Christian is a member of the firm’s advocacy group practising in the areas of commercial and civil litigation and labour and employment law. He has extensive experience handling a wide range of large and complex matters, representing clients from a broad range of industries.
Christian practises in the areas of commercial and civil litigation, and labour and employment law. His practice extends to constitutional and public law, international and domestic commercial arbitrations, and administrative advocacy with an emphasis on regulatory matters and labour law matters. He has experience advising on matters relating to consumer product safety and liability and insurance, and defending clients in multi-jurisdictional and cross-border class actions.
Christian regularly advises employers on all labour-management relations and non-unionized matters. His labour and employment practice includes:
- handling all aspects of labour relations and collective agreement issues regarding corporate mergers, sales and acquisitions
- negotiating, drafting, interpretation and application of collective agreements
- negotiating and drafting employment agreements
- drafting and implementing workplace policies
- disciplinary matters and terminations
- human rights matters and employment standards matters.
Christian has appeared as counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Courts (Trial and Appeal), the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench and the Manitoba Court of Appeal, the New Brunswick Court of King’s Bench, the Ontario Superior Court, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador (Trial and Appeal) and the Saskatchewan Court of King’s Bench. He has also appeared before various labour boards, commissions, administrative tribunals, grievance arbitrators, House of Commons committees and tribunals appointed under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) arbitration rules.
Christian is a part-time commissioner representing the public interest for the Workers Compensation Appeal Commission of Manitoba. He previously served as chairperson of the advisory board for the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and was a sessional instructor in Legal Methods (French) at the University of Manitoba’s Robson Hall.
Past Positions
- Managing Partner, Hill Sokalski Walsh LLP (2014-2019)
- Associate and Partner, Hill Sokalski Walsh LLP (2010-2013)
- Associate, Heenan Blaikie LLP (2006-2010)
- Articling Student and Associate, Aikins, MacAulay & Thorvaldson LLP (2001-2006)
- Bencher, Law Society of Manitoba (Manitoba, 2018-present)
- Member, Nominating Committee, Law Society of Manitoba (Manitoba, 2020-2021)
- Member, President’s Special Committee on Regulating Legal Entities, Law Society of Manitoba (Manitoba, 2019-present)
- Member, Practice and Ethics Committee, Law Society of Manitoba (Manitoba, 2019-present)
- Member, Complaints Investigation Committee, Law Society of Manitoba (Manitoba, 2019-present)
- Volunteer Lawyer, Legal Help Centre of Winnipeg Inc. (Winnipeg, 2018-present)
- Président, Société de la Francophonie Manitobaine (Manitoba, 2017-present)
- Co-chair, Francophone Affairs Advisory Council, Province of Manitoba (Manitoba, 2017-present)
- Board Member, Fédération des Communautés Francophones et Acadienne du Canada (2017-present)
- Member, President’s Special Committee on the Delivery of Legal Service Providers, Law Society of Manitoba (Manitoba, 2018-2019)
- Speaker and Panellist, “Official Languages Act – 50 Years,” Institute of Public Administration of Canada, 71st IPAC Conference (Manitoba, August 2019)
- Presenter, “Manitoba Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education” (Manitoba, June 2019)
- Presenter, “Standing Committee on Official Languages, Re Modernizing the Official Languages Act,” Senate of Canada (February 2018)
- Speaker, “Règles d’éthiques des praticiens et les recours collectifs,” Conférence annuelle des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (Ontario, June 2015)
- Bloomberg BNA, Inc., Preparation of the Manitoba chapter of the International HR Primer – Overview of Labour and Employment law in Manitoba (2015)
- “Bull by the horns,” Canadian Lawyer (August 2014)
- Speaker, “Winning Advocacy: Current Issues in International Commercial Arbitration,” CBA Legal Conference (August 2013)
- 2013 AGM Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba (IBAM) – Mock Trial re E&OM
- “Land of Great Promise: Manitoba Class Action Review,” Ontario Bar Association, Class Action Law Section, Volume 2, No. 2 (July 2012)
- “Overtime Class Action Suit Dismissed,” The Lawyers Weekly (September 2009)
- “Mitigating the Risks of Multi-Jurisdictional Class Actions,” Canadian Institute’s 9th Annual Forum on Class Action Litigation (Toronto, September 2008)
- “Legal Transitions,” National Magazine, Vol. 16, No. 2 (March 2007)
- Presenter, “Why Best Intentions Are Not Enough – Legal Issues in Communicating with Pension Plan Members,” Pension Plan Members (May 2004)
- Presenter, “Exercising Due Diligence in Road Transportation: Assigning Responsibility in Regulatory and Civil Matters,” Manitoba Safety Council (December 2002)
- Presentations to Law students of Robson Hall and the University of Ottawa on various subjects dealing with civil procedure, class actions and minority language rights
- Recognized as a Top Lawyer, Class Action Litigation, Labour, and Employment Law, Best Lawyers (2024-present)
- Public Interest Pro Bono Award, Manitoba Bar Association (2021)
- Rising Star Award, Lexpert (2012)
- Named Litigation Lawyer to Watch, Lexpert’s Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Litigators (2013)
- Named Future Star, Benchmark Canada (Manitoba, 2012-2015)
- Named Local Litigation Star, Commercial Litigation, Benchmark Canada (Manitoba, 2016-2019)
- Named Local Litigation Star, Administrative Law, Benchmark Canada (Manitoba, 2016-2019)
- Named Local Litigation Star, Employment Law, Benchmark Canada (Manitoba, 2016-2019)