C Christine Burns

Christine Burns is an attorney in Fennemore’s Employment & Labor practice group. She counsels and defends employers in every aspect of human resource law. Christine provides employers with day-to-day employment advice on matters involving sexual harassment, age, gender, religion, race, and disability discrimination, wage and hour disputes, and federal and state leave issues. She prepares and implements policies and handbooks and regularly conducts employee training in all areas of employment law. Christine’s experience spans a wide range of industries, including health care, state and municipal agencies, education, transportation and logistics, technology, financial services, and hospitality.

While Christine works closely with employers to provide advice and counseling that helps them comply with the law and avoid claims, when litigation occurs, Christine regularly represents employers before state and federal courts, as well as administrative agencies such as the EEOC and the ACRD. Christine loves both the big-picture strategy and the fine details behind litigating a case, and she particularly enjoys working with witnesses to prepare them for discovery and trial. Her recent experience includes obtaining defense verdicts in single and multi-plaintiff jury trials involving claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII, Section 1981, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. She has also litigated business litigation matters involving breach of contract, defamation, and restrictive covenants, and she has extensive state and federal appellate experience.

Christine’s knack for connecting with witnesses has evolved into a significant practice of conducting workplace investigations. She is often retained in executive-level or highly sensitive investigations, and has a reputation for conducting respectful, efficient, candid investigations with little disruption in the workplace. Christine’s balanced approach to counseling and litigation, together with her depth of experience, make her a trusted partner for employers navigating high-stakes employment matters.

When she is away from work, Christine can be found on the sideline of a soccer match or on a cross-country course, cheering on her three children, all of whom are collegiate athletes.