I take great pride in being able to work through complicated issues, in coming up with innovative solutions, and in providing clear guidance to businesses about how to deal with those issues. At the same time I am fiercely-protective of the interests of my clients. Therefore, when I am supporting a client in litigation, my continued focus is on finding innovative ways of protecting their interests, both through the litigation process and outside of that process.

Career highlights

Amongst the projects where I have been able to assist clients to achieve their commercial goals are:

• Enforcement proceedings for breach by former employees of their post employment restrictions
• Defence of significant claims made under the general protections part of the Fair Work Act
• Introduction of Drug & Alcohol Policy, and defence of proceedings aimed at frustrating its introduction
• Defence of claims for redundancy benefits (resulting in significant costs savings)
• Restructurings and transition to new business models

Education
BA, LLB

• Industrial Relations Society of Victoria
• Law Institute of Victoria 

• Employee's refusal to get vaccinated and return to the office held to be serious misconduct
  

  The Fair Work Commission continues to support employers' lawful and reasonable safety measures – the facts of each case and consultation remain important

   

• Managing disputes about safety at work: Lessons from DPP v Patrick Stevedores Holdings
  

  The Victorian County Court has imposed a new record fine for an employer whose manager mishandled a dispute about safety at work.

• Update on industrial manslaughter legislation in Victoria
  

  On 26 May 2018, Daniel Andrews, the Premier of Victoria, announced that the Victorian Government would introduce a new criminal offence of industrial manslaughter.

• Victoria's industrial manslaughter laws and tougher penalties regarding dangerous goods
  

  The Victorian government has recently implemented a number of significant changes to OHS legislation in Victoria, including the introduction of an offence for industrial manslaughter and tighter controls and higher penalties for individuals and companies who fail to adequately store and dispose of dangerous goods.

   

• Victoria passes legislation to ban "wage theft"
  

  On 16 June 2020, Victorian Parliament passed the Wage Theft Bill 2020, making Victoria the first Australian jurisdiction to do so. In this article we summarise the proposed changes and discuss the impacts that this will have on employers.

• Infosys decision of the Victorian Court of Appeal: Our view
  

  What actions do employers need to take following the landmark decision of Infosys Technologies Limited v State of Victoria [2021] VSCA 219

   

• Provisional payments for Victorian workers with mental injury claims
  

  An Act recently passed the Victorian Parliament that will enable workers seeking compensation for mental injuries to receive payments while they wait for their claim to be determined. The Act is not intended to change the employer's 12 month obligation period.

• Victoria's industrial manslaughter laws in action
  

  The workplace manslaughter provisions are contained in new section 39G of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) and comprise of two new offences, which apply to deaths occurring after 1 July 2020.  

• COVID-19 vax information regulations now revoked in Victoria
  

  Employers who collected or recorded vaccination information under OHS COVID-19 Regulations have 30 days to destroy information.

• Managing the risk of workplace bullying - A renewed focus on psychosocial risks
  This article examines the recent trend in Victoria – and nationally – of prosecutions by regulators for failures to prevent workplace bullying, and the practical steps that employers can take to mitigate the associated risks.
• Three key developments in general protections for 2020
  

  In the last 12 months, Australian courts, tribunals and Parliament have been as busy as ever in the area of employment law. In particular, there have been some key developments in the area of the 'general protections' established under Part 3-1 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (FW Act).