Governance & Organizational Support

Southern Law works with leadership in organizations to ensure governance practices and processes represent best practice and legal compliance. We work with private and public boards and elected officials to support good governance, which includes the creation and application of codes of conduct.

As an example of our governance work, Lisa Southern served as the City of Vancouver’s first Integrity Commissioner for two terms starting in 2022. In 2023, Lisa Southern was also appointed as the City of Vancouver’s Park Board Integrity Commissioner. Both offices have been supported by a team of Southern Law lawyers and administrators who are experienced in working with codes of conduct for elected officials.

As another example, in April 2023, Southern Law was contracted to operate the Independent Respectful Workplace Office (IRWO) for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (LABC). A team of Southern Law lawyers and administrators are responsible for running the IRWO and delivering the IRWO services to participants of the LABC Respectful Workplace Policy.

Policies & Procedures

Southern Law works with organizations to ensure policies and procedures represent best practice and are legally compliant. This includes reviewing processes, policies, and organization structures to develop practical recommendations that support the organization in implementing change.

Examples of Policy & Procedure Reviews:

We can create or review codes of conduct and respectful workplace policies and suggest improvements to ensure they reflect current legislation and best practice both in content and with complaint processes.
We can develop or update employee handbooks to ensure they are accessible and current to reflect organizational goals and values.
We can create or review mentorship and evaluation programs to support continued learning, succession planning, and development of employees. For new employees, we can develop or assess hiring practices and new employee orientation models to ensure the right employee is chosen and developed. We can review the support systems (advice, education, and clarity of process) around codes of conduct and respectful workplace policies and make recommendations.

Organizational Review (Strategic Consulting)

Southern Law brings a unique perspective to an organizational review due to the expertise of our lawyers and the collaborative nature of our firm. We strategically choose Review Team members based on the type of review, the type of organization, and the issues underlying the review.

We have conducted fulsome reviews of the overall organizational structure of an organization, as well as more specialized reviews, such as of executive operations, human resources structures/operations/practices, and even more specific reviews of internal investigative processes.

We can assess the overall health of your organization, and then focus our efforts on human resources policies and practices, department workplace cultures, and governance and accountability frameworks.

Ombudsperson Services

Having an outside voice – neutral, experienced, and trusted – to guide complex human resources issues and provide immediate, safe support to employees is important.

For smaller organizations or those in transition that may not need a permanent ombudsperson role, Southern Law can provide the ombudsperson support and services.