Christopher D. Kanne

Associate

  • Christopher D. Kanne
  • Phone: +1 404 253 6927

    Import to Address Book

  • Duane Morris LLP
    1075 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 1700
    Atlanta, GA 30309-3929
    USA

Christopher D. Kanne represents tech companies, manufacturers, financial institutions, and media corporations in the areas of employment law, commercial litigation, and media law. Mr. Kanne’s litigation practice focuses on defending corporate clients in employment, breach of contract, and defamation lawsuits. In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Kanne regularly counsels clients in these areas through policy decisions, contracts, transactions, investigations, trainings, and negotiations to reduce the risk of litigation (and to set up clients to prevail if they face it).

Mr. Kanne’s litigation track record is described in his Representative Matters, which includes successfully defeating claims in all phases of litigation—on pre-trial motions, at trial or final hearing, and on appeal.

Mr. Kanne graduated with honors from Emory University School of Law, where he was articles editor of the Emory Law Journal, and graduated with honors from the University of Georgia with a B.B.A. in Finance.

Areas of Practice

  • Employment Law

  • Litigation

Representative Matters

    Employment Litigation

  • Directed verdict granted for executive in harassment case (Circuit Court of Hillsborough County, Fl.).

  • Motion to dismiss granted for manufacturer in disability discrimination lawsuit (U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Ga.).

  • Summary judgment granted for telecom company in ERISA lawsuit (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ga.).

  • Obtained voluntary dismissal for company in retaliation lawsuit by ex-employee, and recovered non-confidential monetary settlement for company under trade secret counterclaims (Circuit Court of Hillsborough County, Fl.).

  • Obtained voluntary dismissal for manufacturer in retaliation lawsuit (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ca.).

  • Lifted police closure of retail facility during COVID-19 pandemic (Rockdale County, Ga.).

  • Defended wage and hour class action against retailer, resolved before class certification (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ca.).

  • Defended wage and hour class action against employer, resolved before class certification (Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Ca.).

  • Defended competitor in non-compete injunction action, resolved before TRO hearing (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ga.).

  • Defended manufacturer in retaliation lawsuit, resolved before trial (Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Mo.).

  • Defended manager in non-compete lawsuit, resolved before trial (Superior Court for DeKalb County, Ga.).

  • Defended retailer in discrimination lawsuit, resolved before summary judgment (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Ca.).

  • Defended manufacturer in discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, resolved before summary judgment (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Tx.).

  • Defended food producer in harassment lawsuit, resolved before summary judgment (U.S. District Court for the Western District of Mi.).

  • Defended tech company in harassment and discrimination lawsuit, resolved before summary judgment (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ga.).

  • Defended employer against union grievance (Santa Clara County, Ca.).

  • Defended manufacturer in retaliation and ERISA lawsuit, resolved before summary judgment (Circuit Court of Sumter County, Al.).

  • Defended manufacturer in negligence and retaliation lawsuit, resolved before summary judgment (Circuit Court of Sumter County, Al.).

  • Defended manufacturer in discrimination lawsuit, resolved before summary judgment (Superior Court of Salem County, NJ).

  • Defended retailer in retaliation lawsuit, resolved before summary judgment (Superior Court of Hudson County, NJ).

  • Defended employer in numerous OSHA enforcement actions.

  • Defended employer in numerous EEOC charges around the country.

    • Commercial Litigation

  • Motion to dismiss granted for bank on former customer’s breach of fiduciary duty claim (Superior Court for Richmond County, Ga.).

  • Summary judgment granted for bank on former customer’s punitive damages claim (State Court of Gwinnett County, Ga.).

  • Motion to compel arbitration granted for television show in breach of contract lawsuit, which ended the case (State Court of Gwinnett County, Ga.).

  • Obtained voluntary dismissal for retailer in $100 Million breach of contract lawsuit, with no payment to plaintiff (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ill.).

  • Obtained judgment for financial intuition in breach of contract lawsuit against former client (Superior Court for Gwinnett County, Ga.).

  • Defended manufacturer against environmental claims, resolved before summary judgment (Superior Court of Floyd County, Ga.).

    • Media Litigation

  • Summary judgment granted and affirmed on appeal for television station in defamation lawsuit (Superior Court of Fulton County, Ga.; Ga. Court of Appeals).

  • Summary judgment granted for radio show in defamation and invasion of privacy lawsuit (State Court of Gwinnett County, GA).

  • Motion to dismiss granted for newspaper in defamation lawsuit (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ga.).

  • Summary judgment granted for newspaper in defamation lawsuit (U.S. District Court for the District of Me.).

  • Summary judgment granted for television show performer in defamation lawsuit (Superior Court of Fulton County, Ga.).

  • Anti-SLAPP motion to dismiss granted for television station in defamation lawsuit (Superior Court of Cobb County, Ga.).

  • Anti-SLAPP motion to dismiss granted for publisher in defamation lawsuit (Superior Court of Forsyth County, Ga.).

  • Anti-SLAPP motion to dismiss granted for website under Communications Decency Act (District Court of Clark County, Nv.)

  • Motion for judgment on the pleadings granted for television show in invasion of privacy lawsuit (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ga.).

  • Motion for judgment on the pleadings granted for website in defamation lawsuit (Superior Court of Fulton County, Ga.).

  • Obtained voluntary dismissal for radio station in defamation lawsuit (Superior Court of Fulton County, Ga.).

  • Obtained voluntary dismissal for television station in defamation lawsuit (Superior Court of Fulton County, Ga.).

  • Obtained voluntary dismissal for television station in defamation lawsuit (Superior Court of Erie County, Ct.).

  • Obtained voluntary dismissal for television station in defamation lawsuit (State Court of Gwinnett County, Ga.).

  • Obtained voluntary dismissal for television station in copyright infringement lawsuit (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ga.).

  • Obtained voluntary dismissal for publisher in defamation lawsuit (State Court of Fulton County, Ga.).

  • Motions to quash (on reporter’s privilege grounds) granted for television stations and newspapers in numerous cases.

  • Obtained production of government report for politician in Open Records Act lawsuit (Superior Court of Muscogee County, Ga.).

  • Obtained public settlement in civil rights case for individual arrested for free speech (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ga.).

    • Advice and Counsel

  • Drafted numerous employment, separation, confidentiality, and other agreements for companies around the country.

  • Drafted numerous policies and handbooks for companies around the country.

  • Counseled numerous companies through employee discipline and termination.

  • Counseled numerous companies through misconduct investigations.

  • Drafted policies and conducted numerous trainings on newsgathering, reporter’s privilege, open records, and other media-related matters.

  • Conducted pre-publication review for numerous news stories and other publications.

Admissions

  • Georgia
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

Education

  • Emory University School of Law, J.D., with honors, 2013
    - Articles Editor, Emory Law Journal
  • University of Georgia, B.B.A., with honors, 2009

Experience

  • Duane Morris LLP
    - Associate, 2016-present
  • Counts Law Group
    - Associate, 2013-2016

Honors and Awards

  • Named to Best Lawyers "Ones to Watch," 2021-2025

Selected Publications

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, "State Law Updates, Including COVID-19 Workplace Laws and Regulations," The New Reality of Workplace Law and Practice in the COVID-19 Era, Duane Morris LLP, Webinar, November 12, 2020