Mackenzie A. Irwin
B.Sc. (Hons.), J.D.
Senior Associate
Contact Information
Contact Mackenzie
T: 1-844-661-9065 (ext. 189)
F: (416) 361-0993
E: mackenzie.irwin@stlawyers.ca
Contact Assistant – Juliette Busch
T: 1 (844) 661-9065 (Ext. 142)
E: juliette.busch@stlawyers.ca
Practice Areas
Disability Insurance Law, Employment Law
Location
Ottawa, Toronto
Experience
Mackenzie Irwin is an Ontario employment lawyer and a Senior Associate with Samfiru Tumarkin LLP’s Labour and Employment Law practice group.
Working through the firm’s Toronto and Ottawa offices, she is proficient in all aspects of employment law and long-term disability (LTD) insurance.
Matters she can assist with include, but aren’t limited to:
- Wrongful dismissals in Ontario
- Constructive dismissals
- Termination for cause and without cause in Ontario
- Severance pay and severance package negotiations
- Human rights issues
- Employment contract drafting and disputes
- Employee misclassification
- Workplace harassment and sexual harassment
- Discrimination at work
- Temporary layoffs in Ontario
Mackenzie has successfully advocated for her clients before the Ontario Superior Court and various Provincial and Federal Boards and Tribunals. She leverages her experience to formulate creative solutions to complex legal problems. Read reviews about Mackenzie.
Mackenzie articled in the Toronto office of a global law firm, where she worked primarily on management-side employment issues. She assisted in advising employers on a broad range of workplace issues including allegations of human rights discrimination, occupational health and safety, worker’s compensation, accommodation, and employment-related litigation.
Mackenzie spent her first few years of practice at a boutique Toronto employment law firm, before joining Samfiru Tumarkin LLP in 2020.
Mackenzie remains actively involved in the ski racing community. She currently serves on the Board of the National Ski Academy, and is an avid member of Craigleith Ski Club. You can often find her competing in the adult house league appropriately dubbed the “Going Downhill League”.
When not skiing down the mountains, Mackenzie can be found hiking up them. Always looking forward to her next adventure, she loves the mountains and is a fervent hiker.
Radio Hosting
The Employment Law Show on Radio
Mackenzie helps host the Employment Law Show on radio. Heard at various times on 640 Toronto, Newstalk 580 CFRA in Ottawa, and 980 CFPL in London, the unique radio program has fielded thousands of calls from listeners since the first episode aired in 2013.
Interviews & Media
2023
- Employers Calling Workers Back to the Office – CBC News
- Resignation Over Mask Rights – CBC News
- Employee Ousted Over OnlyFans – Canadian Justice
- Shopify Faces Severance Class Action – Canadian Justice
- John Tory and Disclosing Work Relationships – Canadian Justice
- Remote Work and Rights When Recalled – Canadian Justice
2022
- Employment Lawyer on Twitter’s new work from home policy – CTV News
- Employment lawyer Mackenzie Irwin on CBC talking new employee monitoring policies – CBC News
- Mackenzie Irwin on CTV Your Morning discusses Ontario electronic monitoring – CTV Your Morning
- Mackenzie Irwin with CTV News discusses CUPE strike and employee rights – CTV News
- Employment lawyer on Toronto unvaccinated firefighters wrongful dismissals – 640 Toronto
- Toronto employment lawyer on SiriusXM talks working from home – SiriusXM
- Right to disconnect legislation and its impact on Canadian employee rights – Global News
- Hiring new, inexperienced staff – 630 CHED
- Employment lawyer on employee rights and Tesla ultimatum – 640 Toronto
- Women’s rights at the workplace post-pandemic – 900 CHML
2021
- Employee rights at SickKids hospital and vaccine mandates – Global News
- Mackenzie Irwin on Harassment and Defamation – Canadian Justice
- Employment Lawyer on the Right to Disconnect – 640 Toronto
- Working parents rights to work from home – CityNews Toronto
- Working from home during COVID-19 – 900 CHML
Notable Cases
McFarlane v. King Ursa Inc.
Mackenzie and the team at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP secured more than $300,000 in damages for their client, a high-level executive in Ontario, after successfully arguing at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice that she was constructively dismissed following her return from maternity leave.
Wall v. M.H. Rowe Sheet Metal Fabricating Inc.
Mackenzie secured nearly $85,000 in damages for Gengamah Wall — an office administrator who was wrongfully dismissed after 35 years of service.
Publications
Education
Mackenzie was a member of the Ontario Alpine Ski Team, competing internationally and on the North American circuit before being recruited to ski NCAA Division 1 at St. Lawrence University in New York.
While at St. Lawrence University, she obtained an Honours B.Sc. in Psychology and Sociology and earned the award of Academic All American during all four years.
Helpful Resources
Discover more about your workplace rights through Samfiru Tumarkin LLP's resources.Blog
Employers can’t plead performance concerns if employee is fired without cause
Employment Lawyer Mackenzie Irwin explains why employers can't flip between a termination with and without cause after an employee files a severance…
Blog
How to Calculate Severance Pay
There are a lot of myths about how to calculate severance pay in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Find out how to…
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