Clio Godkewitsch
Partner
- Location:
Toronto
- Phone:
416-979-4059
- Fax:
416-591-7333
- Email:
Biography
Clio Godkewitsch helps individuals and groups of employees and retirees in disputes over their compensation, including pension and other employee benefits. Whether through skillful negotiation or uncompromising litigation, Clio’s aim is to get the best possible outcome for the people she represents.
Clio’s work has spanned all phases in the life of pension and benefit plans, including negotiations to commence participation in existing plans, design and inception of new pension and benefit plans, pension plan conversions, crafting or challenging amendments to pension and benefit plans, dealing with surplus on partial pension plan wind-ups, navigating pension and benefit issues through sponsor insolvency proceedings, and representing member interests on a full pension plan wind-up. In addition to working with unions and other employee representative organizations, Clio represents individuals in pension and benefit disputes with their employers or plan administrators.
Clio also regularly acts for boards of trustees, providing the full suite of legal services that plan administrators commonly require, including support and advice on governance matters, questions of plan interpretation and administration, plan design and drafting, contractual arrangements with service providers, statutory compliance issues, member communications and stakeholder relations, fiduciary advice, and general strategic advice. Clio helps clients make sure they are providing high quality pensions and benefits to members, and meeting their legal obligations.
In addition to her pension and benefits work, Clio advises individuals in employment matters, and represents non-unionized employees in wrongful termination claims. She has negotiated dozens of successful settlements which provided the compensation to which those employees were entitled, enabling them to move on with their lives.
Clio is a frequent contributor to various legal publications, and edited a leading pension and employee benefits publication for over 10 years. She is recognized as a leading practitioner in employee benefits law in Best Lawyers. She is a regular speaker at legal conferences and client seminars, and enjoys drinking strong coffee while doing the weekend crossword.
A graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, Clio was called to the Ontario bar in 2002. She is a former member of the Pension Section executive of the Ontario Bar Association, and a member of the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers, the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute and the International Foundation.
