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.