Cherlene Eloria

Cherlene Eloria is passionate about advocating for workers’ rights. She joined RavenLaw as a summer student in 2023 and is currently completing her articles with the firm.

Cherlene recently completed the English Common Law program at the University of Ottawa, graduating Magna Cum Laude. As a law student, she volunteered with Pro Bono Students Canada, tutored first-year students as a Dean’s Legal Research and Writing Fellow, and was an Assistant Editor with the Ottawa Law Review.

While born and raised in Ottawa, Cherlene is proud of her Filipino heritage. She currently leads the mentorship program at Kabangka, a national non-profit that uplifts Filipino-Canadian youth. In her free time, Cherlene enjoys the outdoors and theatre.

Aimee McCurdy

Aimee McCurdy is committed to supporting the labour movement and advocating for workers’ rights. She joined RavenLaw as a summer student in 2023 and is currently completing her articles with the firm.

Aimee recently completed her law degree at Queen’s University with honours. While at law school, she served as the Senior Editor of the Canadian Labour and Employment Law Journal. Aimee was actively involved in various projects, including developing AI-Employment tools for the Conflict Analytics Lab, conducting research for the labour moot, leading Tenant Rights workshops with the Displacement Project, and providing legal assistance through the Family Justice Centre as part of Pro Bono Students Canada. Additionally, she held the position of President of the Queen’s Law Palestinian Advocacy Club.

Outside of work, Aimee enjoys reading, exercising, and starting (but never finishing) numerous artistic pursuits.

Kassandra Lawson

Kassandra Lawson is a dedicated advocate for the rights of injured workers.

Kassandra is a paralegal in the firm’s Ottawa office and provides legal services in the area of Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Claims and Appeals both at WSIB and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal.

Andrew Astritis

Andrew works to advance the law in areas that will benefit workers and vulnerable groups. He represents unions in the federal public sector and elsewhere and has extensive experience in judicial review and appellate litigation. Andrew has been involved in leading cases on the duty to accommodate family status, essential services, public service pension litigation, and the collective rights of workers under the Charter. Andrew also represented current and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces in a historic class action regarding sexual misconduct in the military, which resulted in a $900 million settlement. He has appeared before labour arbitrators, administrative tribunals, and all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada.

Andrew is a part-time professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa, where he teaches an advanced labour law seminar. He is regularly invited to speak at conferences on a range of legal issues. Andrew previously served as a law clerk for the Honourable Justice John Evans at the Federal Court of Appeal.

NOTABLE CASES

  • Fraser v Canada (Attorney General), 2020 SCC 28 [represented intervener in landmark adverse impact discrimination case under section 15 of the Charter]
  • Heyder v Canada (Attorney General), 2019 FC 1477 [settlement for current and former members of Canadian Armed Forces and employees of the Department of National Defence who experienced gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual assault]
  • McIlvenna v Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank), 2019 FC 1610 [ruling setting aside Canadian Human Rights Commission decision and directing the Commission to refer the complaint to the Tribunal]
  • Public Service Alliance of Canada v Treasury Board (Department of Citizenship and Immigration), 2018 FPSLREB 74 [the employer breached the collective agreement by failing to establish a “voluntary program” when it relocated the Vegreville immigration case processing centre to Edmonton]
  • Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v Saskatchewan, 2015 SCC 4 [represented intervener in ruling recognizing a constitutional right to strike under section 2(d) of the Charter]
  • Mounted Police Association of Ontario v Attorney General of Canada, 2015 SCC 1 [represented intervener in appeal recognizing that section 2(d) of the Charter requires independence and choice in selecting worker associations]
  • Canada (Attorney General) v Johnstone, 2014 FCA 110; Fiona Ann Johnstone v Canada Border Service Agency, 2010 CHRT 20 [ruling confirming requirement that employers accommodate the family obligations of their employees]
  • Telecommunications Employees Association of Manitoba Inc v Manitoba Telecom Services Inc, 2014 SCC 11 [ruling that $43 million surplus that existed when Manitoba Telecom Services was privatized belonged to workers]
  • Public Service Alliance of Canada v Statistical Survey Operations, 2014 PSLRB 83 [preliminary decision that ultimately led to $45 million pay equity settlement for interviewers and senior interviewers at SSO]
  • Public Service Alliance of Canada v. Canada Post Corporation, 2011 SCC 57 [$150 million pay equity ruling reinstating decision of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal]

 

Assma Basalamah

Assma Basalamah is an Associate at our Ottawa office. After completing her Bachelor of Civil Law (LLL), with distinction and honours, and a complementary Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of Ottawa, Assma became interested in employment law in her time working for Katherine Lippel, a leading academic authority in this area of the law and the Canadian Research Chair on Occupational Health and Safety Law at the time.

Her experience includes completing her articles and working for the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel at the House of Commons.

She has also worked for Ottawa’s Refugee Hub helping to successfully resettle refugees in Canada. Throughout her career, Assma has consistently demonstrated her commitment to human rights. She has been a representative before the Social Security Tribunal, worked on International Law and Labour research projects, and interned with various law firms and organizations.

Assma received awards including the Norton Rose Fulbright scholarship awarded by the Famous 5 organization as well as a Moot Court Competition featuring former Quebec Prime Minister Lucien Bouchard in the judge panel.

Fluent in French, English, and Arabic, Assma is dedicated to using her diverse skills and experiences to serve those seeking the support and tools of the profession towards their personal and collective goals.