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Stéphane Fillion Associé/Partner Montréal

Stéphane Fillion

Partner Fasken
The “typical” work week keeps evolving and now tends to vary, raising several questions as to the activities employees are actually performing.
Jurisdiction Québec, 1997
Language(s) French, English
Office(s) Montréal
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Overview

Stéphane Fillion is a partner in the Labour, Employment and Human Rights Group. He practises in every area related to labour and employment law, be it collective or individual contracts of employment, human rights, labour standards, occupational health and safety, issues related to Pay Equity, the Charter of the French Language or other aspects.

Stéphane is praised for his extensive experience and reputation in the area. Stéphane is professional, extremely versatile and adapts to situations rapidly, always providing practical advice and strategies to allow clients to achieve their goals and objectives. Clients value his candour, and the respect that he transcends to business – not imposing, but rather providing guidance and ensuring his clients bests interests at all times.

When litigation is required, Stephane fiercely represents his clients before arbitrators, the Quebec Administrative Labour Tribunal, the Human Rights Tribunal of Quebec, the Superior Court, the Court of Appeal and more recently, the Supreme Court of Canada. Stéphane also has extensive experience with issues regarding pension and benefits.

Since the beginning of his practice, Stéphane has been representing several employers in the pharmaceutical sector, including medical devices.  As such, he has an in-depth knowledge of the special issues that comes into play with employers who must not only comply with Labour and Employment legislation but also, the requirements imposed by Health Authorities such as Health Canada and the Food and Drug Administration.

In addition to providing his clients with high quality day-to-day legal advice, Stéphane frequently delivers personalized training to clients on subjects such as managing disciplinary files, performance, absenteeism, psychological harassment, violence in the workplace, drug and alcohol in the workplace and many other topics.

Finally, Stéphane has been volunteering since 2016 as a director and officer of The Générations, a non-profit umbrella organization for the Tel-jeunes and LigneParents services.  Générations’ work pivots around a broad mission: creating and offering high-quality social intervention and animation, accessible to all children, young people and parents in Quebec.

Achievements

  • Recognized in Employment Law , Lexpert 500 Cross Border Directory (formerly ALM 500) 2024 to 2026
  • Recognized as a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (formerly known as Acritas Star™ lawyer), Thomson Reuters stand-out lawyers 2023 to 2026
  • Recognized nationwide as a Leading Individual in Labour and Employment Law , The Legal 500 Canada 2022 to 2026
  • Recognized in Labour and Employment Law in Montreal, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2017 to 2026
  • Recognized nationwide as top tier (Band 1) in Employment & Labour Law, Chambers Canada 2024 to 2026
  • Recognized in Employee Benefits Law in Montreal, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2024 to 2026
  • Recognized as top tier (Band 1) in Employment and Labour in Québec, Chambers Canada 2018 to 2025
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as Most Frequently Recommended in Labour Relations, Employment Law and Workplace Human Rights, Lexpert 2014 to 2025
  • Recognized as Recommended in Labour, Employment & Benefits , Lexology Index 2024 to 2025
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Workplace Human Rights, Lexpert 2024

Experience

  • Supreme Court of Canada renders a significant decision interpreting subsection of the Canada Labour Code, [Case - FETCO Inc., Maritime Employers Association, Halifax Employers Association, British Columbia Maritime Employers Association and Rogers Communications Inc.], On December 20, 2019, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered a significant decision interpreting the scope of federally regulated employers’ health and safety inspection obligations under the Canada Labour Code. The Supreme Court overturned the Federal Court of Appeal’s decision in Canada Post v. C...
  • Barry Callebaut renews a 6-year collective agreement for its employees, [Case - Barry Callebaut], During negotiations for the renewal of the collective agreement, Barry Callebaut faced several days of strike action at his Saint-Hyacinthe plant. This plant, which is the largest chocolate factory in the Americas and the second largest in the world, produces more than 190,000 tonnes of chocolate...
  • Moryoussef v. Université du Québec à Montréal, [Case - Confidential Client], The student was convened to respond to allegations of cheating. Before appearing before the committee responsible for deciding whether the allegations were founded, the student instituted injunction proceedings seeking a declaratory judgment and an injunction suspending the disciplinary process....
  • Triumphant milestone: Legal victory secures Carleton University's historic pension plan case, [Case - Carleton University], Landmark win for Carleton University in a pivotal private pension plan case, marking a significant legal milestone.
  • Université du Québec à Montréal c. SÉTUE, [Case - Confidential Client], This mandate arose out of a labour conflict between UQAM and SÉTUE during which SÉTUE launched an unlimited general strike during the end-of-semester examination period. From the first day of the strike there were several incidents on campus that paralyzed UQAM, which has approximately 40,000 stu...
  • Justine Boulanger c. Université du Québec à Montréal (judicial review), [Case - Confidential Client], The UQAM Executive Committee expelled a student for one year. The student was a sitting member of the Executive Committee and her suspension meant that she could no longer sit on the UQAM Board of Governors and Executive Committee. The student applied for judicial review of the Executive Committe...
  • F.D.L. Compagnie's multi-residential portfolio sold to CAPREIT for US$490 million, [Deal - F.D.L. Compagnie Ltée], Fasken Martineau advised F.D.L. Compagnie Ltée and its affiliates in the marketing and sale to CAPREIT Limited Partnership, for the price of $490 million, of a portfolio of multi-residential and commercial buildings comprising more than 51 properties and over 3,600 residential units, concentrated...
  • Settlement of labour conflict at Aluminerie de Bécancour ( ABI ) – Alcoa and Rio Tinto, [Case - Alcoa and Rio Tinto], We acted on behalf of Alcoa and Rio Tinto on several related mandates: Fasken acted as spokesperson for Aluminerie de Bécancour (Alcoa and Rio Tinto) for the renewal of the collective agreement in the longest and most prominent labour conflict in Quebec in 2018 and 2019 (an 18-month lock-out...

Career & Education

Education

  • LLB University of Sherbrooke

Events

  • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) – What you need to know, 2/24/2025
  • Artificial intelligence, Human Resources and Other Legal Issues, 2/27/2024
  • 2023 Federal Sector Update, 11/21/2023
  • Workplace accommodation: Where do we draw the line?, 6/14/2023
  • Federal Sector Update, 11/15/2022
  • The Aftermath of the Caron Decision and Violence Outside the Workplace: Where Are We in 2022?, 6/15/2022
  • 2021, The Year in Review: Federal Sector, 11/2/2021
  • 2021, The Year in Review, 11/2/2021
  • Workplace Defamation: Employer Rights, Obligations and Remedies, 6/9/2021
  • Managing Employees in a Post-COVID-19 Environment, 3/5/2021

News

  • Fasken Attends IBA 2022 in Miami, 7/21/2022
  • Stéphane Fillion elected to the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, 7/15/2020
  • Fasken Wins Labour and Employment Law Firm of the Year in the 2019 Best Lawyers in Canada Guide, 8/21/2018
  • The 2018 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory recognizes 200 Fasken lawyers, 4/12/2018
  • Fasken Martineau Wins Mining Law Firm of the Year in the 2018 edition of Best Lawyers in Canada Guide, 8/22/2017
  • Solid results from The Best Lawyers in Canada 2017 as Fasken Martineau increases its “Lawyers of the Year”, 8/10/2016
  • 2015 Lexpert directory recommends 158 Fasken Martineau Lawyers, 6/25/2015
  • Fasken Martineau’s ranked lawyers jumped by 16% - 140 lawyers listed in the 2014 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 6/25/2014
  • Journal du Barreau announces the arrival of Carl Bélanger, Robert Dupont, Stéphane Fillion, Rhéaume Perreault, Simon Laberge, Kadiatou Sow, Alexis Charpentier, Alexandra Meunier and Valérie Gareau-Dalpé at the firm, 4/1/2014
  • Les Affaires.com announces the arrival of 30 lawyers at the firm, 3/31/2014

Publications

  • Freedom of Association and the Right to Organize in Canada – Have we gone too far?, 5/6/2021
  • Industrial Relations Law Across the World - Current legal frameworks and trends, Chapter concerning Canada, 9/1/2019
  • Les frontières entre la vie privée et la vie professionnelle, 9/1/2013
Article, Author Industrial Relations Law Across the World - Current legal frameworks and trends, Chapter concerning Canada Wolters Kluwer Editions
Article, Co-Author Les frontières entre la vie privée et la vie professionnelle Les Cahiers de droit, Volume 54, Numéro 2–3–Juin–Septembre 2013, p. 255–275.

Speaking Engagements

  • Changes to Trade Regimes between the US, Canada and Mexico under the Second Trump Administration and Impacts on Labor and Employment across North America, 11/14/2025
  • Officers & Directors Liability for human rights violations of corporations, 11/5/2025
  • Freedom of Association and the Right to Organize in Canada – Have we gone too far?, 5/4/2021
  • Time Theft Webinar, 11/6/2019
  • Managing excessive absenteeism: a realistic challenge?, 10/10/2018
  • The Legalization of Marijuana - Legal Issues to Consider (Légalisation de la marijuana: les enjeux juridiques à considérer), 6/16/2017
  • Social Media in a University Setting, 2/19/2016
Speaker Changes to Trade Regimes between the US, Canada and Mexico under the Second Trump Administration and Impacts on Labor and Employment across North America American Bar 19th Annual Labor and Employment Conference location location Denver, CO, USA
Speaker Officers & Directors Liability for human rights violations of corporations International Bar Association Annual Conference Toronto 2025 location location Toronto, Canada
Speaker Freedom of Association and the Right to Organize in Canada – Have we gone too far? American Bar Association Section of Labor & Employment Law, International Labor and Employment Law Committee, Midyear Meeting