Sandra P. MacKenzie,

Sandra is reputed across Nunavut and the Northwest Territories for her labour and employment practice. With further expertise spanning administrative law and civil litigation, market sources describe her as a "great lawyer who embodies community values."

- Chambers Canada, 2021 Guide

Sandra is the Administrative Partner for the firm's Yellowknife office. She practices in the areas of labour and employment, human rights, and administrative law. Sandra acts as an advocate for governments, private companies, and administrative boards in both the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Sandra works with clients in both unionized and non-unionized environments. She provides advice on wrongful dismissal, employment standards, occupational health and safety, labour relations, and human rights issues. She also conducts workplace investigations, assessments, and restorations for various clients.

Prior to joining Lawson Lundell in 2011, she clerked at the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories. Sandra then practised with a boutique litigation firm in Toronto, Ontario before returning to the north.

• Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
• Member, Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations Roster of Investigators
• Vice-President, Law Society of the Northwest Territories
• Member, Canadian Association of Counsel for Employers (CACE)
• Member, Association of Workplace Investigators
• Past Chair (2017-2019) and current member of  Labour and Employment and Administrative Law Sections, Canadian Bar Association, Northwest Territories Branch
• Member, Discipline Committee, Law Society of Nunavut
• Member, Discipline Committee, Law Society of the Northwest Territories (2018-2021)

• Chair, Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation (2014 - 2020)
• Past President, Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce (Aug. 2022 - Feb. 2023)

• Chambers Canada:
  • General Business Law - Northern Canada and Arctic (Band 1), 2025
  • General Business Law - Northern Canada and Arctic (Band 2), 2024
• Canadian Bar Association: Northwest Territories Community Service Award (Winner), 2019

Sandra’s experience includes:

Representing northern governments, corporations, municipalities, and aboriginal organizations with various commercial, employment and general litigation matters:

• Has successfully conducted wrongful dismissal trials and other employment related litigation;
• Acted for both debtors and creditors in collection proceedings in court;
• Acted as co-counsel in an Inquiry under the Integrity Act in Nunavut;
• Acted as lead counsel in four Coroner's Inquests in Nunavut;
• Act as counsel in child protection cases in Nunavut; participate in court and trials regularly in the Nunavut Court of Justice; 
• Appeared at various administrative boards and tribunals including Labour Standards Board and the Labour Standards Appeal Board; Motor Vehicles Act Appeal Board; Human Rights Adjudication Panel, Employment Standards Board;

• Conduct workplace investigations for various governmental bodies;
• Act for northern clients in negotiating collective agreements;
• Assisting municipalities, hamlets, and aboriginal organizations with the drafting and interpretation of employment bylaws; 
• Providing advice on the duty to accommodate and other obligations under the Human Rights Act;
• Has successfully participated in Judicial led mediations in the Territorial Court of the Northwest Territories, and the Nunavut Court of Justice;

• Has participated in various types of mediation and arbitration for commercial and employment disputes; and
• Has received advanced training in Alternative Dispute Resolution in 2013.