Lee & Lee
a Professional Law Corporation
A California Boutique Law Firm Specializing in Workers’ Compensation, Employment Law and Workplace Investigations
Advocacy when it matters - Neutrality when it's required
Two Functions.
One Standard of Excellence.
Legal exposure in the workplace does not come in a single form. Neither should legal services.
We divide our services into two clearly defined roles:
1. Advocacy Services
Where your interests must be defended.
2. Neutral & Investigative Services
Where independence and credibility are paramount.
Each function requires a different mindset, a different ethical posture, and a different strategic approach. We respect that distinction — and structure our practice accordingly.
Advocacy Services
Strategic Defense & Institutional Protection
When representing employers, we act as committed advocates.
Our role is singular: protect your organization’s legal and financial interests.
We represent employers in:
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Workers’ compensation litigation
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Labor Code §132a discrimination claims
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Serious & Willful misconduct allegations
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High-exposure injury matters
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Complex cumulative trauma claims
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Employment-related disputes and risk counseling
Advocacy requires precision, analysis, and strategic positioning.
We evaluate exposure early, forecast risk realistically, and pursue resolution or trial based on disciplined judgment — not reaction.
When we are your counsel, we are aligned exclusively with your interests.
Neutral & Impartial Workplace Investigations
Independent. Impartial. Defensible.
Certain matters require something different.
Internal complaints, sensitive personnel issues, and compliance-related concerns often demand an investigator who is:
Independent from operational management
Neutral in evaluation
Objective in fact-finding
Credible under scrutiny
In these engagements, we do not advocate.
We investigate.
Our investigative services include:
Workplace misconduct investigations
Harassment and discrimination inquiries
Policy compliance reviews
Fact-finding reports for internal or regulatory use
We apply structured methodology, careful documentation, and balanced analysis to ensure findings withstand internal and external review.
Impartiality is not a marketing word. It is a professional obligation.
Our Advantage
Our experience across these disciplines allows us to understand how these systems interact in real time.
When conducting workplace investigations, we serve as neutral, independent fact-finders while understanding the broader legal environment in which findings may exist.
When providing advisory or strategic support, we help organizations understand how decisions in one legal framework may affect outcomes in another.
Our role is not to replace specialized counsel.
Our role is to help ensure complex workplace issues are addressed with full awareness of how legal systems intersect.
Because in complex workplace matters, the greatest risk is often not in any single issue — but in how multiple issues connect.
Our Team
Chris Lee
founder, managing shareholder
Chris Lee is a workplace attorney with more than 20 years of experience representing organizations and individuals in complex workers’ compensation and cross-disciplinary workplace matters. He is a Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law by the State Bar of California.
He advises organizations on the strategic management of workers’ compensation and employment law matters, including high-exposure claims, overlapping disability obligations, and workplace investigations. His work is informed by extensive investigative experience and deep familiarity with the legal frameworks that drive complex workplace disputes.
Chris developed much of this perspective representing healthcare organizations, where the operational realities of patient care, regulatory oversight, and large, diverse workforces require coordinated decision-making across workers’ compensation, disability, and employment law. That background informs his integrated approach to complex workplace matters across industries.
christine lee (awi-ch)
co-founder, shareholder
Christine Lee is an employment attorney with over 20 years of experience and serves as Head of the Workplace Investigations Practice Group.
Christine advises employers on complex employment matters and conducts workplace investigations involving allegations that require discretion, judgment, and rigor.
Her practice focuses on high-sensitivity investigations and employment counseling where legal exposure, employee relations, and organizational integrity intersect. She is routinely engaged when issues are serious, nuanced, or likely to have long-term consequences for leadership and the organization.
Beyond investigations, she advises employers on labor and employment matters, including workplace compliance, risk management, employee relations, and performance management.
John parente
of counsel
John Parente is Of Counsel to the firm and one of California’s most respected workers’ compensation attorneys. He has practiced workers’ compensation law for over four decades and is a Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law by the State Bar of California.
John is a member of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers and has held numerous leadership roles within the workers’ compensation legal community, including serving as President of the California Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorneys Association.
John’s depth of experience, judicial perspective, and institutional knowledge provide invaluable strategic insight on complex, high-stakes workers’ compensation matters.
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