John Hyde of Hyde HR Law has been named Lawyer of the Year in the 2025 HR Law Canada Awards, which recognize excellence in workplace law across the country.
The awards program, launched this year by HR Law Canada and North Wall Media, celebrates professionals who have made significant contributions to employment law practice, workplace investigations and human rights in Canadian workplaces.
“The response wasn’t just encouraging – it was overwhelming,” said Todd Humber, publisher and editor in chief of HR Law Canada. “It confirmed what we’ve long known: Canada’s HR legal community is filled with brilliant minds, dedicated professionals, and genuine innovators who rarely stop to acknowledge their own significant contributions.”
Hyde, one of only 17 lawyers certified as a specialist in labour law by the Law Society of Ontario, brings three decades of experience informed by his background in operations and human resources management.
See the full list of winners here: https://hrlawcanada.com/2025-HR-Law-Canada-Award-Winners/
Sarah Crossley received the Workplace Investigator of the Year award for her strategic approach to resolving high-stakes workplace conflicts. Crossley has handled some of Canada’s most high-profile workplace investigations, including leading an independent review into the appointment of Birju Dattani as chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
The awards also recognized five lawyers under 40 who are making their mark in the field: Laura Freitag, Dasha Peregoudova, Alex Kagan, Nathaniel Marshall and Steven Lewis.
Two industry veterans, David Doorey and Lorenzo Lisi, were inducted into the program’s Hall of Fame.
Award winners
The 2025 HR Law Canada Awards recipients include:
- Lawyer of the Year: John Hyde (Hyde HR Law)
- Silver Winners: Chris Drinovz (KSW Lawyers); and Nicole Singh (Fasken)
- Workplace Investigator of the Year: Sarah Crossley (Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP)
- Silver Winner: Bob Stenhouse (Veritas Solutions)
- Top 5 Lawyers Under 40:
- Employment Law Case of the Year: Timmins v. Artisan Cells (Whitten & Lublin)
- Hall of Fame Inductees:
- Top Labour & Employment Law Firms:
Winners were selected through a nomination and evaluation process that assessed contributions to workplace law practice, client service, innovative approaches and impact on the profession.
Complete profiles of all winners are available in a special digital edition of HR Law Canada. The digital edition is sponsored by our friends at Marshall Workplace Law.
Press release
See the original press release announcing the winners here.
