Matthew Blake

Senior Associate | Employment, Labour & Human Rights Lawyer

Matthew Blake is an employment, labour, and human rights lawyer at Achkar Law, which advises and represents employers across Ontario and British Columbia. He works with employers across the full range of workplace matters, from employment contracts and agreements to terminations, dismissals, and layoffs, and he also handles labour law, including grievance arbitration and proceedings before the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Matthew represents workers as well, which gives him a clear view of how disputes play out from both sides of the table.

Matthew began on the union side, articling at a large construction union where he built experience in grievance arbitration, Ontario Labour Relations Board disputes, and collective bargaining across a range of sectors. He has also worked at a United Nations agency that provides humanitarian assistance to millions of refugees. Representing employers since then has rounded out his perspective, and he draws on both sides of that experience to steer disputes toward reasonable resolutions.

Matthew earned his Juris Doctor from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and a Bachelor of Arts with an Honours Specialization in Criminology and History from Western University in London, Ontario. During his time at Queen’s, he volunteered with Queen’s Legal Aid and Pro Bono Students Canada. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 2022.

Matthew is a dedicated backpacker who has visited more than 35 countries, including a recent nine months in Medellin, Colombia, where he was learning Spanish. Outside work he enjoys running, the gym, hiking, spicy food, and a good game of chess.