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Ruth Trask

Partner

Suite 1100, Cabot Place
100 New Gower St.
St. John’s, N.L.
A1C 6K3

+1.709.570.8893

+1.709.722.4565

rtrask@stewartmckelvey.com

Language(s) spoken: English

Bar Admission(s): Newfoundland and Labrador, 2010

Legal Assistant(s): Lisa Hearn

Every client faces its own unique circumstances. Ruth works with her clients to understand their perspective, and tailors her advice to be responsive to their needs. Clients need to understand how the law impacts them and their operations from all angles, and Ruth aims to give real-world guidance to help each client make the choices that are right for them.

Some examples of Ruth’s regular work includes:

  • Conducting hearings and appeals before administrative tribunals, labour arbitrators, and at all levels of Court in the province;
  • Structuring successful hires and terminations, and defending against employment claims;
  • Advising statutory and regulatory bodies on administrative law, including procedural fairness;
  • Navigating the employment relationship, including discrimination and accommodation, union-management relations, and workers’ compensation;
  • Advising vendors and purchasers on employment matters that arise in corporate transactions.

Representative matters:

  • Successful on appeal from a summary trial decision dismissing a claim of fraudulent misrepresentation against a health authority (Hennessey v Eastern Regional Integrated Health Authority, 2022 NLCA 45);
  • Secured a declaration that a Notice of Distraint is null and void, and ineffective against client’s goods (MMH Prestige Homes v Humber Valley Paving, 2022 NLSC 82);
  • Successfully argued a termination grievance involving accommodation of opioid addiction (Unifor, Local 64 v Corner Brook Pulp and Paper (Dennis Grievance), 2022 CanLII 40803);
  • Resisted a Canada Labour Code judicial review proceeding on jurisdictional grounds (Exploits Valley Air Services v Unifor, Local 2002, 2022 NLSC 4);
  • Acting as counsel to the Regional Health Authorities in Newfoundland and Labrador in response to one of the largest cybersecurity incidents in Canadian history;
  • Struck out a claim in its entirety for want of prosecution (Fennelly v Lloyd’s Underwriters et al, 2021 NLSC 160);
  • Resisted a union grievance on layoff and recall practices (IAMAW, Westside Lodge 544 v Fairway Honda, 2021 CanLII 109711);
  • Prosecuting professional disciplinary proceedings (recent matters include College of Physicians and Surgeons of NL v Maritz, 2021 NLCPS 2; Drover v College of Physicians and Surgeons of NL, 2019 NLCPS 2);
  • Successful defence of a professional regulator in a statutory appeal (Quinlan v College of Physicians and Surgeons of NL, 2019 NLSC 27);
  • Defended a statutory appeal after a successful disciplinary finding against a physician (Mirolo v College of Physicians and Surgeons of NL, 2021 NLSC 12 and 2019 NLCPS 1);
  • Successfully defended a security interest against a subsequent creditor before the Court of Appeal (Coleman Management Services Limited v MMH Prestige Homes, 2019 NLCA 45);
  • Represented a regulatory body in respect of an application seeking mandamus (Sequence Bioinformatics v Health Research Ethics Authority for NL, 2018 NLSC 129);
  • Successful at summary trial and before the Court of Appeal in defending a challenge to standard engineering retainer agreement language (Community Mental Health Initiative v Summit Lounge Ltd. et al, 2014 NLTD(G) 130 and 2018 NLCA 42)

Education & Career

Education

University of Western Ontario, JD (distinction), 2009
Memorial University of Newfoundland, BMus (honours), 2006

Activities

Member, Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers (CACE)
Member, Canadian Bar Association

Accolades

Best Lawyers: Labour and Employment Law, 2023 – 2024

 
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