One to One with Steve Winder
Meet Steve Winder, the Managing Partner of BLG’s Vancouver office, and a seasoned labour and employment lawyer with over 25 years of experience advising employers across unionized and non-unionized workplaces. In addition to advisory work, Steve represents companies in employment disputes, including grievance arbitration and employment litigation. Recognized by Lexpert, Benchmark, The Best Lawyers in Canada and Chambers Canada, he is a trusted partner to clients, combining strategic insight with a practical approach to workplace challenges.
What was your first job?
My first job was delivering newspapers for the Peterborough Examiner—a role that feels like a relic of the past in today’s digital world. It was a hard job, lugging that heavy bag up and down the street for pennies a paper, and collecting money from customers every week. I knew some of them were home when I knocked, but they wouldn’t answer the door. I remember on freezing winter mornings or during torrential rain, my mother would drive me while I ran to each door.
What inspires you?
My family is a daily inspiration. I have two teenage daughters who look at the world in a much more open-minded and inclusive way than I did growing up in a small Ontario city. They’re future-focused and have a path in mind. My wife, who’s Persian, came to Canada when she was two years old with her family to escape the Iranian Revolution in the 1970s. She’s now a very successful general counsel. I seek—and value—her opinion on every topic.
How do you balance work and maintaining a personal life?
“Work-life balance” can be a controversial phrase—some say it’s unrealistic and puts additional pressure on us to achieve the impossible. I do believe that for mental health, particularly given the demands of our profession, it’s critical to have a life outside the office where you can let go of stress and regain perspective. I’ve noticed that younger people place more importance on this, and leaders need to set the example. I don’t hide it if I’m leaving the office to pick my kids up from school. I deliberately try to carve out time in the evenings and on weekends for non-law-related activities. And I try to respond only to urgent emails after hours. But I’m also a managing partner, so sometimes it’s a challenge.
What is the biggest challenge facing Greater Vancouver?
I’d say the affordability crisis, especially when it comes to housing. The most extreme consequences are experienced by unhoused people in the city, certainly. But lack of affordable housing downtown is a problem for businesses as well. Dynamic corporate cultures grow from in-person connections, but sky-high housing prices are pushing people further and further from downtown and they’d rather work remotely than have a long commute. As a result, we need to deliberately make workplaces into desirable destinations and create ways to strengthen bonds and collegiality. In my office, our “Glue Committee” has been creating connections between lawyers since the 1980s, and our social committee regularly brings the entire office together to celebrate our people, our culture and simply being together.
What do you like most about doing business in Greater Vancouver?
Vancouver is one of the greatest cities in the world. It has incredible diversity, which leads to innovative workplaces and an exciting urban vibe. I went to law school in Ottawa, which was a little on the small side for me, and Toronto felt too big. Vancouver is just right. It has a vibrant legal community where it’s easy to build meaningful relationships.
What is your most prized possession and why?
In my office, you’ll find a wall lined with an eclectic collection of Pez dispensers—a tradition that started so long ago I can’t even recall how. Colleagues, friends and clients from around the world continue to add their finds, making it a living collection that reflects the connections I’ve built over the years. I also have a small collection of original movie posters that I treasure. My current favourite is an original one-sheet for Some Like It Hot, featuring the iconic trio of Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe. My passion for collecting them began years ago at a specialty shop in Toronto called the Hollywood Canteen, and now I bid at auctions online. It’s a hobby that combines my love of art, history and storytelling—qualities I value in both my professional and personal life.
What is the most important lesson, business or otherwise, life has taught you?
Perseverance in the face of difficulty has been my most valuable life lesson. When I was 18, I lost my mother, and it was a profoundly challenging time that taught me the importance of maintaining a routine and continuing forward, even when the path feels overwhelming. Equally important, I learned that resilience doesn’t mean going it alone. There’s strength in recognizing when you need help and seeking support to make it through hard times—whether in your personal or professional life.
What keeps you awake at night?
I do my worrying during the day. I think a lot about how we can continue to be a preeminent law firm—which probably isn’t so different from what the managing partners who came before me thought about. They weren’t considering the transformative potential of AI, of course, but they shared the same fundamental responsibility to steer the ship through unknown waters. What’s different today is the pace of change—it’s no longer about planning a decade into the future but being agile enough to adapt within months or, if we think back to COVID, weeks.
What do you think makes a great leader?
There’s a wonderful Persian expression that my wife reminded me of recently: we have two ears and one mouth for a reason. A great leader is a great listener. We may not be able to reach full consensus on every subject—certainly not in a partnership like mine at BLG, where there are a lot of voices—but it’s important that people feel they've been heard before a decision is made.
Where is your favourite place in Vancouver?
When my kids were younger, we spent many weekends at the Vancouver Aquarium. It’s such a special place, not only for the memories we created there but also for its incredible location in the heart of Stanley Park. There’s something magical about being surrounded by nature and the energy of the city at the same time. Closer to home, I love walking along the seawall in West Vancouver. It’s a perfect spot to unwind, reflect and appreciate the natural beauty that makes this city so unique.
What do you think Greater Vancouver needs more of?
At the risk of repeating myself, I’m going to say affordable housing. It’s a critical social justice issue and is also connected to business success.
Who has helped you most in your career?
Three people have profoundly influenced my journey. In high school, my grade 11 history teacher encouraged me to pursue university at a time when I was considering taking over my father’s clothing store. His belief in me was a turning point that set me on this path. Later, I struggled at university after my mother passed away and a professor advocated on my behalf, ensuring I had the chance to continue. Finally, I’ll be forever grateful to Shelley-Mae Mitchell, a fellow labour and employment lawyer at BLG. Shelley-Mae is a strong, tenacious litigator who taught me about employment law. I admired that she had a fulfilling career but always made time for her family (she has four kids). Her mentorship shaped my career and continues to inspire how I approach both work and life.
What do you do when you aren't working?
I love to travel. Last year, we ventured to Dubai and the Maldives for spring break, and this year once the kids are out of school, we’re planning a trip to Italy followed by a Greek Mediterranean cruise. Closer to home, I joined a beginners hockey league about 20 years ago and still continue to play. I also enjoy unwinding with a good TV show. I recently binged The Sopranos for the first time—finally catching up on what it felt everyone else had watched. It didn’t disappoint.
What might someone be surprised to know about you?
I used to be a DJ. It all started in Grade 7 or 8 when my friends and I organized a fundraiser dance for Terry Fox. By high school, we’d turned it into a business, DJing school events and weddings under the name Lazer Sounds. Our claim to fame? We’d ditched our milk crates full of vinyl records and were the only DJs in town using compact discs. Fast forward to today, and I’ve come full circle. I’ve bought a turntable and am slowly rebuilding my vinyl collection—at $40 a pop, which is what the CDs cost back then. It’s funny how the things you once moved on from find a way back into your life, often with new meaning.