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Formerly of Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, Rick Engel obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), majoring in Political Science from the University of Saskatchewan in 1982, and a Bachelor of Laws from Queen's University in 1983. He practiced law in Swift Current, Saskatoon and Regina before joining the firm known today as Gerrand Rath Johnson in 1989. He became a partner in 1993 and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2004.

Since 1987, Mr. Engel has developed a highly concentrated practice in Labour Law and Human Rights litigation. He is current solicitor of record for 8 major unions in Saskatchewan. On a periodic basis, he also represents other unions, associations and individuals. He has served as a Vice-President of the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers, past Chair of the Southern Saskatchewan CBA Labour/Administrative Law Section and has participated in numerous union workshops and seminars.

He has been lead union counsel on a number of significant public sector lawsuits and appeals, including a large representative pension action on behalf of Nonpermanent Public Sector Employees, a judicial challenge of the Fair Share Saskatchewan policy, judicial review of the Health Labour Relations Reorganization Act, and a landmark decision concerning Duty of Fair Representation jurisdictional disputes.

Mr. Engel is one of the leading union-aligned labour lawyers in Saskatchewan in fashioning new and novel arguments in motions and hearings before the Labour Relations Board, numerous Arbitration Boards and Human Rights Commission and Boards of Inquiry.

Rick is vigorously committed to a judicial process that recognizes the best interests of working people in Saskatchewan. He is married to Adrienne Cottrell and they have one teenage daughter. They are avid sailors and are active participants in the Lake Diefenbaker Yacht Club.

• Human Rights Law
• Labour Law