Peter Hrastovec
Peter Hrastovec was born in Windsor, Ontario. He and his wife Denise have three children.
A graduate of Assumption College School, Peter attended the University of Windsor, completing an Honours B.A. (1979) and an LL.B (1982).
Throughout most of his career, Peter has focused his practice on employment & labour law and commercial litigation. His experience includes a wide ranging variety of matters – arbitration and litigation files on behalf of local school boards, municipalities and professional associations. In commercial litigation matters, Peter has counselled clients in construction liens, trust claims, property disputes, business dissolutions and sundry litigation, including personal claims and insurance litigation. His employment law work includes consulting and litigating in a wide variety of workplace matters including wrongful dismissal, constructive dismissal, and harassment issues, with a view to quick and timely conflict resolution. He also focuses on preventative maintenance of workplaces for the avoidance of conflict.
Peter has appeared before various trial courts, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Federal Court of Canada, the Ontario Divisional Court, the Ontario Provincial Court and a wide range of administrative boards that include the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Canada Labour Board, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, the Workers' Safety Insurance Board, the Unemployment Insurance Commission, and the Canada Pensions Appeal Board. He has appeared before numerous arbitrators and has worked with many mediators and conciliators.
A first-generation Canadian, Peter is fluent in both English and Croatian.
In September 2009, Peter was honoured by the Law Society of Upper Canada when he received the Law Society Medal for his contributions to community and legal practice.
Peter was named Professional of the Year at the annual Business Excellence Awards by the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce in 2014.
In June 2016, Peter was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chamber of Commerce for his professional experience, community involvement and overall leadership
Publications
- Can Your Extra Provincial Corporate Client Sue in Ontario?, The Lawyers Weekly, Butterworths Lexis-Nexis, Markham; author (November 13, 1998).
- Filling the Void: How the Law views Temporary Employees: Some Case Studies, Windsor Regional Association of Staffing Services; author and lecturer (January 21, 2002).
- Humour in the Workplace, Women's Economic Forum, Windsor; author and lecturer (September 24, 2002).
- The Next-to-Last Word in Restricting Competition in Employment: A comparative analysis of Lyons v. Multari and Gertz v. Meda Ltd., Ontario Bar Association Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Toronto; author and lecturer (March 20, 2003).
- Don't Do The Crime if You Can't Do The Time, Law Society of Upper Canada, Continuing Legal Education, Six-Minute Employment Lawyer, Toronto; author and lecturer (June 1, 2004).
- Take this Job And...Resignation After Kieran, Law Society of Upper Canada, Continuing Legal Education, Six-Minute Employment Lawyer, Toronto; author and lecturer (June 2, 2005).
- The Talker with a Past, The Advocates’ Society, Court House Series, Windsor; demonstrator (February 9, 2006).
- Making and Responding to Electronic Discovery Requests, Canadian Bar Association, Ontario Bar Association and Essex Law Association, combined Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Windsor; presenter (June 6, 2006).
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: The New Order of Damages in Employment Law, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Professional Development Continuing Legal Education, Employment Law 2007, Toronto; author and lecturer (April, 2007).
- Ready, Set … Settle: Trial Preparation and Resolution Readiness, Ontario Bar Association, Institute 2011, author and presenter (February 2011).
Other Publications
- October, 2012 In Lieu of Flowers, Black Moss Press ISBN 978-0-88753-514-7, poetry.
- Various editorials in CAVEAT, a publication of the Essex Law Association, under the title Notes from the Middleground from 1985 to date
Community Involvement and Awards
- Past President University of Windsor Alumni Association
- Past President, Windsor Symphony Society
- Past Chair, Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Past President, Rotary Club of Windsor 1918
- United Way Campaign Co-Chair
- Soccer Coach—Senior and Juvenile Levels
- Jewish National Fund, Negev Dinner Honouree (along with spouse, Denise Mayea Hrastovec), 2013
- Law Society Medal, Law Society of Upper Canada, 2009
- Charles J. Clark Award, Essex Law Association, 1999
- Clark Award, University of Windsor, Ontario, 1999
- University of Windsor Alumni Award of Merit, 1998
- Essex Law Association
- Law Society of Ontario
- Advocates' Society
- Canadian Bar Association
- Rotary Club of Windsor 1918
- Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce