Employment Lawyer and Partner
Sarah Coderre is a partner and co-founder of Bow River Law LLP. Her practice is focused on the areas of employment law, human rights, and labour law. Sarah has extensive experience representing individual employees facing workplace issues, including wrongful dismissal, constructive dismissal, harassment in the workplace, workplace investigations, and professional regulatory matters. Sarah has in-depth experience in human rights matters, and has represented not only employees, but also students and other members of the public in human rights complaints before the Alberta Human Rights Commission and the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal. She also has represented unionized workers in labour relations board complaints. While Sarah’s primary focus is on individual clients, she also provides strategic advice to smaller employers on a variety of issues including workplace accommodations for employees, employment contract and policy reviews, non-competition/non-solicitation agreements, severance proposals, and human rights complaints.
Sarah was born and raised in Fort McMurray, Alberta and worked as a summer student at a major oilsands company while she was completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta. As such, Sarah has a unique understanding of workplaces in the oilsands and oil and gas industry, and the challenges faced by employees who work shift work and perform dangerous and necessary duties. As a life-long Albertan, Sarah also understands the challenges faced by employees whose employment is necessarily tied to the political tides, such as health care workers, teachers, and other government-sector employees. This experience and knowledge supports the legal and strategic advice she provides to her clients.
While reaching a settlement is often in the interest of most clients, Sarah is an experienced litigator and has represented clients in trials and hearings before the Provincial Court of Alberta, the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta, the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal, and other administrative bodies. She enjoys oral advocacy, and her honed skills as a persuasive advocate benefit her clients in settlement negotiations as well as in litigation.
When she is not at work, Sarah’s negotiation skills continue to be tested and refined in her role as mother to two small children.
Education:
- Juris Doctor, University of Calgary (2011)
- A. (Philosophy), University of Alberta (2006)
Professional Associations, Affiliations and Community Activities:
- Member, Canadian Bar Association
- Young Lawyer Member, Canadian Bar Association Alberta Branch Board of Directors
- Member, Canadian Black Lawyers Association
- President, CABL Alberta Chapter
- Member, LEAD Alberta
- Director, LEAD Alberta Board of Directors
- Member, Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association
- Judicial District Representative (Calgary), Board of Directors
- Co-Chair, Seminars Committee
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