Vancouver Employment Lawyer
Your Rights at Work Deserve Experienced Representation.
PortaLaw is a Vancouver employment law firm focused exclusively on non-unionized workplace matters. Louis Claman represents employees across British Columbia, provincially and federally regulated, with clarity, compassion, and practical legal strategy.
Initial consultation $400 + tax. Employees only. Provincially and federally regulated workplaces.
Louis Claman
Employment Lawyer, PortaLaw
Louis represents workers across technology, hospitality, entertainment, marketing, and sales, from non-management employees to executives and contractors. He approaches every case with curiosity, care, and a steady hand through what can be an overwhelming process.
Areas of Practice
Louis focuses exclusively on the employee side of employment law. Whether you're facing a dismissal, questioning a severance offer, or navigating a difficult workplace, this is his practice.
Wrongful and Constructive Dismissal
If you were terminated without cause, forced out, or subjected to bullying and harassment that made your position untenable, you may have a claim. Louis assesses your situation and advocates for the compensation you're entitled to.
Severance Review and Negotiation
An initial severance offer often reflects only the statutory minimum. Louis reviews your package against both the Employment Standards Act and common law reasonable notice to determine whether a better outcome is achievable. Louis will also advise if you have any other legal claims around discrimination, occupational safety, or others.
Employment Contract Review
Before you sign, Louis reviews employment agreements, compensation structures, non-compete and non-solicitation clauses, and contractor agreements so you understand exactly what you're agreeing to.
Full-Cycle Representation
Stage 01: Hiring
Louis supports employees from the moment they receive a job offer through to post-employment disputes and court or tribunal proceedings.
Employment agreements set the terms for everything that follows. Louis reviews and negotiates offer letters, advises on compensation structures, and addresses discrimination concerns before you sign.
Employment agreement review
Discrimination in recruitment
Stage 02: During Employment
Workplace accommodations
Bullying and harassment
Compensation structure advice
Contractor vs. employee status
Workplace issues don't wait until termination. Louis advises on medical accommodations, leave entitlements, harassment and discrimination matters, and enforces your contractual rights through advocacy and dispute resolution.
Stage 03: End of Employment
Whether you were let go, forced out, or resigned under pressure, Louis negotiates severance packages, advises on wrongful termination claims, and represents workers in litigation and tribunal proceedings.
Severance negotiation
Constructive dismissal
Leave entitlements
Human rights complaints
Wrongful dismissal claims
Litigation and tribunals
Initial consultation $400 + tax. Employees only. Provincially and federally regulated workplaces.
Who We Represent
Louis represents workers, not employers. Every client he takes on has offered their honest labour in exchange for fair treatment. His job is to make sure they receive it.
Non-management and management-level employees
Executives navigating complex severance or dismissal
Independent contractors questioning their classification
Workers facing harassment, discrimination, or a toxic workplace
Employees who have received a severance offer they're unsure about
Anyone who has been terminated and wants to understand their rights
Employees under both provincial and federal jurisdiction
We support employees across provincially and federally regulated workplaces in BC
Technology
Sales
Hospitality
Nonprofits
Entertainment
Retail
Marketing
Media
Finance
Healthcare
Why PortaLaw
Employment law is all we do.
PortaLaw was built around a single focus: employment and human rights law in British Columbia. That focus is intentional, and it shows in the quality of representation clients receive.
Focused Expertise
Employment law is the firm's entire practice, which means Louis brings deep, current knowledge to every file.
Transparent Pricing
Louis's initial consultation is $400 + tax. No ambiguity, no unexpected costs. PortaLaw has built its reputation on pricing that clients can understand before they walk in the door.
Vancouver-Based, BC-Wide
Louis practices from PortaLaw's Vancouver office and represents employees across British Columbia, both provincially and federally regulated, wherever the work takes place.
Frequently Asked Questions About Severance Packages
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In many cases, yes. If an employee is entitled to common law reasonable notice, the initial offer may be open to negotiation. The assessment depends on the employment contract and the surrounding circumstances.
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Employers typically provide a deadline, but employees are generally entitled to a reasonable period of time to review the offer and seek legal advice. The appropriate timeframe depends on the context.
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An employer may set an expiry date on an offer. Whether an offer can be withdrawn depends on how it was structured and whether it has been accepted.
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Bonuses and commissions may form part of reasonable notice if they are an integral component of compensation. The entitlement depends on the wording of the employment agreement and incentive plan.
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Under common law, employees have a duty to mitigate their losses by seeking comparable employment. Income earned during the notice period may affect the amount of compensation owed, depending on how the severance package is structured.