Eric Ito

Contact

(236) 317-4152
eric@cooperwilliamslaw.com

Qualifications

  • Bar of British Columbia, 2015
  • JD, University of Toronto, 2014
  • Transnational Legal Studies Certificate, Georgetown University, 2013
  • Member, Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers, 2017 to Present
  • Member, Employment Law Section, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch, 2016 – Present
  • Member, The Advocates’ Club, 2018 to Present
  • Executive, Animal Law Section, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch, 2018 – Present
  • Volunteer, Access Pro Bono
  • Ranked, Best Lawyers, Ones to Watch in Canada 2024

Representative Cases

Negotiated
  • Collective bargaining agreement with large Canadian union on behalf of BC employer
  • Severance package for surgeons following clinic acquisition
  • Resolution of labour grievance concerning accommodation of employees
  • Settlement of civil action on behalf of defendant company for breach of contract
Defended
  • Wrongful dismissal action on behalf of manufacturing firm following termination for sexual harassment
  • Policy grievance arbitration regarding monetary entitlements arising under expired collective agreements
  • Former senior level employee against injunction to restrain employment with competitor
  • Human rights complaint on behalf of multinational video game company
  • Unfair labour practices complaint and certification application at Labour Relations Board
  • Grievance arbitration regarding testing of fitness for duty in safety sensitive position
Pursued
  • Interlocutory injunctions on behalf of brokerage firm to enforce contractual and fiduciary prohibitions on competition and confidential information
  • Action against former President and CEO for civil fraud and breach of fiduciary duties
  • Wrongful dismissal action on behalf of ex-CFO
  • Civil action and affirmation at BC Court of Appeal on behalf of travel agency for breach of contract
  • Union decertification application on behalf of construction company
  • Appeal to WorkSafeBC to overturn denial of workers’ compensation claim on behalf of injured worker
  • Appeal to Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal on behalf of Canadian employer in respect of workplace fatality
Advised
  • Financial services company in respect of employee accommodation, workplace safety, and temporary layoffs in response to outbreak of COVID-19
  • Multinational software company in large-scale reduction of workforce following windup of business
  • Large technology company in accommodating employees in multiple jurisdictions
  • High tech startup in structuring employment contracts, policies, and benefits
  • BC manufacturer in investigation of employee theft and addiction accommodation
  • Large corporation in development of drug and alcohol testing policy

Recent Presentations

  • Member, Advisory Committee, BC Labour Arbitration Conference, Lancaster House, December 2021
  • “One Year In: Long-Term Lessons from the Pandemic”, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium, March 2021
  • Panel Speaker, BC Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference, Lancaster House, December 2020
  • “Back to the Future: Matthews v. Ocean Nutrition Canada“, World of Work Webinar Series, November 2020
  • “A Changing Regulatory Environment and Planning Forward”, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium, September 2020
  • “Navigating COVID-19 in Compliance with Labour, Occupational Health and Safety, and Human Rights Legislation”, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium, April 2020
  • Program Instructor, “Procedural Fairness in Administrative Law”, Employment and Social Development Canada (Labour Program), Government of Canada, April 2018

Publications

  • Panel and Workshop Speaker, Vancouver Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference, Lancaster House, November 2023
  • “Legal Updates Every Manufacturer Should Know: What Happened in 2022 and How it Affects Employers”, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium, January 2023
  • Speaker, Vancouver Labour Arbitration and Policy Conference, Lancaster House, December 2022
  • “How to Manage Legal Risk and Strategies for Cost Effective Downsizing”, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium, August 2022
  • “Litigation Proof and Libel Free Layoffs”, Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of BC & Yukon, July 2022
  • Speaker, Vancouver Human Rights and Accommodation Conference, Lancaster House, March 2022
  • “Update to Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) Eligibility”, Lexology, April 2020
  • “Independent Contractors Take Another Step Closer to Employees”, Lexology, July 2018
  • “Cannabis in the Workplace: What to Expect and What not to Expect from WorkSafeBC”, Lexology, March 2018
  • “Oral Contracts, Fixed Term Contracts, and a Winter in Mexico: Key Lessons for Employers”, Lexology, June 2016
  • “The Right to be Wrong: Supreme Court of Canada Lowers Causation Bar on Occupational Disease and Injury”, Lexology, July 2016