Canadian accountant working remotely for U.S. company wants wrongful dismissal claim heard at home
A British Columbia accountant who worked remotely for a U.S. company wanted his wrongful dismissal claim heard at home — to no avail.
A choice-of-law clause pointing to Ohio held up, and the court found his B.C. connection too thin to keep the case here.
In a decision dated June 19, 2026, Justice L. Bennett of the Supreme Court of British Columbia stayed the accountant's wrongful dismissal action against AirCFO, an Ohio-based firm that provides fractional accounting, finance, people operations and tax services to U.S. startups.
The certified professional accountant living in British Columbia alleged he was an employee who was dismissed without reasonable notice or pay in lieu.
Armstrong had contracted with AirCFO through his own numbered company between 2021 and 2024, doing accounting work for the company's U.S. customers. The relationship ended on May 31, 2024, and he filed his claim the following April.
AirCFO applied to strike or stay the action, arguing British Columbia had no jurisdiction to hear it.
The four-page consulting agreement described his relationship as that of an independent contractor rather than an employee, and said disputes would be governed by Ohio law.
The accountant argued that his ties to the province ran deep. He had lived in British Columbia since 2011, was registered there as an accountant, and...
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