Forte Law

05/26/2026

We are happy to officially announce that Michelle Casavant KC has joined our team at Forte Workplace Law after 17 years of working in the areas of government, administrative and regulatory processes, professional governance and human rights. Michelle’s practice at our firm is focused on workplace investigations, mediations and facilitation of Indigenous repair and peace-making circles.

Michelle’s approach is informed by her identity and experiences as a Métis woman. Michelle brings a calm and relational perspective to processes that require both structure and care. She brings a trauma‑responsive and culturally grounded approach, recognizing that how a process is conducted is as important as its outcome.

When not at work, Michelle can most likely be found on dog walks or cheering for her very active kids at dance competitions, baseball and hockey games.

05/22/2026

Naya Dhatt is a lawyer at but she’s also... stepping onto the stage for this year’s Lawyer Show.

This year’s production is 9 to 5: The Musical.

Based on the iconic film and featuring music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. The show follows three overworked coworkers who decide they’ve had enough of their sexist boss and imagine what their workplace could look like if women were actually in charge.

The production raises money for Touchstone Theatre, helping support Canadian theatre productions in our community. We are proud to be one of the sponsoring law firms supporting the show this year.

The Lawyer Show runs May 27–30 at the Olympic Village Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre, with evening performances Wednesday through Saturday plus a Saturday matinee.

Tickets are available through the Arts Club Theatre Company
(Link in bio & in our stories!)

05/19/2026

We are celebrating 2 years with Adele Burchart on our team.

Adele is a leading litigator on employment and human rights matters, most recently with a win at the British Columbia Court of Appeal in Nanaimo (City) v. Mema, 2026 BCCA 203 (CanLII), https://canlii.ca/t/kkx57.

Adele is also a generous mentor and consistently has a line at her office door of colleagues looking for her wise guidance.

In addition to her litigation practice, Adele conducts workplace investigations, and is a sought after investigator.

Adele has many talents, including singing, as we have discovered at our firm karaoke parties (where she reluctantly and humbly takes the mic, then blows us all away).

Thank you for a great two years Adele!

05/07/2026

Ashley Heisler brought her practice to our team at Forte Workplace Law 2 years ago, and we are celebrating!

Bringing her employment law experience, Ashley was able to jump right in on employment advisory and litigation work.

Over the last 2 years, Ashley has also built active labour and workplace investigations practices.

Ashley inspires our team to get outside and active in all seasons, and always has a story about skiing, mountain biking and other adventures.

Thank you for a great 2 years Ashley.

05/05/2026

May 5th is Red Dress Day - a National Day of Awareness and Action to honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

In 2019, Reclaiming Power and Place, the Report from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was published. https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mmiwg-ffada.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FExecutive_Summary.pdf&data=05%7C02%7CMichelleCasavant%40fortelaw.ca%7Cc7bc2c286934482355f308deaa4aaed7%7Ce4ff5b74cf224c308c81a8031432dcb4%7C0%7C0%7C639135434915055864%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=EBkGiXYACUeA9Bn4FY3qe1HtGSYgOIbUcaHbjxXlZHQ%3D&reserved=0

Based on extensive research, this report demonstrated an urgent need for change and provided 231 Calls for Justice.

The Assembly of First Nations has monitored action on the 231 Calls for Justice, and as of AFN's 2024 report, only two of the Calls for Justice had been fully implemented. The June 2025 AFN report focussed on themes requiring urgent attention, particular human trafficking. https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fafn.bynder.com%2Fm%2F2d9148a283482600%2Foriginal%2FBreathing-Life-into-the-Calls-for-Justice-Thematic-Analysis-on-Human-Trafficking2025-CFJ-Progress-Report.pdf&data=05%7C02%7CMichelleCasavant%40fortelaw.ca%7Cc7bc2c286934482355f308deaa4aaed7%7Ce4ff5b74cf224c308c81a8031432dcb4%7C0%7C0%7C639135434915115618%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=FahrsMpH6DXpSuQlP9fhwYAoQ44e3QvcdvTpIIG98TY%3D&reserved=0

This is not a historical problem, but one that continues to this day.

We recognize and honour the murdered and missing, the survivors, their families, and communities.

05/04/2026

We are celebrating 4 years since Jim Boyle brought his practice to Forte Workplace Law.

Our labour law practice has grown and developed exponentially, thanks to Jim’s work as the lead of our Labour Practice Group.

In addition to his busy labour arbitration and labour board schedule, Jim also conducts workplace investigations and has a substantial employment law and human rights practice.

Jim brings a fun and creative approach to his work and our team, including an eclectic collection of mugs which are always a conversation starter on video calls.


Thank you for your contributions to our team over the last 4 years Jim!

04/30/2026

We are very excited to announce that Harmit Sarai and Jim Boyle are now shareholders in the firm.



Harmit is a key member of our investigations and employment advisory practices. Harmit’s empathy and attention to detail make her an incredible colleague, lawyer and investigator. Harmit has been active in community including as a member of the Planning Committee for the CLEBC Human Rights Conference, presenting at that Conference, and acting as a board member and volunteer for the South Asian Legal Clinic Harmit is a key member of our Health Professionals Practice Group, advising many dental clinic clients and representing our firm at the annual Pacific Dental Conference. Harmit has been the lead of several of our Pro Bono projects, including our work with the UBC Indigenous Community Legal Clinic, and she has also been the lead of our Giving Committee.



Jim has been the driving force behind our firm’s labour practice since the day he joined and is the lead of our Labour Practice Group. Jim has run countless labour arbitration hearings in the last four years with our firm. Amidst his busy labour hearing schedule, Jim has also consistently maintained employment and workplace investigation practices. Jim is a sought-after mentor within the firm and is someone many of our team members call to talk through complex labour and employment law issues. Jim’s community contributions include his current role as Co-Chair of the @ CBABC Labour Law Section.

04/23/2026

What happens when someone goes on medical leave in the middle of a workplace investigation?

Human rights obligations, WorkSafeBC claims, and employment standards protections all come into play, and there are a few key things employers need to get right:

• When to pause an investigation
• When participation is still appropriate
• How to handle fairness for both sides
• What to avoid when it comes to discipline

In this blog Carmelle Dieleman breaks down what employers need to consider.

Read the full blog here: https://fortelaw.ca/2026/04/20/when-a-party-to-a-workplace-investigation-goes-on-medical-leave-what-employers-need-to-know/

04/22/2026

Nicki Isaac was the first person to join Sara Forte at our firm, and it has been an incredible ride over the last 9 years.

Nicki has been a key player in the firm’s growth and success. The head of our intake team, for most of the last 9 years Nicki has been the first point of contact for anyone reaching out to our firm.

We frequently get client compliments on her welcoming, calm and confident demeanour, even when people are calling in crisis.

Nicki is a great role model for all of us at the firm and is regularly sought out for guidance and advice by everyone on our team.

Thank you for an incredible 9 years Nicki!

04/20/2026

04/15/2026

Meet Carmelle Dieleman, employment lawyer, investigator, and mediator at Forte Workplace Law.

Here, she’s talking about what she enjoys about being an investigator, and the approach we take as a team.

A lot of this work comes down to listening, building trust, and making sure people feel heard.

If you’re curious about how workplace investigations work, you can learn more here:
https://fortelaw.ca/workplace-investigations/