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 Board of the Calgary Folk Music Festival for many years. In addition, he was vice-chair of the One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre and a director of Music Calgary. He was on the Host City Committee for the JUNO Awards, the nation's annual week-long celebration of Canadian music and artists. Steve also builds his own musical instruments and plays in several bands in and around Calgary. 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 Listed Workers' Compensation Law The Best Lawyers™ in Canada 2022 - 2023 5-Star Safety Lawyer Canadian Occupational Safety 2022 Employment + Labour (Alberta) Chambers and Partners 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 419R. 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 632R. 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 938R.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 114Look 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 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... November 4, 2021 Canadian Lawyer: Employment Law Masterclass West Conferences Panelist Employers have a duty to accommodate employee needs when they stem from one or more prohibited grounds of discrimination, particularly in the area of human rights and mental health. These types of concerns should be handled carefully and empathetically... 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, QC and Greg Harding, QC. 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
... October 24 + 30, 2018 Effective Responses to Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Complaints Workshop Seminars An increasing number of organizations are being rocked by allegations of harassment and sexual misconduct by their employees. Often these allegations are broadcast on social media, catching organizations flat-footed and unprepared.
Join Field Law... May 23, 2018 The New Alberta OHS Act: More Roles, More Obligations + Many More Pitfalls Workshop Join Field Law for a comprehensive half-day workshop that will prepare you for the upcoming changes to the OHS Act.
On June 1, serious changes are coming to Alberta’s occupational health and safety law. Already an onerous regulatory regi... November 2017 Bill 30 Overhauls Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act On November 27, 2017 the Alberta Government introduced Bill 30 – An Act to Protect the Health and Well-Being of Working Albertans. Bill 30 proposes updates to Alberta’s Workers Compensation Act while offering a complete replacement of the c... September 2017 Without Prejudice: An Invisibility Cloak for a Mature World Workwise Newsletter Almost immediately following the unfortunate reality of a termination of employment, another unfortunate reality almost always arrives: a “without prejudice” demand letter. Indeed, that demand letter is perhaps the second “without pre... July 2017 Alberta’s Highest Court Clarifies OHS Law: Privilege Must Be Proven Labour and Employment Alert With its decision this week in Alberta v. Suncor Energy Inc, 2017 ABCA 221, the Alberta Court of Appeal has considered and clarified the application of solicitor-client privilege and litigation privilege to incidents under Alberta’s Occupational ... July 2015 When is an Employee’s Disability a Factor in his Dismissal? On June 30, 2015, the Court of Appeal of Alberta released its decision in Stewart v Elk Valley Coal Corporation, 2015 ABCA 225 (“Stewart”) and clarifying what constitutes discrimination. In Stewart, the employer terminat... 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 |
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