Melanie Lea Reist

Melanie is an experienced, no-nonsense lawyer who gets to the heart of the matter, develops solutions, and tirelessly advocates for her employer and employee clients. She has an insatiable curiosity to understand her clients’ case and effectively advocate for them.

“I have found over the years,” Melanie says “that by acting for both employees and employers, I have been able to develop unique insight into the issues that are of concern to both”.

Melanie is an experienced and effective advocate in court, and has appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Divisional Court, and Court of Appeal. She has also been involved in matters before the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, and the Ontario Labour Board.

Melanie Reist has practiced employment law for more than 35 years. She began her legal career working for a well-known Toronto management employment and labour law firm where she discovered an interest in – and passion for – employment law.

In 1990, Melanie moved to Kitchener-Waterloo where she began to deepen her experience on both sides of employment issues. Together with partner Charles Morrison, Melanie founded Morrison Reist in 1992, then welcomed partner Pamela Krauss in 2017 and Maxwell Bauer in 2024.

As an experienced employment lawyer Melanie brings her knowledge and expertise to her workplace investigation practice. She understands the importance of procedural fairness and in creating spaces for people to feel comfortable in telling their stories. She is also devoted to committing the time needed to begin and complete an investigation in a reasonable time frame.