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Christopher M. Andree
Partner • Waterloo Region
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Christopher M. Andree
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Christopher M. Andree is a partner in Gowlings' Waterloo Region office and National Practice Group Leader - Employment and Labour Law. He focuses his practice in the area of employment law and represents employers in all aspects of their relationships with their employees. Chris is client-focused with a reputation for providing timely, cost-effective and exceptional service. His clients receive sophisticated, strategic and pro-active advice with an emphasis on practical solutions.
Chris advises clients in many areas including recruitment protocols; employment agreements; absenteeism and leaves of absence management; policy development, implementation and enforcement; pre-termination advice and strategy; wrongful dismissal and other types of employment-related litigation; sale of a business/reorganization strategies; responding to union organizing and certification applications; enforcing fiduciary duty, confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation obligations; workplace investigations; human rights issues; workplace safety; and ensuring compliance with workplace privacy law obligations.
Chris represents clients before courts and administrative tribunals, including the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and Ontario Court of Justice; Ontario Labour Relations Board; Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and Appeals Tribunal; Employment Standards Officers; Employment Insurance Referees and Umpires; Mediators; Canada Labour Code Adjudicators; the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
He advises both owner-operated businesses and multinational organizations. His clients are active in many sectors of the economy including technology; manufacturing; financial services; food, beverage and recreation; health care; professional services; municipalities; retail; transportation; not-for-profit; advertising; construction and temporary employment.
SIGNIFICANT CASES/MATTERS
- Currently acting for several clients in the preparation and implementation of written employment agreements designed to protect them from liability and ensure their confidential information and trade relationships are maintained.
- Currently acting for a large not-for-profit health care agency in a matter before the Ontario Court of Appeal involving allegations of breach of contract and tortious conduct by a former employee. The action claims more than $500,000.00 and was dismissed by the Ontario Superior Court on a motion to strike the pleadings.
- Currently representing a public company which terminated its founder and Chief Technology Officer for cause.
- Recently represented the vendor company, its principals and senior management in all aspects of negotiations related to their continued employment following the sale of the business.
- Recently represented the employer in a debt and equity financing transaction involving the negotiation and drafting of the employment agreements of the CEO, principal shareholders, existing management and non-management, and corporate and individual consultants. Drafted assignment of intellectual property, confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, and advised regarding stock option plan and other equity and non-equity incentive plans.
- Recently provided legal and strategic advice to an employer regarding allegations of criminal misconduct by an employee against a vulnerable client which was extensively reported in the media.
- Recently represented a temporary employment agency before the Ontario Divisional Court in its effort to resist a union’s application to certify employees assigned to the agency’s customer.
- Previously acted for the successful new employer in resisting an injunction motion brought by the former employer alleging breach of fiduciary duty and duty of confidentiality against a salesperson.
- Previously successfully negotiated the resolution of a threatened injunction proceeding that would have prevented a client from employing the former president of its direct competitor. Designed a creative mechanism to allow for continued relationships with shared customers while protecting against unbridled competition.
- Recently negotiated and drafted the employment agreement of the CEO of a public company in the technology industry.
- Recently acted for a public company which terminated its existing CEO and hired an interim CEO, including preparation of agreements related to terms of employment, equity compensation, non-disclosure, assignment of intellectual property rights and non-solicitation/non-competition.
SPEAKING/TEACHING ENGAGEMENTS
- Do Employees Have a Right to Privacy in Viewing and Storing Porn on Company Computers? Internet and E-Commerce Law in Canada, Toronto, August 2011.
- Employment Contracts: Are They Worth the Paper They’re Written On?, Association of Corporate Counsel, Washington, DC, webinar June 23, 2011.
- Managing Performance and Misconduct, HRPA – Grand Valley Chapter, Kitchener, December 9, 2010.
- Impact of Bill 139 on Businesses Using Temporary Workers, HR Professional Magazine, Toronto, July/August 2010.
- Changing Landscape of the Canadian Workplace, International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Toronto, June 15, 2009.
- Legal Update, Private Motor Truck Council of Canada Annual Conference, Niagara-on-the-Lake, June 19, 2009
- Employment Law Update - Ontario, Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers 4th Annual Conference, St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick, September 27-30, 2007.
- Termination and the Employment Relationship: Getting It Right, Fundamentals of Employment Law: Ensuring Your HR Department Knows the Latest Developments and Trends, The Canadian Institute, Toronto, June 20-21, 2007.
- Written Employment Contracts: Preferred Terms and Potential Pitfalls, Current Issues in Employment Law: 2006, Ontario Bar Association, Toronto, May 12, 2006.
- Temporary Agencies and the Tri-Partite Employment Relationship – Who is the Employer?, 7th Annual 6-Minute Employment Lawyer, The Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto, June 1, 2004.
- Numerous articles, lectures and seminars for other lawyers, owners and managers on legal issues in the workplace. Chris has been quoted in the media and appeared on television discussing important developments in employment law.
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