With offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra, market leader Ashurst leverages its national bench strength to assist with employment litigation, workplace investigations, workforce structuring and industrial relations. The group is led from the Sydney office by global employment practice head Stephen Woodbury, who advises on the employment law aspects of corporate transactions, and Lea Constantine, who handles workplace disputes as well as health and safety issues. In Brisbane, Ian Humphreys is known for providing strategic advice and workplace training to government entities and large corporations, while Perth-based partner Julia Sutherland is recognised for her representation of clients in various courts and tribunals. Another name to note is ‘standout’ lawyer Jon Lovell.

Well-established market leader Seyfarth Shaw LLP attracts a host of local employers, major corporates and large multinationals for its expertise in navigating high-profile matters that span across employment law as well as workplace health and safety. Darren Perry is noted for his work within the transport, financial services and media sectors; he leads the group from the Sydney office. From the Melbourne office, Chris Gardner offers his expertise in workplace change and enterprise bargaining, while Justine Giuliani focuses on post-employment restraints, termination of employment and executive employment arrangements, and Erin Hawthorne and Henry Skene assist clients with industrial litigation. Ben Dudley and Philippa Noakes are also key practitioners.

Baker McKenzie acts as trusted advisor to a network of large multinational and domestic clients, frequently assisting on matters of dismissal, bullying, renumeration, post-employment restrictions, and more recently, issues surrounding wage theft and underpayment claims against employers. Practice head Michael Michalandos advises on all aspects of employment law and regularly defends high-profile matters before state and federal courts and tribunals, while Paul Brown deals in particular with collective industrial relations and disputes. Ben Burke handles cross-border corporate transactions and regulatory matters.

The team at Clayton Utz, based across Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra, advises public and private clients, including government bodies and academic institutions, on industrial relations risks and employment regulation. Dan Trindade steers the practice from Melbourne, assisting with workplace strategy and employment litigation, while in Perth Anna Casellas handles contentious and non-contentious employment relations issues, specialising in enterprise bargaining and unfair dismissals. The Sydney office fields Cilla Robinson, whose practice focuses on the corporate side of employment transactions, and Amanda Lyras, who manages sensitive discrimination and harassment investigations. In Brisbane, Christy Miller is a key point of contact for public and private sector clients seeking strategic advice.

Herbert Smith Freehills offers clients a unified labour and employment and health and safety practice, advising a portfolio of large employers from across the mining and resources, aviation and financial services sectors on disputes and strategic employee relations planning. Practice head and managing partner of global employment Steve Bell is known by clients for his work on the employment aspects of infrastructure projects. Other key names to note are Sydney-based partner Drew Pearson, Aaron Anderson in Brisbane and Anna Creegan, who practices from Perth. Creegan is best known for her navigation of workplace disputes, regularly appearing in court, tribunal and arbitration proceedings.

King & Wood Mallesons attracts a range of financial institutions, blue-chip corporates and listed companies looking for ‘commercial, pragmatic and sophisticated’ advice on employment matters. The group is steered by Murray Kellock and Andrew Gray; Kellock practices from Melbourne, assisting with workplace relations matters, and Gray leads from Sydney, guiding companies through workplace investigations. Ruth Rosedale practices from Perth, assisting clients with contentious and non-contentious matters, often advising on restructurings, dismissals, workplace compliance, and health and safety issues.

With a dedicated employment practice and integrated health and safety offering, Kingston Reid attracts clients from across the financial services, construction, mining and natural resources, and media industries. Alice Deboos is called upon to handle sensitive and high-profile matters for the government and private sector, specifically allegations of sexual misconduct, and Steven Amendola deals with dispute resolution work for the public sector. Backed by significant cross-border experience, Michael Stutley assists clients with the navigation of employment and immigration law, while Duncan Fletcher and Christa Lenard work with clients from the maritime industry. Brendan Milne is another name to note.

A trusted advisor to banks, major multinationals, tech giants and government institutions, Allens’ workload consists of high-profile, high-stake industrial relations strategy, risks and disputes matters. Simon Dewberry leads the practice from Melbourne; backed by significant employment litigation experience, he advises clients on sensitive employment disputes in court. Veronica Siow practices from Sydney, providing strategic advice on workplace restructurings, employment terminations, investigations and compliance issues. Sikeli Ratu is a key point of contact for large Australian businesses and international clients alike.

Johnson Winter Slattery acts for global companies and multinational corporates, assisting with high-profile contentious employment claims, large-scale restructures and workplace legislation changes. Leadership of the practice is shared between three key lawyers: in the Sydney office, Ruveni Kelleher advises private equity and venture capital clients on outsourcing and compliance, Jan Dransfield specialises in workplace disputes and investigations, often representing clients in court, and Lucienne Mummé, who practices from the Melbourne office, is best known for her work developing and implementing industrial relations strategies.

The employment group at Lander & Rogers guides clients through matters of discrimination, unfair dismissal, health and safety, as well as compliance and underpayment issues, mainly attracting government entities and clients from the education and construction sectors. Practice head Daniel Proietto leads from the Melbourne office, managing a workload that spans both the public and private sectors. He is best known for his management of workplace disputes, terminations and investigations, while Kaitlyn Gulle, also in the Melbourne office, deals with discrimination legislation as well as contract negotiation and interpretation. Mark Sullivan is the ‘go-to person’ for client in Sydney.

Maddocks balances a busy workload, covering termination of contracts, unfair dismissals, restructurings and harassment matters. The team is co-chaired by Lindy Richardson, a trusted advisor to public sector clients seeking industrial relations and employment litigation advice, Catherine Dunlop, whose skills lie in inquests, inquiries and workplace health and safety matters, and Bruce Heddle, whose employment law experience, spanning over 35 years, attracts a host of listed and private companies.

The labour and employment team at Gadens Lawyers is well versed in recruitment, redundancies, compliance issues and corporate restructures, as well as employment disputes. The Melbourne office fields practice head Siobhan Mulcahy, a trusted advisor to clients in the construction, hospitality, healthcare and education industries, and George Haros, an industrial relations and dispute resolution specialist. In the Sydney office, Louise Rumble works with public and private sector clients, and, most recently, has been advising employers on compliance with statutory obligations and amendments to legislation.

Gilbert + Tobin advises a stellar roster of blue-chip multinationals and domestic corporates on restructurings, insolvencies, mergers, investigations and contract breaches. Dianne Banks leads the team from Sydney, assisting clients with contentious and transactional matters. She is supported by a team of lawyers including Tom Brett, who has in-depth knowledge of the insurance and financial services sectors, in addition to James Pomeroy, who advises on workplace disputes, post-employment restraints and corporate transactions. Kaushalya Mataraaratchi is also based in Sydney; she handles high-value employment disputes in the Federal and Supreme Courts.

HFW offers its client base of national and international corporates from across the leisure, transport and manufacturing sectors guidance with day-to-day employment matters as well as workplace investigations and litigation. Mark Sant leads the practice from Sydney, where he specialises in assisting clients from the tourism and hospitality industries, while in Perth, Simon Billing acts for companies operating within the mining and oil and gas industries. Each practitioner draws on 30 years of experience working in employment law.

Moray & Agnew advises private and listed companies, leading insurers, international household names and public sector clients across the life cycle of employment matters. Nick Duggal leads the group from Melbourne, working with companies and government entities on cases of unfair dismissal, discrimination and matters that require court litigation. In Newcastle, Elizabeth Radley offers clients 20 years of expertise specialising in employment and health and safety law.

Under the leadership of Jason Noakes, who has over 20 years of experience in this field, the employment team at Norton Rose Fulbright assists clients from across the life sciences, technology, transport, finance and infrastructure industries with a range of contentious and non-contentious matters. The Brisbane office fields Martin Osborne, whose practice covers a broad range of matters, from corporate restructurings to industrial relations disputes. Another name to note is Alexandra Shields, who practices from the Sydney office.

Known for its integrated employment relations and workplace health and safety offering, Clyde & Co LLP offers its client base - comprised of domestic and multinational corporates - advice on the full spectrum of matters. The Sydney office fields practice head Michael Tooma and David Amentas, an employment litigator and trusted advisor to local councils. Kiri Jervis, also based in Sydney, assists in matters of discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying.

Colin Biggers & Paisley offers clients from across the insurance, education, aged community care and construction sectors expertise in labour and employment matters. Megan Kavanagh leads the practice from Brisbane; she predominantly works with government agencies, advising them on matters of health and safety, misconduct, compliance, and assistance with crime and corruption investigations. Kristen Lopes provides support from Sydney, bringing her experience in matters of sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination.

Boutique employment firm Harmers Workplace Lawyers is praised by clients for its ‘specialist knowledge in workplace relations’ along with its ‘absolute reliability’. Industry veteran Michael Harmer has worked in employment law for 40 years, over the course of which he has led on several major sexual harassment and discrimination cases, and accumulated extensive litigation experience, defending clients in federal and state tribunals. Jenny Inness handles a range industrial relations and workplace health and safety matters.

Backed by a team of lawyers across Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane and Cairns, Holding Redlich leverages its national strength to aid its clients in a spread of workplace investigations and employment litigation. Charles Power oversees the practice from Melbourne; his expertise combines workplace relations and safety law, with a focus on investigations into sexual harassment and discrimination cases. Stephen Trew, in the Sydney office, has nearly 30 years of experience, managing unfair dismissals in particular. Both lawyers are highly experienced in representing clients in court proceedings.

Kennedys is well versed in dealing with risk and compliance, unfair dismissal, workforce management, and health and safety matters, among others. Justin Le Blond, a first point of call for government agencies, large corporations and insurers, co-leads the group from Sydney alongside Melbourne-based partner Chris Molnar, an industry veteran and trusted advisor to ASX-listed companies and SMEs. Both practitioners have expertise handling workplace misconduct and health and safety prosecutions and investigations. Sydney-based partner Persephone Forster assists a host of executives, business partners and managers seeking strategic employment advice.