It is with a large helping of gratitude and a side order of sadness that we write to announce the retirement of our founding partner, mentor and friend, Shona Moore Q.C. We had grand plans to share this news with you in more celebratory ways but, for now, social distancing measures carry the day.
Shona will be retiring from Moore Edgar Lyster LLP effective July 31, 2020, to open her new practice as a labour arbitrator, a well deserved change of pace after 40 years of practice.
Shona has, during her time in practice, contributed immeasurably to the labour bar, to the advancement of the labour movement in BC and across Canada, and to the advancement of women in the legal profession, among many other things.
Called to the bar in 1980, Shona served as a Vice-Chair of the BC Labour Relations Board in the mid-1980s. She has twice served as an elected bencher of the Law Society of BC and continued, until very recently, to serve as a member of the Law Society’s discipline hearing pool, adjudicating credentials and disciplinary matters concerning members of the legal profession.
It is entirely fitting that we share this news with you on May Day, as Shona has always been passionately committed to advancing the rights of workers. Her clients value her unparalleled depth of knowledge of labour law and practice, and rely on her strategic advice and wisdom. She has served on the executive of the Labour Law Subsection of the of the Canadian Bar Association BC Branch on many occasions. She has been an active member of the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers since 1992, including by serving as Regional Vice President for 8 years. Shona also taught Federal Labour Law at the Canadian Labour Congress Winter School for some 30 years. In keeping with her incredibly generous nature and ability to forge strong lasting relationships, she continues today to take calls and answer questions from her CLC students of decades ago.
Shona has been a pioneer in fighting for women’s equality, both in the legal profession, and in the broader community. She has given generously of her time to many equality-seeking groups and other non-profit organizations. She has been an active member of the West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund for over 30 years, serving on the organization’s board of directors in the 1980s. She served as a board member of the BC Civil Liberties Association and the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC, and now serves as a member of the board of directors for the BC Ferry Authority.
Shona’s many contributions to the legal profession were recognized by her appointment as Queen’s Counsel in 1997. She is recognized by both Lexpert and Best Lawyers as one of Canada’s leading Labour and Employment lawyers.
We are sure you will all appreciate the many ways we will miss having Shona as a leader in our firm. There would be no Moore Edgar Lyster LLP today without Shona’s vision, commitment and leadership. Her commitment and sense of service to clients is so strong that it is often difficult to convince her to take a break. She has, of course, ensured that each of the firm’s clients will continue to be very well cared for by the members of Moore Edgar Lyster LLP.
While we hope that Shona will be able to enjoy having a little more time to enjoy her family and the beauty of our province’s waterways, we know that her retirement from our firm is not the end of her career. Shona will be launching a labour arbitration and mediation practice, and we look forward to seeing her contributions to labour relations and the law continue as she draws on her years of experience and creativity to help parties resolve labour disputes. You can expect to hear more from Shona about the exciting plans for her arbitration practice in the months ahead.
The partners, associates and staff of Moore Edgar Lyster LLP are so grateful to Shona for founding our firm, and for everything she has done for us, professionally and personally, collectively and individually. We hope you will join us in celebrating the accomplishments and career of an incredible woman, lawyer and human being.
