Meet The Team
Leanne M Walsh *
Lawyer, Mediator, Workplace Investigator
Year of Call
British Columbia, 2000
Education & Training
1999 - Bachelor of Laws
University of British Columbia
1995 Bachelor of Arts
University of British Columbia
Sociology Major, First Class Standing
Harvard Mediation Intensive, Harvard Law School- Program on Negotiation
Mediation and Conflict Management Training – Legal Education Society of BC – 80 hours Mediation skills training
Certificate in Workplace Investigations (AWI-CH) – Association of Workplace Investigators
Memberships & Appointments
Government of Canada’s National Roster of Workplace Harassment & Violence Investigators
Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner as an Independent Investigator
Canadian Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR)
Canadian Bar Association (CBA) - BC Branch
Association of Workplace Investigators Member (AWI)
Contributions
Past mentor for the Melville School of Business, CPHR, UBC Law among others.
She Connects: Supporter and advisor to new non-profit mentorship startup for girls
Regular presenter on employment law topics
Leanne M Walsh*
Lawyer, Mediator, Workplace Investigator
Leanne founded West Coast Workplace Law in 2019 with the goal of creating an employment law firm that is approachable and accessible and remains true to its core value of building better workplaces. She has worked with employers, employees, professionals and unions. Leanne is a member of the Law Society of BC, holds a Workplace Investigator Certificate (AWI-CH) and has a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation. She is also a trained Mediator.
Leanne has extensive experience working closely with human resources departments and guiding leaders through all aspects of the employment relationship. She also regularly provides advice and support to professionals and employees on a broad range of workplace issues.
In addition, Leanne regularly acts as a neutral in two different capacities – as mediator and workplace investigator. Leanne mediates a wide range of disputes including employment law, human rights, interpersonal and organizational issues. As an experienced workplace investigator, Leanne has conducted workplace investigations in a variety of workplaces and sectors, including unionized and non-unionized workplaces, the Federally regulated sector, as well as not-for-profit and private sector businesses.
Leanne is on the Government of Canada’s National Roster of Workplace Harassment and Violence Investigators and was appointed by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) as an independent Investigator and Assessor member of their Investigation Unit and Sport Environment Assessment Unit. She is former Chair of CBA’s Alternative Dispute Resolution section and is the founder and past co-chair of their Workplace Investigation’s section. She is also an AWI member.
Leanne conducts seminars and in-house training on various topics including harassment and discrimination, team-building and leadership.
She believes in the important role of both the formal and informal mentorship in building strong communities.
*practicing through a law corporation
Brooke Finkelstein
Associate Lawyer
Brooke is an employment lawyer, workplace investigator & trainer, joining West Coast Workplace Law following her articles and work with a large international law firm. Brooke’s passion for advocacy, highly collaborative approach and commitment to clients has made her an important part of the team.
Brooke earned her law degree from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, where she focused on both leadership and service, including taking on roles as president of Dalhousie Law Hour, as Academic Peer Mentor, and as the Gender Representative on the Law Students’ Society Board of Directors.
Brooke believes the workplace should be a positive, productive place to grow and enjoys assisting clients in building better workplaces. She excels at providing legal advice and support to employees, employers and professionals on a full range of workplace law matters, including terminations and discipline, managing the workplace, human rights, as well as interpretation and review of employment agreements and drafting of workplace policies. She has represented clients during mediations and has facilitated early resolution of workplace issues. Brooke also assists clients with workplace investigations and is committed to a thorough and impartial investigation process.
Brooke believes workplace training is essential to a well-functioning workplace and enjoys creating tailored training for groups on topics such as respectful workplace. Brooke also writes on current employment law issues and case law trends.
Brooke is a member of the Law Society of BC and a member of the CBA Employment Law, Human Rights Law, and Workplace Investigations sections. Brooke is an active member of the community in which she lives, including serving as a summer legal intern at Rise Women’s Legal Centre.
Brooke Finkelstein
Associate Lawyer
Year of Call
British Columbia, 2023
Education & Training
JD, Dalhousie University 2022
Trauma-Informed Practice Foundations Course Certificate – Justice Institute of BC
Workplace Investigations coursework, Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI)
Memberships & Appointments
Canadian Bar Association (CBA) - BC Branch - Workplace Investigation, Employment Law, Human Rights Sections Member
Law Society of BC
Association of Workplace Investigators Member (AWI)
Contributions
Contributor to HR Reporter publication
Joanna Zajaczkowski
Legal Assistant & Operations
As a legal assistant with West Coast Workplace Law, Joanna is committed to excellence in everything she does. Her intelligence, positive outlook and exceptional commitment to client care has made her an invaluable part of the team.
Overseeing law firm operations is a core focus for Joanna. Her talent for creative solution finding and her dedication to making ongoing improvements has ensured the firm’s continued growth and success.
Joanna completed her Bachelor of Arts at SFU and joined West Coast Workplace Law following work in tech and client-facing roles with provincial and international companies. As a former national level rhythmic gymnast, Joanna has supported the continued and positive growth of the sport in BC through her volunteer efforts. She is fluent in French, Greek and Polish.
What Our Clients Say
I've used Leanne Walsh's services for reviewing a number of different workplace contracts. Each time she's been helpful, compassionate, and has made the whole process clear and easy to understand. I highly recommend West Coast Workplace Law.
Lisa Voisin
Had a great experience with Leanne helping me with my contractor contract. She was able to cover my needs and provide insight to things I did not know. Best of all she was able to turn around in a quickly. Highly recommend!
Ryan Maizis
Absolutely fantastic service from our lawyer, Leanne Walsh at West Coast Workplace Law! We had a number of what seemed like impossible workplace issues to deal with. Her super helpful advice and guidance made solving them really feel like an easy matter. She is so positive and really worked on things for our company. Totally recommended!
J J
Leanne is an absolutely fantastic lawyer and goes above and beyond for her clients. Highly recommend!
Liam Sarsfield
I’ve dealt with Leanne on many issues over the years and found her to be an excellent listener and always gave thoughtful advice in difficult situations. Highly recommend her services.
Andrea Pyle
Leanne has helped us resolve a number of complex employee issues by providing such services as workplace investigations, mediations, and collaborative team building. Throughout the investigative process, Leanne has demonstrated herself to be thorough, detailed and systematic as she works her way through a complaint... Leanne has earned the trust of our employees that she has worked with, by maintaining a neutral and non-judgmental presence, and by maintaining confidentiality. She has been fair and ensured all interviewed were heard. At the conclusion of an investigative process, Leanne provides a comprehensive report with her findings, the evidence considered, and recommended action plans to be taken... Leanne is very responsive and communicative throughout the process, and makes herself available to employees to answer their questions and to ease any anxiety about the processes. I would definitely recommend Leanne’s services to any organization needing workplace investigation, mediation, and restoration services.
Municipality Client
Shared great insight in how we manage our workplace to retain talent. Very positive energy and knowledgeable!
Alfred Wong
