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Jennifer Mathers McHenry

Phone: (647) 420-1232
Legal assistant: kya@mathersmchenryandco.com (Kya Williams)

Jennifer began her legal career as a commercial and employment litigator at one of Toronto’s premier litigation boutiques, then spent more than a decade at a second premier Toronto boutique where she was a partner and where her practice focused on executive employment law and litigation, and on providing strategic and legal advice to senior executives, directors, partners, and others at pivotal transition points in their careers. Jennifer founded Mathers McHenry & Co. in 2019 with a commitment to surrounding herself with integrity and excellence and to focusing on what she does best.

Practice

Jennifer regularly advises both employees and employers about employment law and with respect to all aspects of the employee/employer relationship, including: offers of employment, human rights obligations, changes of control, mergers and acquisitions, executive compensation, resignations, termination of employment, constructive dismissals, and post-employment fiduciary and contractual obligations.

Jennifer’s litigation practice encompasses a wide range of complex employment and workplace-related commercial and appellate litigation, including actions involving wrongful and constructive dismissal, breaches of human rights legislation, bad faith performance of a contract, breach of contract, breach of confidence, unfair competition, negligent misrepresentation, partnership disputes, and shareholder disputes. She has appeared in the Ontario Superior Court, the Divisional Court and at the Court of Appeal for Ontario and has participated in matters before the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada.

In the context of mergers, acquisitions, re-orgs, bankruptcy and restructurings, Jennifer has provided strategic advice to companies, individuals, or groups of employees (whether as representative counsel or otherwise), taking into account the business environment and context while focusing on the interests of her clients.

Executive Strategy, Mediation and Investigations

In addition to her “hard law” expertise, Jennifer frequently helps senior executives navigate interpersonal and other complexities that regularly present themselves in the context of the employment relationship, all with an eye on their legal rights and options. Jennifer regularly plays the role of sounding board, strategist, and PR/communications consultant for her clients and is able to assist them with achieving their unique goals with a view to creating, protecting and preserving their legal rights.

Jennifer frequently assists those participating in workplace investigations, whether as complainant or subject.  She also conducts workplace investigations which are designed to be reliable, minimally invasive, and alive to the potential for work and culture disruption an investigation presents.

Jennifer is also a trained mediator and offers mediation services in a limited number of employment cases.

Jennifer knows the law and, often even more importantly, she “gets” people. She deploys a range of skills and talents in service of her clients.

Community Involvement and Recognition

Jennifer obtained her LL.B. from the University of Windsor in 2003 where she was the recipient of the John W. Whiteside award for her outstanding contribution to the law school community. She thereafter obtained her LL.M. from the University of Toronto where she focused on Constitutional Law.

Jennifer was a founding member of the Advocate’s Society’s Employment and Labour Law Practice Group, and is a regular speaker in schools and for continuing education programs on matters pertaining to employment and executive employment law.

Jennifer has been recognized by Lexpert in multiple years as a leading employment lawyer to watch both for employee-side employment law and employer-side employment law.

In 2018, Jennifer was the recipient of the University Of Windsor’s highest alumni honour when she was the co-recipient of the Alumni Award of Merit which recognized her for her work on the All Families Are Equal Act and on the #Aftermetoo symposium hosted by the Globe and Mail and focused on sexual harassment and violence in the workplace, as well as for her excellence in private practice.

Jennifer sits on the board of Young Women in Law and teaches the “Law of the Workplace” course to the LL.M students in the University of Toronto’s Law and Leadership program.

Practice Areas
Bar
Ontario 2005
Education
University of Toronto, LL.M.
University of Windsor, LL.B.
University of Western Ontario, B.A.
Professional Memberships
Law Society of Ontario
Ontario Bar Association
The Advocates’ Society
Speaking Engagements
  • Canadian Lawyer’s Women in Law Summit Canada, Taking action – Pushing forward gender parity, diversity, and inclusion in law (February 2023)
  • OBA conference, Litigating an employment file (December 2022)
  • Canadian Lawyer webinar, Mental health and wellness in the workplace (October 2022)
  •  HRPA 30th HR Law Conference, Constructive dismissal (October 2022)
  • Canadian Lawyer Magazine, Mental Health and Wellness in the Workplace (October 2022)
  • Mid-day money with Shilpa Mishra, Winning Strategies for Female Business Owners (March 2022)
  • Ontario Bar Association, eDiscovery conference (November 2021)
  • The Advocates Society, How to mentor – mentoring across difference (May 2021)
  • The Advocates Society, Virtual client management (May 2021)
  • The Advocates Society, Motions advocacy – Evidence on motions (March 2021)
  • Law Society of Ontario, The 12-Minute civil litigator – Contract interpretation in the COVID-19 era (September 2020)
  • University of Toronto, Faculties of Law and Graduate Studies, The law of the workplace (2020, guest lecturer 2021)
  • Law Society of Ontario, The 6-Minute employment lawyer – Executive compensation (June 2018)
  • Farber Executives in Transition Summit, Employment contract negotiations (June 2018)
  • Globe & Mail, #MeToo conference (2018)
Publications

2023 LEXPERT-ranked Lawyer

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