Katy Allen is a partner in Osler’s Employment and Labour Group in Vancouver. She advises employers on high‑stakes employment and labour issues, with a focus on contentious, time‑sensitive matters that carry significant business and reputational risk.
Katy is a go‑to advisor on labour relations, employment disputes and strategic workplace decisions. She regularly helps employers navigate union organizing and certification drives, sensitive employee disputes, workforce restructurings and employment issues arising in mergers, acquisitions and other business transactions. Clients rely on her judgment and practical, defensible advice in employment crises and complex, politically or culturally sensitive workplace situations. She also supports senior leaders and HR teams on day‑to‑day management issues, including contracts, policies, terminations and risk‑aware decision‑making.
Katy acts as trusted counsel to executives and HR leaders, drawing on extensive experience in how workplace issues play out before courts and tribunals. She has represented employers before the British Columbia Labour Relations Board, Employment Standards Branch and Employment Standards Tribunal, Human Rights Tribunal and all levels of court in British Columbia, including trial and appellate proceedings, and has led lengthy and complex hearings, including contested certification and decertification matters.
Before joining Osler, Katy was a partner at a leading Vancouver firm, where she built a broad labour and employment practice serving employers across a wide range of industries.
Areas of Expertise
Latest Insights
-
Blog September 29, 2025
Are you ready for pay transparency?
By November 1, 2025, employers in B.C. with 300–999 employees are required to prepare and post their annual pay transparency report.
Read more
Awards and Recognition
-
The Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys, Future Star, 2024–2025
—Benchmark Canada -
Employment Law – Employer (Leading Practitioner), 2025
—Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory -
Employment & Labour – British Columbia (Band 5), 2026
—Chambers Canada -
“Ones to Watch” Labour and Employment Law, 2022
—Best Lawyers in Canada
Media Mentions
-
Media Mentions October 6, 2025
Nov. 1 deadline fast approaching for B.C. employers – HR Reporter
To continue to attract top candidates, employers must be prepared to address whatever their pay transparency report reveals, says Katy Allen,...
Read more -
Osler News September 22, 2025
Katy Allen joins Osler’s Employment and Labour Group as a partner
Osler welcomes Katy Allen, who joins the firm’s Vancouver office.
Read more
Community Involvement
- Allard Law Alumni Association, member
- Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, an organization that provides shelter, advocacy, and support to women in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, Chair of the Board
Credentials
Education
- University of British Columbia, J.D.
- University of British Columbia, B.Sc.
Languages
- English
Professional Affiliations
- Canadian Bar Association
- Law Society of British Columbia
- Law Society of Ontario
