About Rick Hartlen
A career grounded in evidence, fairness and sound judgment.
Rick Hartlen brings an investigative background to sensitive workplace complaints, with a practical focus on the evidence, the people involved and the questions that need answers.
Professional biography
Investigative experience for sensitive workplace concerns.
Rick spent more than eighteen years with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service, including as a Senior Crown Attorney attached to the Special Prosecutions Section. He worked closely with investigative agencies, provided guidance on complex investigations and assessed evidence and credibility in high-stakes matters.
That experience informs his calm, rigorous approach at Hartlen Workplace Investigations & Solutions. Workplace investigations involve carefully defining the mandate, examining relevant records, hearing different accounts and explaining the basis for the findings.
Rick is a member of the Association of Workplace Investigators and holds a Certificate in Advanced Workplace Investigations issued by Osgoode Hall Law School. His professional development includes investigative interviewing, evidence and credibility assessment, ethics, accountability and report writing.
Rick currently serves as a per diem Presiding Justice of the Peace for the Province of Nova Scotia. That role is separate from this independent practice; it does not imply judicial endorsement of its services.
Experience & qualifications
Professional experience
- Former Senior Crown Attorney attached to the Special Prosecutions Section, Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service
- Wiretap Agent appointed by the Attorney General of Nova Scotia
- Deputy High Risk Offender Coordinator for the Province of Nova Scotia
- Occupational Health and Safety Act prosecution experience, including workplace fatality matters
- Presiding Justice of the Peace for the Province of Nova Scotia (per diem)
- Specialized professional development includes workplace investigations, investigative interviewing, evidence assessment, ethics and accountability, credibility assessment, and report writing through programs offered by the Association of Workplace Investigators, the Canadian Police Knowledge Network (including courses developed in partnership with the Canadian Police College), the RCMP, and other recognized professional organizations.
A member of the Association of Workplace Investigators and the holder of a Certificate in Advanced Workplace Investigations issued by Osgoode Hall Law School
- Outside of his professional work, Rick is an avid beekeeper and is quietly trying to save the world one honeybee at a time at his piece of paradise at the Bighouse Honey Farm in beautiful Lunenburg County.
Professional affiliations
Continuing professional development.
Association of Workplace Investigators
- AWI Workplace Investigations Fundamentals Series (2026)
- Training in workplace investigation planning, evidence gathering, witness interviewing, credibility assessment, report writing, and legally defensible decision-making.
- Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society
Hartlen Workplace Investigations & Solutions is an independent practice of R.M. Hartlen Legal Services. Rick Hartlen remains associated with Anderson Sinclair. Clients requiring legal services beyond the scope of Hartlen Workplace Investigations & Solutions may discuss referral options upon request.
Approach
Thoughtful process. Clear communication. Practical next steps.
Each engagement begins with the organization’s context, potential conflicts and the questions to be addressed. The process is designed around the mandate rather than a presumed outcome.
A thoughtful response starts with a conversation.
Discuss your organization’s situation and the options that may be appropriate.