CPHR BC & Yukon

Anita Kaur Atwal is an experienced labour, employment and human rights lawyer, who now practices exclusively in the area of workplace investigations, mediations and equity, diversity and inclusion. She supports HR professionals and General Counsel in resolving workplace issues as well as policy development and strategic planning. Anita is also a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) and recently finished serving as Simon Fraser University’s Principal Consultant, Human Rights Office. She now serves as a Special Advisor to SFU’s Vice President, People Equity and Inclusion. Anita is active in the legal community and is a teaching lawyer with the Everyone Legal Clinic, an Access Pro Bono initiative, which provides low cost and fixed-fee legal services to communities throughout British Columbia. She teaches clinicians employment and human rights law. Anita also serves on the Board of the Canadian Bar Association of BC (CBABC) Workplace Investigations Subsection and is a member of the CBABC Employment Law and Human Rights Subsection. She also serves as the Director of the South Asian Bar Association of B.C. In addition, Anita serves on the Board of Directors of British Columbia Infrastructure Benefits (BCIB), a Provincial Crown Corporation responsible for providing qualified skilled trades for the construction of public infrastructure projects. Anita chairs the Human Resources and Governance Committee of BCIB. Anita is frequently invited to present on a variety of topics related to workplace law, mediations and equity and diversity.

Nicole practices in all areas of workplace law. Prior to joining Harris as an associate in 2022, Nicole worked at a labour, employment and litigation firm in Calgary, Alberta. Nicole has appeared before the Court of King's Bench of Alberta and boards of arbitration. She has assisted on matters before all levels of court in Alberta, the Human Rights Tribunal and the Labour Relations Board. During law school, Nicole volunteered her time towards various clinics and advocacy services including Student Legal Services, a clinic providing legal information and representation to low-income residents, and Equity Watch, an organization promoting workplaces free of bullying, harassment and discrimination. Nicole's practical approach to law draws on her previous nine-year career working in human resources at an international energy company. Nicole has maintained her CPHR designation from her previous career and credits her human resources background for her ability to connect with clients, thoughtfully listen to their needs and provide practical solutions that reflect business realities.