Steve Eichler
Steve Eichler
Partner,
Practice Group Leader
Overview
Experience
Professional
Recognition
Community
News + Views + Events

Steve Eichler practices employment and administrative law with a particular focus on occupational health and safety defence and compliance issues and related criminal matters. His criminal, employment and OHS work has resulted in a burgeoning practice of workplace harassment investigations including harassment, bullying and issues of discrimination.

In addition to his trial work, Steve advises businesses and corporations ­both for-profit and non-profit on matters involving governance, registration and admission, ethics and other professional and regulatory law issues. Clients regularly rely on Steve for counsel in the following areas:

  • Employment: Steve provides a broad range of employment law and human resources-related services for companies and non-profits as well as for individual managers and workers, including policy creation and implementation, hiring and termination, drug testing issues and more.

  • Occupational health and safety: Steve assists employers with OHS policies and due diligence preparation when there has been a workplace accident.  His clients include companies, directors and individual managers in oil and gas, manufacturing, construction, forestry and residential and commercial construction. "I regularly help clients who've been charged as well as advise and educate clients about prevention and OHS policies. I also perform audits, review documents and provide training. I pride myself on being able to explain the complexities of OHS law to clients, whether they are in dress shoes or work boots." 

  • Harassment/Bullying Investigations: Steve assists employers with harassment policies and investigations from alleged breaches of them.  He has assisted private companies, non-profit companies and societies. He has conducted dozens of investigations in organizations large and small. Steve is always mindful that a harassment investigation may have great repercussions for an organization and maintains a particular sensitivity in this regard.

  • Administrative: "I work with tribunals and corporate entities on regulatory and administrative law issues, including professional discipline and human rights issues such as race, religion, age and gender."

Steve is one of the few Alberta lawyers to achieve acquittal at trial on behalf of a client on OHS charges. Clients have sought Steve's help with representation before a wide range of adjudicative bodies in Canada, including the Alberta Provincial Court, the Alberta Court of King’s Bench, the Alberta Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Board of Reference, the Alberta Human Rights Commission, the Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. He articled with the Court of Appeal and Court of King’s Bench and practiced criminal and family law in Yellowknife before returning to Calgary to join Field Law. 

Value to Clients

"To me, most legal issues are personal for the client. Even a seemingly pure business dispute has a big personal component. That's one of the reasons I like picking up the phone to speak to opposing counsel on a legal matter; it helps everyone focus on the issues."  

“I also see part of my job involving taking some of the pressure off of my clients. I try to educate them about the law, to de-mystify the process for them and how it affects their business. In this way, I help them to focus on concrete, down-to-earth alternatives."

"I think one of my fortés is my ability to assist clients in the midst of a crisis. I can see past the initial tumult and guide them confidently to resolution. After all, lawyers are supposed to help people, aren’t they?”

Outside the Office

Steve is an active member of Calgary’s arts community, having sat on the Boards of the Calgary Folk Music Festival, One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre and Music Calgary. Steve builds guitars and basses and plays in bands in and around Calgary. 

He has recently made his 100th blood donation and thinks you should donate too if you can. 

Calgary Bar Association
Member
1999-Present
Law Society of Northwest Territories, Admissions Committee
Member
1996-1998, 2010-Present
Canadian Bar Association
Member
1996-Present
Law Society of Alberta
Member
1996-Present
Law Society of Northwest Territories
Member
1996-Present
Field Law Executive Committee
Member
2016-2021
Leading Practitioner: Occupational Health + Safety
Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory
2024
Listed Workers' Compensation Law
The Best Lawyers™ in Canada
2022 - 2024
Employment + Labour: Alberta
Chambers and Partners
2022 - 2024
Listed Labour + Employment Law
The Best Lawyers™ in Canada
2024
Listed Administrative + Public Law
The Best Lawyers™ in Canada
2024
5-Star Safety Lawyer
Canadian Occupational Safety
2022
"Repeatedly Recommended" Occupational Health & Safety
Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory
2018 - 2023
Vitality Award for leadership and tireless efforts in the development and growth of the most significant festival in the city, the Calgary Folk Festival
Calgary Downtown Association
2008
Calgary Jewish Federation
Board of Directors
2021 - 2023
Midwifery Professions N.W.T. Department of Health and Social Services
Complaints Officer
2005 - 2020
Temple B'nai Tikvah
Board of Directors
2013 - 2021
Temple B'nai Tikvah
President
2013 - 2016
Music Calgary
Board of Directors
2009 - 2013
One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre
Board of Directors
2010 - 2013
Mayor's Evening for Business and the Arts
Executive Committee
Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
Member
2008 - 2010
Calgary Artists for Haitian Relief Benefit Concert
Co-Chair
Calgary Folk Music Festival
Chair
2008 - 2009
Calgary Folk Music Festival
Board of Directors
2001 - 2009
2008 Juno Awards, Host City Committee
Member
Brokeback Mountain (movie)
Guitarist
2005 - 2005
Folk on the Rocks Music Festival, Yellowknife
President
1998 - 1999
R. v. Mckay, 2021, Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench
Rollingson Racing Stables Ltd. v. Horse Racing Alberta, , 2021, S.C.C.A. No. 21
Rollingson Racing Stables Ltd v Horse Racing Alberta, 2020 ABCA 419
R. v. Leblanc, 2020, Provincial Court of Alberta
R. v. Kolesnikov, 2020, Provincial Court of Alberta
Rollingson Racing Stables Ltd v Horse Racing Alberta, 2019 ABQB 632
R v Rapicon Inc., 2019 ABPC 98
R. v. Salmon, 2018, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench
Ashraf v. SNC Lavalin ATP Inc., 2015 ABCA 78, Court of Appeal of Alberta
Ashraf v SNC Lavalin ATP Inc., 2014 ABQB 220, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench
R. v. Miller, 2013 ABPC 323, Provincial Court of Alberta
R. v. Carter Industries Ltd., 2011 NWTTC 8, Territorial Court of the Northwest Territories
R. v. Leong, 2011 ABPC 151, Provincial Court of Alberta
Victoria Ann (Lindstedt) Huet v. Roland F. Lynch, et al.
R. v. Kidco Construction Ltd., 2009 ABPC 195, Alberta Provincial Court
V.A.H. v. Lynch, 2009 ABCA 221, Alberta Court of Appeal
V.A.H. v. Lynch, 2008 ABQB 448, Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench
R.v. Andrews, [2006] A.J. No. 220, Alberta Provincial Court, Civil Division
Rankin v. Alberta Curling Federation Appeals Committee, 2005 ABQB 938
R.v. T.D.M., [2004] A.J. No. 9, Alberta Provincial Court, Civil Division
Alberta Racing Corp. v. Resortport Development Corp., 2004 ABCA 139, Alberta Court of Appeal
Greenwood v. Alberta (Appeals Tribunal), [2003] A.J. No. 471, Alberta Court of Queen's Bench
NWT Registered Nurses Association v. MacKenzie Regional Health Services, [1998] 23 CPC (4th) 115 (NWTSC), Northwest Territories Supreme Court
Chuck Corothers Building Materials Ltd. v. Royal North Industries Ltd., [1998] NWTR 114
Look v. Vittrekwa, [1998] N.W.T.J. No. 41, Northwest Territories Supreme Court
R.v. B.H.K., [1998] N.W.T.J. No. 147, Northwest Territories Supreme Court
R.v. Diveky, [1998] N.W.T.J No. 31, Northwest Territories Supreme Court
R.v. Camsell, [1998] N.W.T.J. No. 112, Northwest Territories Supreme Court
Delorme v. Speirs, [1997] N.W.T.J. No.25, Northwest Territories Supreme Court
R.v. Pound, [1997] N.W.T.J. No. 145, Northwest Territories Supreme Court
February 2024
2023 - A Year in Review: Labour + Employment (Part 1)
Seminars + Webinar
Join members of our Labour + Employment Group for our annual Year in Review, which focuses on legal updates for management and employee groups.Part 1 of this series covered Labour and Occupational Health + Safety. To view Part 2, which c...
November 2023 - 12 min read
Navigating OHS Compliance Post-Sudbury
Workwise Newsletter
After a wait of about a year, Canada’s highest court has finally issued its ruling in a case that had OHS afficionados—and what reader of Field Law’s OHS communiques is not?— on the edge of their seats.  In what promised to...
October 26, 2023
Bow Valley Business Series: Employment 101
Lunch + Learn
As a business in the Bow Valley region, you’re no stranger to the challenges and opportunities our unique business landscape presents. Join us for a series of complimentary lunch and learns designed to help you navigate these challenges effect...
March 2023
Changes to Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Code come into effect March 31, 2023
Law Camera Action: Field Law Talks Law
What changes to Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Code should you be aware of?Changes to Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Code come into effect March 31, 2023. Employers need to be mindful of how these changes affect their or...
March 2023 - 4 min read
Changes to Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Code
Workwise Newsletter
Changes to Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Code come into effect March 31, 2023. Employers need to be mindful of how these changes affect their organization and assess whether practices need to be changed or implemented ...
January + February 2023
2022 - A Year in Review: Labour + Employment (Part 1)
Seminar + Webinar
Join members of our Labour + Employment Group for our annual Year in Review, which focuses on legal updates for management and employee groups.Part 1 of this series will cover Labour, Occupational Health + Safety and Immigration. To view the ...
November 2022
Right to Disconnect
Law Camera Action: Field Law Talks Law
What does the "right to disconnect" mean, and how does this affect Alberta employers? Alberta employers with workers in Ontario should be aware of these policy requirements and consider how to address these changes if they come to Albert...
July 2022
Canadian Occupational Safety
Named 2022 5-Star Safety Lawyer
January 25, 2022
2021 - A Year in Review: Labour + Employment (Part 1)
Webinar
Join members of our Labour + Employment Group for our annual Year in Review, which focuses on legal updates for management and employee groups.Part 1 of this series covered Labour and Occupational Health + Safety. To view the recording for Part 2,...
November 10, 2021
4 Key Questions About New OHS Rules in Alberta
Canadian HR Reporter
For employers operating in Alberta, Dec. 1 will bring a brand new occupational health and safety regime, as the province enforces its new OHS act.Canadian HR Reporter recently spoke with Steve Eichler, partner at Field Law in Calgary, about w...
October 2021 - 4 min read
Just in Time for the Holidays! The New and Improved OHS Act Takes Effect on December 1, 2021
Avid Field e-blast readers will recall our reporting that on December 9, 2020, the Government of Alberta passed Bill 47, the Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act, 2020, which amended various work-related statutes, including Alberta’s&nbs...
August 2021 - 4 min read
Returning to the Office: Your COVID-19 Questions Answered
Canadian Lawyer
June 2021
CERB’ing Your Enthusiasm: Court Deducts COVID Wage Replacement Amounts From Notice Period
Despite the breadth and depth of the effects of the pandemic, we have not seen many reported court decisions considering the impact of federal emergency pandemic payments on termination pay. In fact, to date, only two reported decisions appear to have ...
May 19, 2021
Coffee + Counsel: Employers, Are You Ready for the COVID-19 Vaccine?
Q+A Session
Join us for another edition of Coffee + Counsel, a complimentary series that brings you together with a few of our lawyers for an unscripted chat about legal issues pertinent to organizations in Alberta. Your questions guide the discussion, and we prov...
May 6, 2021
Leading Through COVID-19 and Beyond Created for Alberta Business Owners, Managers
Mount Royal University
February 24 + March 10
2020 - A Year in Review Webinar Series
Did you miss the Field Law Labour + Employment Group's annual Year in Review? The recordings are now available! Is employer-friendly OHS legislation coming to a worksite near you? What are the impacts of COVID-19 on employment legislation a...
July 23, 2020
Coffee + Counsel: Mitigating Risk as Employees Return to Work
Q+A Session
Field Law presents a new series that brings together you and a few of our lawyers for an unscripted chat about legal issues. Your questions guide the discussion, and we provide our legal perspectives. As businesses open up again, and employees retur...
May 2020 - 2 min read
Employees are Afraid to Return to Work. Now What?
On May 13, 2020 we hosted a webinar about pandemic-related work refusals as Alberta and other governments enable businesses and other organizations to reopen and call employees back to work. The most frequently asked question was: What do I do with an ...
May 13, 2020
We said “Back to work!” They said “We refuse!” Now what?
Webinar
The Alberta government announced its "safely staged COVID-19 relaunch" and you’re thinking it’s time to call your laid-off or working-from-home crews back to work. Or you’re carrying on providing essential services and the &...
Winter 2020
2019 - A Year in Review Seminar Series
Seminars
Join the Field Law Labour + Employment Group for our annual seminars featuring legal updates and practical challenges for management and employee groups.Part 1 has been approved for 1.75 CPD hours and Part 2 has been approved for 2.25 CPD hou...
December 2019
2019 Field Law Post-Secondary Summit Recap
The fourth annual Field Law Post-Secondary Summit was held on November 28 in Calgary and was co-chaired by Frank Molnar, KC and Greg Harding, KC. Brief summaries of the presentations given at the Summit are provided below. Innovative Governance During...
November 20, 2019
Edible Cannabis in the Workplace
Seminars
It has been over a year since Canada legalized cannabis.  Although individuals could make cannabis food and drink for personal use under the legislation, such products were initially not able to be produced or sold commercially.  As of Octobe...
June 2019
Changing the Health and Safety Culture
Business in Calgary
February 2019
Squaring the Circle or Levelling the Playing Field? Alberta’s New OHS Regime
Seminars
CPHR Alberta
On June 1, 2018 the Alberta Legislature changed occupational health and safety law history. The legislative changes to the Act, Regulations and Code changed the legal landscape in material ways, some of which are in tension with other legisla...
Winter 2019
2018 A Year in Review Seminar Series
Seminars
The Field Law Labour and Employment Group presents the annual Year in Review seminars in Calgary and Edmonton. Join us for legal updates and practical challenges for management and employee groups in the areas of:  Part 1: Human Rights ...
Education
University of Calgary, 1995, Bachelor of Laws
Carleton University, 1990, Bachelor of Arts With Honours
St. John Ambulance Emergency First Aid, Level C Training, CPR & AED
St. John Ambulance Emergency First Aid, Level A Training
Admissions
Alberta,1996
Northwest Territories,1996
Languages
French
Hebrew