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Christopher M. Andree is a partner in Gowlings' Waterloo Region office and the Employment and Labour Law Office Group Leader. 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, 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 automotive; technology; manufacturing; financial services; food; beverage and recreation; health care; professional services; municipalities; retail; transportation; not-for-profit; advertising; construction and temporary employment.