Our Labour & Employment Legal Team

Susan Orenstein Little

The senior partner at Orenstein & Associates/OLS, Susan has been a highly successful management lawyer for over 40 years qualified to practice in both Quebec and Ontario. Over the course of her distinguished career, she has vigilantly and successfully represented businesses, corporations, hospitals, charities & school boards.

An expert in labour and employment law, Susan has helped employers with every type of employment matter. Whether dealing with individual employees, unions, corporate restructuring, CSST, mediation or arbitration, Susan has achieved excellent results throughout her career. She has taken on many challenging cases and set several significant precedents. Susan’s assessments on employment law have even been published in the National Post, one of Canada’s most distinguished newspapers. Her keen strategic mind, years of specialized experience and practical attitude have helped to prevent just as many problems as she has solved.

Susan has served on several arbitration panels. She has helped opposing parties find common ground even when it seemed virtually impossible. She has also served as advisor and mediator in numerous successions disputes.

As an advisor, Susan has served on several corporate and non-profit boards. She has provided legal & strategic advice, as well as advice on financial planning and management. Her integrity is indisputable and her organizational abilities are second to none.

Most recently, Susan has served as a judge in several Moots, and administered grants for charitable foundations.

A partner at OLS Quebec, Jeremy is a leading expert in executive employment matters. He primarily represents executives and managers and has successfully represented hundreds of them in every type of circumstance: constructive dismissals, wrongful dismissals, severance package negotiations, workplace harassment & discrimination in the workplace.

Results-oriented & pragmatic, Jeremy favours strategic negotiations where possible to guarantee results and minimize stress for his clients. However, where successful negotiation is not possible, Jeremy has a wealth of experience pursuing compensation through litigation before a variety of different forums. He has also given conferences related to employment law and been cited in several legal & national publications.

Jeremy always begins with an efficient assessment of a prospective client’s case. He does not like to waste clients’ time or money and is unafraid of telling clients what they need to hear. What matters to Jeremy are successful results and satisfied clients. To that end, he always asks what the client is looking to achieve and he does not generally accept cases where he assesses that clients will pay him more money than they could receive even when the prospective client wants to go ahead anyways. Jeremy is committed to safeguarding his clients’ interests, minimizing their stress and doing his utmost to help them obtain a successful result.

Niall O’Kelley

Niall O’Kelley is an expert in corporate accounts and restructuring businesses. A qualified member of both the Quebec and Ontario bar, he has over 40 years of experience in corporate law, business law & CSST. He specializes in business and employment matters for both corporations and non-profits.

Niall has been a chief advisor on several major mergers and acquisitions throughout his career. He has also drafted and helped negotiate numerous employment agreements for employers, covering everything from non-competition and non-solicitation, to terms of employment and termination of employment.

Niall has served on a number of for-profit and not-for-profit boards of directors. He has also served as Executor/Liquidator and Trustee in several complex Estates.

Niall also specializes in Estates law, and has helped clients with succession planning as well as succession disputes. Over the course of his career, Niall has successfully advised and represented testators, beneficiaries, executors/liquidators/trustees & estates.

Finally,  Niall has also worked with start-ups and small-medium businesses. He’s worked with them on how to manage their legal needs & business operations. His knowledge & years of experience with technology are an asset for everyone. However, it is Niall’s encyclopedic knowledge, years of experience, practicality & dedication that make him one of the best lawyers to have in your corner.

Lisa Little

Lisa is a skilled negotiator and communications consultant. She has served on a number of committees. She is a qualified member of the bar in Ontario. In addition to her JD, she obtained a BA in psychology from McGill and she puts both of these degrees to use in developing communications strategies for OLS.

Michel Bouchard

A consultant for OLS Quebec, Michel Bouchard has over 40 years of litigation experience. He is a qualified member of the Ontario bar & has a civil law degree from McGill University. He has worked on a number of important cases and prides himself on helping his clients achieve results. Michel is highly pragmatic & committed to helping clients achieve the best possible solutions.