Restrictive Covenants in the Legal Profession
Presented by the Employment Lawyers Association of Ontario (ELAO)
Thursday, July 16, 2026 | 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST
Webinar - Details provided upon registration
The ELAO is bringing together a faculty of experienced practitioners to discuss restrictive covenants in this new live webinar. Join leading lawyers and legal professionals for a timely discussion on restrictive covenants in the legal profession, including recent case law, LSO guidance, and the real-world impact on firms and departing lawyers. Attendees will learn how to navigate non-compete and non-solicitation clauses while balancing professional obligations, business interests, and evolving workplace realities.
Restrictive Covenants in the Legal Profession
This professional development program provides an in-depth discussion on the evolving landscape of restrictive covenants, including non-competition and non-solicitation clauses, emerging case law, and the Law Society of Ontario’s perspective. This program equips lawyers with proactive approaches for managing lawyer departures and best practices for developing compliant and equitable agreements that reflect the business realities in today’s legal market.
Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation in the Legal Profession
The LSO and Rules of Professional Conduct
LSO’s Position on Business Realities
Impact of Restrictive Covenants on Marginalized Groups
Panel Discussion and Questions
Please note: This is a live-only session.
Speakers:
Cenobar Parker, Parker Law Group (Toronto, ON)
Kelly Gerra, Law Society of Ontario (Toronto, ON)
Jennifer Heath, Piccolo Health LLP (Toronto, ON)
Shalini Konanur, South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (Toronto, ON)
Reporting Details
1 hour and 10 minutes of Professionalism
25 minutes of EDI
Questions
If you have any questions, please reach out to info@elao.ca.
Registration Fees
ELAO Members: Free
Non-Members: $25
Plus applicable taxes
Speakers Bios
Cenobar Parker
Cenobar Parker is the Founder of Parker Law. Her practice includes all aspects of workplace law, including traditional employment law for both employees and employers, professional regulation, administrative law and civil litigation. Cenobar regularly provides representation and advice to companies, public institutions, employees, executives, and unionized employees facing human rights issues. Cenobar is passionate about her work and has developed a particular interest in sex and gender-based discrimination as well as disability rights, and routinely advises with respect to disability accommodations, including mental health accommodations, in the workplace and in the education context.
She is focused on empowering clients during challenging times and finding pragmatic solutions to complex and often sensitive legal issues. Cenobar is regularly engaged to conduct sensitive human rights investigations or to provide training, including in her capacity as an independent investigator and as Integrity Commissioner for public school boards.
Outside of her practice, Cenobar has served as a Board Member with the former East Toronto Community Legal Services clinic and as a public member of the College of Psychologists. She is currently finishing her last term as a member of the Board of Directors for the Don Valley Community Legal Services, after 6 years as Vice-Chair.
Kelly Gerra
Kelly Gerra is Senior Counsel and Manager for the Law Society of Ontario’s Practice Supports & Resources department, where she designs practical tools and resources to help lawyers and paralegals navigate their professional responsibilities with clarity and confidence. She also provides confidential guidance to Ontario licensees through the Practice Management Helpline.
Before joining the Law Society, Kelly was the Director of Lexis Practice Advisor Canada at LexisNexis Canada, where she led the content strategy for a leading online legal resource. Earlier in her career, she practised constitutional and administrative law and commercial litigation at two national law firms, advocating for clients at all levels of court in Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada.
A lifelong learner, Kelly holds an Adult Learning and Development Certificate from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. She is passionate about creating accessible and practical resources that empower licensees in their day-to-day work and advance the Law Society’s public interest mandate.
Jennifer Heath
Jennifer Heath is a Partner at Piccolo Heath LLP, an employment law firm based in Toronto. She combines pragmatism, enormous knowledge, and strategic guidance to deliver results on workplace issues.
Over her 17-year career as an employment lawyer, Jennifer has represented organizations of all sizes and across all sectors, providing measured guidance as they navigate their “people problems”. She is a seasoned litigator, but she knows when to stay at the table instead of pushing to court.
Jennifer has drafted complex employment and contractor agreements; negotiated highly technical and sensitive settlements; and provided strategic advice regarding terminations and disability management issues. In addition, she has acted for vendors and purchasers in complex sale transactions.
Shalini Konanur
Shalini Konanur is the Executive Director and a lawyer at the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO). She has extensive experience in human rights, access to justice, and systemic advocacy, with a particular focus on how race, gender, immigration status, poverty, and other intersecting forms of inequality shape legal outcomes. Shalini is also an elected Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario and Co-Chair of its Equity and Indigenous Affairs Committee. Her work has included advocacy, law reform, litigation, public legal education, and institutional governance aimed at advancing equity within the legal profession and the justice system more broadly. Shalini draws on this experience to consider how workplace structures and professional norms affect marginalized lawyers’ mobility, economic security, and ability to build sustainable careers within the profession.