Sean Bawden: Experience. At Work.
An experienced trial lawyer and trusted strategic advisor with respect to matters of employment law and commercial disputes, Sean Bawden is a partner with Kelly Santini LLP, located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Sean has considerable experience advising clients in all aspects of employment law, including wrongful dismissal claims, workplace harassment investigations, and human rights matters. He also regularly counsels clients on the employment implications of mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions.
Sean has successfully represented clients, both individuals and corporations, before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Justice, and the Court of Appeal for Ontario. He has appeared before several administrative boards, including the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), and professional disciplinary boards.
Sean has extensive experience managing litigation before courts and tribunals outside Ontario, including the British Columbia Supreme Court, the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, the Alberta Court of King’s Bench, and the Superior Court of Quebec, as well as U.S. forums such as the United States District Court and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Sean is the publisher of this law blog, which has been cited with approval by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (2021 ONSC 2133). Labour Pains was inducted into the Canadian Law Blog Hall of Fame in 2019, after having previously been named “the best employment law blog in Canada.”
Sean was recognized as an expert witness on matters of Canadian employment law by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents. See Re: Cynthia L. Merlini.
Sean has been recognized by Best Lawyers for Labour & Employment Law since 2025.
Sean is Lexpert Recognized as Consistently Recommended for Employment Law - Employer.
Education
- Called to the Bar of Ontario: 2008.
- LL.B., University of Ottawa.
- B.A.(Hons.), Glendon College, York University.
- High School: O'Neill Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Oshawa, ON.
Contingency Fees
Sean occasionally takes files on a contingency fee basis. The maximum contingency fee is 35% of recovery, plus costs.
Sample Reported Decisions
Sean’s work has led to numerous reported decisions, including:
- Seal It Up v. Irwin, 2023 ONSC 5136 (CanLII)
- 790432 Ontario Inc. v. 12219913 Canada Corp. et al., 2022 ONSC 5002 (CanLII)
- Barresi v. Jones Lang Lasalle Real Estate Services Inc., 2019 ONCA 884 (CanLII)
- Bottiglia v Ottawa Catholic School Board, 2017 ONSC 2517 (CanLII)
- Farah v EODC Inc., 2017 ONSC 3948 (CanLII)
- Barton v Bowerman, 2016 CanLII 30100 (ON SCSM)
- Accreditation Canada International v Guerra, 2016 ONSC 3595 (CanLII)
- Wellman v. The Herjavec Group Inc., 2014 ONSC 2039 (CanLII)
- Pilling v Lowerys Limited, 2014 CanLII 51309 (ON SCSM)
- National Farmers Union - Ontario v. Ontario (Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal), 2013 ONSC 6452 (CanLII)
- 595799 Ontario Limited v. Galpin, 2010 ONCA 834 (CanLII)
