Ms Kristy Peacock-Smith > Bird & Bird > Sydney, Australia > Lawyer Profile
Bird & Bird Offices
Level 22
25 Martin Place
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia
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Ms Kristy Peacock-Smith
Position
Partner
Career
I am a partner in our International HR Services Group in Sydney where I advise our clients on the full spectrum of employment and industrial law issues.
I lead the Sydney office’s employment law team. I am part of the firm’s International HR Services Group, which assists clients across the globe in achieving practical and sustainable results in relation to all areas of employment law.
I advise our clients on everything from business establishment in Australia, drafting of contracts and policies, managing poor performance and long term illness issues, dealing with employee/contractor distinctions and investigations by regulators, drafting short and long term employee incentive plans, conducting litigation including unfair dismissal, adverse action, breach of contract and restraint of trade; carrying out employer investigations and delivering training programmes. I also work closely with our Sydney M&A team, advising on due diligence and business integration, particularly where large organisations merge with a smaller, highly entrepreneurial business.
As a result of working for one of the world’s leading technology law firms, a significant number of my clients operate in the technology space, which brings unique challenges in respect to employment law, particularly surrounding the gig economy and Australia’s strict regulatory regime. I am in a unique position to assist our clients in navigating through this regime because of our significant experience gained through working for start-ups and new business entrants into the Australian marketplace.
In addition to my work for large organisations and start-ups, I get great enjoyment and fulfilment in working on a pro bono basis for a number of clients in the not-for-profit sector, working to make real change in our local community.
Admissions
- Law Society of New South Wales, Australia in 2000
Education
- University of Technology, Sydney, LLB and Graduate Certificate of Legal Practice
- University of New South Wales, BA (Indonesian, Japanese and South East Asian history)
Lawyer Rankings
Australia > Labour and employment
Bird & Bird’s labour and employment team, located in Sydney, assists domestic and multinational clients with a range of contentious and non-contentious matters. Its workload includes cases of workplace misconduct and spans from initial investigations through to employment litigation at the appellate level. Practice head Kristy Peacock-Smith specialises in matters relating to unfair dismissal, discrimination and breaches of contract, and is also called upon to deliver training programmes to businesses.