a significant increase. Mr. Markowitz's idea of issuing a claim was very clever, he achieved a result immediately without resorting to docketed fees. I think you were incredibly well served."
- Judge Catherine Buie, May 28, 2019, Toronto Court file judgment no. SC-18-10937-0000.
" It has been a pleasure dealing with you on this matter. You advocated so well for Mr. [--] and in an environment where the Court was politely never on your side. I hope I do as great a job for my client when I am in your shoes in a pretrial next week!"
-- Defendant's counsel, January 27, 2021 e-mail, Brampton Court file no. CV-16-004700-0000.
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