Growing up in Dundas, Ontario, a small town outside Hamilton, Ted Flett (JD’16) seemed destined for the medical field. His father was a family doctor, his mother a nurse, and both of his sisters pursued health sciences. Ted, however, had different ambitions. Politics and media fascinated him far more than lab coats and stethoscopes. After completing a political science degree at McMaster, he enrolled in journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University (then Ryerson), eventually carving out a successful career in public relations.
By his early thirties, Flett was leading major tourism campaigns for Visit Britain’s New York office, promoting the UK during events like the 2011 Royal Wedding and the 2012 Olympics. Yet, despite the high-profile work, he felt restless. The buzz of marketing no longer gave him the satisfaction he craved. He began to imagine a career with a deeper impact.
“I’d arrived at a point where, as much as I enjoyed the work, I felt that trying to get more TV coverage, longer articles, and into newsprint wasn’t turning my crank to the extent that it had previously. I was craving something more stimulating, searching for something that would give me more satisfaction.”
That search led him to law.
Flett hadn’t planned on moving east. When he applied to law school, timing wasn’t on his side. He wrote his LSAT too late to be considered by Ontario schools. UNB Law, however, was one of the few programs still accepting applicants. He planned to spend a year in Fredericton before transferring closer to home. But within weeks, he knew he wasn’t leaving.
“I used to be a competitive figure skater, and I competed once in Fredericton, and that was one of only two times I’d been to the city prior to attending UNB. The whole city came out to watch the competition, which does not always happen in Ontario, so I’d already gotten a strong community feel from Fredericton.”
At UNB, the same sense of community was palpable. Flett quickly abandoned any thought of transferring. He built lasting friendships and connected with professors who shaped his professional path.
“I have great memories of Catherine Cotter (LLB’02), who taught me the basics I still use today—like always italicizing the style of cause! I had Anne La Forest (LLB’84) for property law. Her description of advocating on behalf of a client and being in a courtroom really inspired me. Hilary Young, who taught torts, had such a steady, methodical approach to breaking down the law. She introduced me to defamation—an area that fascinated me as someone who loves writing and journalism—and that interest has carried into my practice. And George Filliter (LLB’78), who taught employment law, which is my jam. He’s really a big part of the reason why I chose it.”
His 3L internship with the Hon. Justice Barbara Baird (LLB’76) at the Court of Appeal was equally formative, exposing him to courtroom deliberations and offering him an early taste of how the law worked at its highest levels.
“Justice Baird was still a new appointee at the time and was incredible. She took me into all the court’s deliberations she could and even gave me a voice at the table. I barely knew the law, yet she asked my opinion and unpacked it with me. Her personal story as one of the first women political leaders in Canada—something that fascinated me as a political junkie—was riveting. I found her empathetic and compassionate, always mindful of how her decisions would affect people.”
But it wasn’t just academics that shaped him.
Perhaps the most defining part of Flett’s UNB experience was his role in reviving—and leading—OUTLaw, the advocacy group dedicated to supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ law students and community members. When he arrived, the club was inactive. The absence made him pause—was this a place where he needed to downplay his identity? He did the opposite. Instead of hiding or retreating, he opened up—asking questions. He discovered that the Law Students’ Society wanted to bring the club back; they just needed someone to take the reins.
“They put a piece of paper in front of me and told me that if I could get 10 signatures, OUTLaw would be back. I didn’t know many people in my class, but I mustered the bravery to say to a few of them, ‘Hey, I’d like to create this club,’ or ‘I think there’s a need, would you want to sign this?’”
He got the signatures. Within weeks, OUTLaw was back, and within the year, it was the largest law student organization on campus. The timing gave the initiative extra urgency: in 2013, Scott Jones of Nova Scotia had been paralyzed in a hate-motivated attack. For Flett, it underscored the need for visibility and advocacy. The incident was a grim reminder that safety and visibility for queer people must not be taken for granted.
“I was really affected by that incident, so close to home. I had this sort of angst and storm brewing, and that also motivated me and inspired me to resurrect OUTLaw.”
For Flett, OUTLaw became more than a student group—it was a vehicle for advocacy and community-building and an important part of his own personal journey.
“The advocacy work I did on behalf of OUTLaw was also part of my own coming out journey. I was out and comfortable in my sexuality and sexual orientation by the time I was at UNB, but I had never taken that next step to strongly advocate on behalf of my peers and allies. That was hugely satisfying, not just the work, but the support for it from the community—it still gives me goosebumps when I think about it.”
The work not only energized the student body but also shaped Flett’s own understanding of activism. He had once seen the word “activist” as a bad word, conjuring images of shouting protests and flag burnings. At UNB, he came to appreciate that while activism takes many forms, including disruption sometimes, it can also mean thoughtful advocacy, building coalitions, and creating space for conversation. It was a lesson that would carry into his professional life.
“I became more comfortable with being seen as an activist and being asked my position on issues—answering questions—as an activist.”
After graduation, Flett began his career at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) in Toronto. On Bay Street, he honed his skills in employment law and wills and estates, and he was encouraged by the firm’s progressive attitude and thoughtful approach toward pro bono work. But the size and hierarchy of the firm left him wanting more autonomy and more direct impact.
Mentorship helped him take the leap. One of his most important guides was fellow UNB alum Rory Barnable (LLB’01), who reassured him that building an independent practice was possible—and necessary—given his passions.
“Rory was one of the people who encouraged me to pursue plaintiff-side work, knowing I was less interested in helping wealthy corporations hold onto their money. He said, ‘Why don’t you join my shop? I’ll share some of my files with you, and you can start building your own client base—you’ll be off and running.’ I wouldn’t have taken that plunge without Rory. To this day, I still go to him for advice on files, practice management, and running a law firm.”
That encouragement and guidance ultimately led Flett to his current role as co-managing partner of the boutique employment law firm Zubas Flett Liberatore Law LLP. For Flett, employment law is more than contracts and terminations. It’s about identity. Growing up as a gay man in the 1980s and 90s meant navigating exclusion—from marriage, from parenthood, from basic recognition. The AIDS crisis loomed over his adolescence, a constant reminder of vulnerability and stigma. Against that backdrop, work became a vital anchor of identity and belonging for Flett.
“It was a pretty bleak, scary time. I think a lot of gay men, me included, defined ourselves by our work and our profession—the Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. I was pouring myself into my work to feel as though I was a contributing member of society, and to feel as though I had a fulfilling life because marriage and having kids likely wouldn’t be on my horizon. Employment law is such a gratifying area for me to practice, because I appreciate firsthand how we define ourselves by the work that we do, and when there is unrest or termination in our employment relationships, those hit home really hard.”
That perspective fuels his practice today and informs how he sees his clients. A wrongful dismissal isn’t just about lost wages—it’s about dignity. A case of discrimination isn’t just a workplace conflict—it’s a challenge to someone’s humanity.
His cases, unfortunately, reflect persistent systemic problems. He has seen a rise in workplace discrimination, particularly against trans employees, amid broader economic anxieties. More troubling still is the structural barrier of access to justice: the expense and delay of litigation often force vulnerable clients to settle rather than fight. Flett worries that this erodes fairness. “If it’s expensive for the average Canadian to get into a courtroom, then it’s particularly expensive for a disadvantaged Canadian who experiences systemic discrimination,” he stresses.
Still, the challenges persist. He has seen an uptick in transphobic discrimination at work, coinciding with rising anti-LGBTQ rhetoric in the U.S. Though Toronto is relatively safe, Flett worries about complacency. “It’s not that far away,” he cautions. “Drive an hour outside the city, and the picture changes.”
Outside his firm, Flett channels his legal skills into pro bono work and community advocacy. In Toronto, he mentors 2SLGBTQIA+ youth through Friends of Ruby, a non-profit offering free counselling, housing, and social services. He offers confidential guidance to those navigating workplace discrimination or signing their first employment contracts.
“This is a disadvantaged group, so finding employment and negotiating their first employment agreement or understanding what they’re signing can be a little foreign for them, so I advise those individuals and help them wherever they are at on their personal journey, which varies significantly. I try to assist them on the employment element of that so that they have knowledge of what they’re getting into, and they know how to activate their rights and hold employers accountable for whatever obligations the employer has.”
He also provides pro bono counsel to the Canada Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, advising on matters that support and advocate for LGBTQ+–owned businesses and their allies across Canada.
Looking back on his journey—from PR campaigns in New York, to law school in Fredericton, to the courtroom battles of Toronto—Flett is clear-eyed about the demands of law and the responsibilities that come with it. For students eager to combine their careers with activism, his advice is pragmatic: walk before you run.
“Law is a long run – it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” he says. The early years of practice, he emphasizes, should be about mastering the fundamentals: understanding the law, serving clients, and building confidence. Only then can lawyers make their most effective contributions to social justice causes.
“Once you have something significant that you can parlay into a social justice need and activism, then do it at that point in time, once you feel ready and a bit more comfortable.”
At his core, Flett still sees himself as both a lawyer and an advocate—a professional who thrives in the courtroom but who also believes in listening, nuance, and community-driven solutions. It’s a balance he has carried from his days of reviving OUTLaw at UNB to his work today in Toronto. And it’s a reminder that the most enduring activism often begins in small, local acts of courage.
