Find Lawyers in Australia for Labour and Employment Law

Prior to joining the Victorian Bar, Brendan was a Special Counsel in the Human Resources and Industrial Relations group of a major law firm, acting for a number of Victorian and Australian Government Departments and agencies, and private sector employers. Brendan has advised and acted in a number of high profile industrial relations cases, including the Victorian public sector nurses dispute, Victorian government teachers EBA negotiations and industrial action, Australia Post enterprise barga...

Rachel's practice focuses on employment, labour law, and discrimination matters. She works closely with large organisations, in relation to both blue-collar and white-collar workforces, to find solutions that meet their strategic aims whilst minimising their employment law risks. Rachel has also worked closely with large corporate and government business enterprises to: Defend employment litigation in numerous Australian jurisdictions Reduce industrial and legal risks associated with major bu...

John Blackburn SC is a leading workplace relations barrister. John practises almost exclusively in industrial and employment matters. He regularly advises and appears in Federal and State courts and tribunals on matters ranging from large scale industrial disputes to executive employment litigation, adverse action and discrimination claims by individuals. He has appeared in many notable cases, both at first instance and appellate level, including in 2021 in the High Court's landmark CFMMEU v ...

About Seamus Seamus likes being a workplace lawyer, which is fortunate given that he’s been one since 1996. Since that time, he’s worked on all aspects of the employment relationship, for employer clients. He’s passionate about the power of communication and always adopts a pragmatic, reasonable and value driven approach. What he does The work Seamus does is split into two main parts. The first is focused on maximising the benefits of high functioning relationships, both emp...

Fay has acted for employers for the last 20 years across a range of industries including professional services, manufacturing, sport, health, aged care, community services and local councils focused always on the purpose and imperatives of the organisations she is servicing. As a specialist on all matters touching the workplace, Fay provides practical advice and guidance on proactive compliance, change management and restructuring, discrimination, bullying, harassment, misconduct investigatio...

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Drawing on more than 20 years’ specialist experience, Andrew helps leading employers manage all aspects of their workforce through strategic advice, training and litigation services, to help meet their corporate goals. An engaging educator, he presents across the country on practical steps to manage occupational / work health and safety (WHS) obligations and on employment, industrial relations, bullying and harassment and discrimination issues and legislative updates. With a wealth of e...

Mark (BA LLB Hons, University of Melbourne) leads the specialist employment law team at MDC Legal. Mark is a well-regarded practitioner in workplace relations law, named as a ‘leading lawyer’ in Doyle’s Guide 2014 to 2016, and market leader’ every year since 2017. In addition to serving a wide range of businesses with front-end advice in HR infrastructure, start-ups, mergers/acquisitions, implementing employment contracts, policies and procedures, and restructures, Mar...

Stephen has more than 25 years’ experience in law including general commercial law, commercial dispute resolution and employment law. He provides constructive advice to assist clients to achieve favourable outcomes in the formation, interpretation and enforcement of their commercial contracts. Stephen has broad commercial experience across a range of industries including manufacturing, transport and logistics, distribution, IT, agribusiness and the promotions industry. Stephen is a qual...

Paul assists clients with their health, safety, and environment legal risks and impacts. This includes working with clients to identify opportunities to proactively manage challenges, as well as being responsive to a crisis and minimising the consequences. Paul is a sought after advisor to a number of the world's largest companies, providing strategic advice to boards that help to shape their safety frameworks or to tactically manage their legal risks. His advice extends to international cros...

Aaron has extensive employment and industrial relations law experience working with clients across a range of industries. Specifically, Aaron specialises in enterprise bargaining, industrial strategies and disputes, disciplinary and performance matters, independent contractor claims, corporate restructuring and outsourcing, managing ill and injured workers, breach of contract claims, and enforcement of restraints of trade. Aaron acts for prominent Australian and international companies. His e...

Harry is one of Australia’s most reputable Senior Counsel in Employment Law, Industrial Law and Work Health and Safety laws. He has been at the forefront of legal change, having successfully appeared in ground-breaking cases in his more than 43 years of legal practice. Harry has appeared in some of Australia’s most significant industrial disputes and is consistently recognised in Doyles Guide as a “Pre-eminent” Senior Counsel in Employment and Work Health and Safety in...

Rachel is a highly experienced workplace lawyer with extensive experience in government, education, medical & allied health and construction & resources sectors. She specialises in employment & industrial relations issues, including industrial bargaining, workplace disputes, Federal Circuit Court & Fair Work Commission litigation, employee misconduct investigations, professional misconduct defence, business sponsorship and migration, defamation disputes, work health and safety...

Employment and industrial relations are complex and continually changing areas of the law which require a high degree of technical knowledge, matched with a commercial, practical, and responsive approach to solving problems. Clients need to balance employment and industrial risks against commercial and market pressures to navigate the best course. Ben assists clients with charting the right course through those matters. Ben has experience working at the industrial relations commission, in the...

Mark’s practice encompasses both litigious and non-litigious applications of employment and industrial relations law. Mark is skilled in dealing with matters involving: industrial disputes and their implications; drafting and advising on enterprise agreements; award interpretation and ramifications; providing advice and acting in litigious matters regarding terminations, employee discipline, unfair dismissals, adverse action claims, common law disputes, equal opportunity, discrimination...

For more than 20 years, Chris has advised some of Australia's leading employers on workplace strategy, complex human resources issues and high-stakes litigation. Chris loves the engagements that really matter for clients, working with business leaders who can best take advantage of his experience. For Chris, workplace law is his expertise, but helping businesses achieve their goals is his passion. His considerable expertise in workplace change has been forged in the toughest of environments, ...

Darren is a trusted and valued consulting partner and legal adviser to employers in the corporate and government sectors. He is the head of our Workplace Law & Culture team. Darren is considered by many of his clients to be an integral part of their leadership team helping to deliver on important organisational change and effectiveness objectives. For over 25 years Darren has tirelessly served his clients best interests: in the heat of litigation and in the cut and thrust of regulatory in...

Justine advises clients in relation to employment arrangements and industrial instruments, workplace policies, executive employment issues, termination of employment, enterprise bargaining, industrial action, and workforce restructures. She has particular experience in post-employment restraint matters and has assisted employers to obtain injunctive relief in the Supreme Court of Victoria and the Federal Court of Australia. Justine also has experience acting in employment and industrial litig...

About Emma Emma is an experienced workplace lawyer who advises on employment and work health and safety (WHS) issues for clients in diverse sectors, including mining, transport, financial services, insurance, health care and government. What she does Emma considers broader organisational objectives when guiding clients through difficult situations, ranging from internal investigations and disciplinary matters to unfair dismissal and general protections claims. She also helps clients with ente...

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An experienced litigator representing employers when litigation is unavoidable or advantageous, Erin has the game plan needed to protect or attack. She has worked in both private practice and in-house roles and uses her experience of being a client to deliver the best legal strategy through a lens of practicality. She enjoys using the opportunities presented by employment and industrial problems to deliver outcomes for her clients. Erin has extensive experience managing employment investigati...

Peter Healey is Special Counsel in the Employment & Workplace Relations team. He has advised on a broad range of employment matters from unfair dismissals and disputes on interpretation of agreements to coronial inquests and dust diseases. Peter has provided WHS and workers compensation advice to clients across Australia in the mining, energy, defence, construction, agriculture, property and retail industries. He also has extensive experience assisting clients with advice and representati...

About Luke Luke is one of South Australia's leading workplace lawyers. He advises a range of employers on employment and work health and safety (WHS) issues and is known for his practical and balanced approach.The AFR's Best Lawyers in Australia named Luke as Lawyer of the Year for Occupational Health and Safety Law in 2019. He is also named on the Best Lawyers in Australia list for Occupational Health and Safety. What he does Luke's experience working in private practice, government and in-h...

About Sam Sam partners with the firm’s clients to help them better manage their workplace risks; including employment & IR disputes, critical incidents, regulatory investigations and prosecutions.Sam's industry leading expertise is recognised by the Australian Financial Review's “Best Lawyers” guide awarding him the Best Lawyer Of The Year Award for Occupational Health & Safety Law in Melbourne for 2021. He is also listed as a Leading WHS Lawyer by Doyles Guide (2019...

Michael leads Wallmans Lawyers' corporate workplace relations and safety practice. The practice has both a litigious and advisory focus. Michael has a significant client base, having acted for some of the largest employers and insurers in South Australia and Australia. Michael has been repeatedly recognised in Best Lawyers Australia in Labour and Employment Law and Occupational Health and Safety Law. Additionally he is listed in Doyles Guide as a Leading Employment Lawyer and Leading WHS Lawy...

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Mr. Lupson has more than 20 years of experience in labour and employment law. He acts for employers in the corporate and the public sectors and practices in the areas of employment law, industrial relations and equal opportunity law. His employment law experience includes advising in unfair dismissal and adverse action claims, redundancies, employment contracts and agreements, senior executive employment, confidential information and restraint of trade. Mr. Lupson's labour law experience incl...

Benjamin is a partner in the firm's Workplace Relations & Safety Group. He provides straightforward and practical guidance and direction to businesses in relation to all aspects of labour and employment law, helping them to understand the issues they face and deliver their desired commercial outcomes. In particular, Benjamin specialises in workplace strategy, including change management, restructuring, enterprise bargaining and responding to industrial action, defending against employee a...

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Sam leads our Business team. He specialises in employment law, including employment relations, industrial relations and health and safety. Sam combines practical business acumen and a high level of legal expertise to deliver clients with a full range of employment law representation across contentious and non-contentious issues including unfair dismissal, adverse action and discrimination claims an advice on contracts and policies and procedures. His focus on achieving commercial outcomes mak...

Widely regarded by clients and peers as a leading practitioner in his field, Darren acts in all areas of employment and industrial relations law. Darren is prominent in advising major employers on collective bargaining strategies, responses to industrial action, and major workplace change projects including automation. Darren has expertise in executive contracts and remuneration and handling disputes relating to the termination of executive employees.

Charles draws on over 20 years of skills, expertise and experience in workplace relations and safety law. In additional to legal practice, Charles has served as an associate to a senior deputy president of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. In 1995 and 1996 Charles served as a Canberra-based adviser to a federal government minister. Charles gives legal advice and representation to organisations and individuals in all areas of the discipline, including: minimising legal risks asso...

Jacquie has practised employment law, discrimination law and education law since 1990. Her sports law practice has grown naturally from these other areas since 2006. She has guided clients through four major reforms to the federal industrial relations system. An experienced litigator in employment and industrial relations, Jacquie has specialist expertise in discrimination, unfair dismissal, breach of contract claims, industrial disputes, and prosecutions for breach of awards, industrial laws...

David is a consultant in the firm's Workplace Relations for Employees Group. His areas of practice include: representing employees in complex employment disputes involving the termination of employment, discrimination claims, bullying claims and restraint of trade claims representing employees, councillors and statutory office holders involved in investigations by the Ombudsman, IBAC, Royal Commissions and professional disciplinary bodies acting for unions in relation to workplace issues, reg...

Focusing on workplace relations strategy, Henry’s practice contemplates all aspects of workplace change and execution, including enterprise bargaining, collective labour disputes and litigation, individual employment arrangements and litigation, and construction and infrastructure management. He has acted for major employees in many of the largest and most complex matters in this field, in federal and state jurisdictions. His clients come from a range of industries, including mining and...

Penny draws on more than 20 years of experience in workplace health and safety law to help her clients manage the legal risks to their business. In difficult circumstances, Penny can be relied on to provide strategic insights and make a judgement call. She has extensive experience defending prosecutions across a broad range of industries as well as advising and representing clients on questions of law in the Victorian Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court of Australia. She is a strate...

Michael represents Australia’s leading employers. He advises on all aspects of employment, industrial and discrimination law. With particular experience advising and appearing for clients in complex employment and industrial relations litigation. What makes Michael more than a stand-out strategic litigator sought after by leading multi-nationals, is an Executive MBA from INSEAD University and experience in running successful businesses, which ensures that he intuitively understands comm...

Andrew is a Partner and the head of HopgoodGanim Lawyers’ Workplace and Employment practice. Andrew advises clients on all aspects of workplace law, equal opportunity and discrimination law, safety and privacy. From front-end bargaining and agreement composition to dispute management, Andrew has extensive experience advising across a broad range of sectors including resources and energy, manufacturing, health and hospitality. He is particularly skilled in providing strategic employment ...

Stephen is a partner in the firm's Workplace Relations and Safety group and is the firm's Sydney Managing Partner. He has significant experience in all aspects of workplace relations and safety, and provides a wide range of strategic advice and protects clients' interests in all applicable Courts and Tribunals. Stephen's experience includes: advising on all termination of employment issues and procedures, including in respect of senior executives on questions concerning options, bonus entitle...

About Ariel Ariel is an employment lawyer with experience advising small and large organisations on a vast range of industrial matters including award coverage, underpayment disputes and contractual issues. Ariel’s work has exposed her to a range of industries including the banking, insurance, not-for-profit and health services industries. What she does Ariel assists clients with all types of employment matters, helping them navigate complex legislative landscapes and delicate workplace...

About Ben Ben is a specialist in the areas of employment and safety. Ben’s work in these areas sees him involved in a broad range of matters , including employment and industrial disputes, enterprise agreement negotiations, safety incidents and prosecutions, workplace investigations, and building defect disputes. What he does Ben is a passionate litigator and regularly appears on behalf of clients in a variety of jurisdictions, including the Federal Court, the Supreme Court, the Distric...

About Jessica Jess is an employment and industrial relations lawyer with a particular focus on providing plain language advice to clients and working with them to find practical and commercial solutions to workplace issues. What she does Jess has experience assisting clients with a broad range of employment and industrial relations matters including drafting employment contracts and policies and procedures, advising on the interpretation and application of industrial instruments, conducting w...