With an increasing unemployment rate, a teetering economy and increased legislative requirements regarding terminating employment, now is the time to ensure that you have the best understanding of law, practice and procedure for your clients and your organisation. You must understand employee rights, employer obligations, and compliance requirements. Gain a deep understanding of termination during business sales & restructures, during prolonged absences, for poor performance & misconduct. Gain insights into legal requirements for terminating both casual & fixed-term employment. Plus, review critical post-termination issues including restraint of trade and deductions all while you stay updated with the latest case law.
Attend and earn 7 CPD units in Substantive Law
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
Chair: Meghann Noble, Head of Legal, Garvan Institute
- Overview of various types of M&A transactions and associated employment law considerations
- The M&A process: due diligence, sale/purchase documentation and W&I insurance
- Corporate restructures and associated employment law considerations
Presented by Chris Hill, Principal (Australia), Onside Law
- Dealing with prolonged absence from work and medical incapacity
- Duty of care
Presented by Joe Murphy, Director, Cowell Clarke Commercial Lawyers; Accredited Specialist in Employment Relations; Best Lawyers 2025, Labour, and Employment Law; Recommended Leading Employment Lawyer, Doyle’s Guide 2023
- What is misconduct?
- What is serious misconduct?
- The difference between termination for capacity or conduct
- The difference between capacity and performance and the implications
- How to deal with misconduct found after dismissal
- What does the discount for misconduct mean?
Presented by Ian Latham, Barrister, Denman Chambers; Recommended Employment Law Junior Counsel, Doyle’s Guide 2024
- Notice periods not given or overpayments
- Study agreements
- Repayment plans if employers don’t get their ROI
Presented by Deirdre McEvoy, Special Counsel, McArdle Legal; Accredited Specialist in Employment and Industrial Law
- Casual or fixed term in name only?
- Impacts on termination arising from Fair Work changes to fixed term employment
- Termination processes for casual and fixed term employees
- Disputes and legal claims
Presented by Andrea Motbey, Counsel – Employment, Ashurst
Chair: Lisa Berton, Partner, Henry William Lawyers
- Identifying the interests to be protected
- Drafting the right clause, with the right parties, at the right time
- Of stable doors and bolting employees: practical steps when employees leave
- Prospects for law reform: What happens if the US FTC ban on non-competes gets an Australian visa?
Presented by Angus Macinnis, Director of Dispute Resolution, StevensVuaran Lawyers
- Recent cases in unfair dismissal and general protections
- Practical insights to be applied to termination of employment
Presented by Michael Byrnes, Partner, Swaab; Recommended Leading Employment Lawyer, Doyle’s Guide 2023
Presenters
Chris Hill, Principal (Australia), Onside Law
Chris is an employment and commercial lawyer, and currently is a Principal at Onside Law. Onside Law is a London headquartered law firm focusing on the sports, media and entertainment sectors. Chris advises Australian and international sports bodies, broadcasters, sports technology companies and sports investors on employment and commercial legal matters. Chris also consults to global law firm AO Shearman in relation to complex Australian employment issues. Chris has previously worked in private practice at Herbert Smith Freehills and has also worked in-house as an employment lawyer for both Westpac and the Foxtel Group (part of the News Corp group, also working with FOX SPORTS Australia, Foxtel Media and Kayo Sports). Chris has been listed by Doyles Guide Australia and regularly contributes to HRM Online and other publications. He has regularly volunteered for Kingsford Legal Centre and is a volunteer mentor for the Australian and New Zealand Sports Law Association (ANZSLA).
Joe Murphy, Director, Cowell Clarke Commercial Lawyers
Joe is an employment relations lawyer with over 20 years’ experience specialising in workplace relations at mid-tier and employer associations. Joe’s experience extends to providing advice and representation in matters across Australian tribunals and courts, including the Fair Work Commission and the Federal Courts of Australia. Joe has also represented clients in various inquests and commissions of inquiry, including in the Independent Commission Against Corruption and various State Coroner’s Inquests and Inquiries. Regular matters in which clients require Joe’s expertise, include redundancies, unfair dismissals, general protections (adverse action) claims, executive and complex dismissals and separations, discrimination claims, industrial disputes, managing long and short term injured workers, troublesome workers compensation claims, employee fraud, employee privacy and surveillance, investigations (including in connection with whistleblower complaints), and the defence of underpayment claims brought by employees, unions and the Fair Work Ombudsman. Joe has extensive experience assisting clients with disputation between employers and their employees (whether dealing with employees collectively or individually). Joe has spent the last 10 years working exclusively with businesses across a vast range of industries and sectors, including information technology, SaaS, retail, hospitality, transport, manufacturing, construction, social & community services, and financial services.
Andrea Motbey, Counsel – Employment, Ashurst
Lisa Berton, Partner, Henry William Lawyers
Lisa advises some of Australia’s best known businesses acting as a strategic partner to corporate clients across a wide range of industries. Lisa is expert at anticipating and resolving problems. Clients trust Lisa’s judgment and perspective on complex employment matters, her ability to minimise risk and achieve commercial outcomes. Working with her clients to find the best solutions to the wide ranging workplace issues they face, Lisa brings her insight and breadth of specialist experience to managing all types of employee related issues; industrial relations matters and disputes; and work, health and safety. Where issues cannot be resolved, Lisa is an experienced litigator and has acted for clients across many jurisdictions. Lisa is regularly welcomed to the boardroom table to assist business leaders in their commercial success. Lisa is one of Henry William Lawyers' three directors.
Angus Macinnis, Director of Dispute Resolution,StevensVuaran Lawyers
Angus Macinnis has a broad commercial practice with a focus on dispute resolution, and in particular, on employment and work health and safety law, and intellectual property law. He advises employers and employees on all aspects of employment law, from drafting contracts and employment policies, to advising on employment related disputes, to dealing with employment and safety regulators. He has a particular interest in the employment law aspects of social media use and has published in this area in publications including the Law Society Journal, The New Lawyer, and the Internet Law Bulletin.
Ian Latham, Barrister,Denman Chambers
Ian Latham is a barrister at Denman Chambers specialising in employment and industrial law, particularly in the area of civil penalty. He has appeared in many civil penalty cases particularly ABCC v Parker (No 1) and (No 2), BKH Contractors Case (No 1) and (No 2) and FWO v ZNZ, FWO v A-Z and FWO v Robit Nominees. He writes for the Lexis Fair Work Act Service and the Lexis Industrial Relations Act (NSW) Service.
Deirdre McEvoy, Special Counsel, McArdle Legal
Deirdre McEvoy is a senior associate with McArdle Legal and an accredited specialist in employment law. She was admitted as a barrister in Ireland in 2001 and as a solicitor in NSW in 2005. She practices exclusively in employment law.
Michael Byrnes, Partner,Swaab
Michael Byrnes is a partner of Swaab. He is a workplace relations lawyer with over 20 years' experience in assisting clients navigate employment and work health and safety issues. Michael runs specially tailored training programs and seminars for clients (including at board level). He also drafts and reviews workplace policies and undertakes complex and sensitive workplace investigations. As well as regularly presenting at conferences, Michael is often called upon for expert opinion in the media. He has appeared on numerous radio segments and regularly quoted in publications including The Australian Financial Review, The Age, Lawyers Weekly, Workplace Express, OHS Alert, SmartCompany, HRM Online and InTheBlack on workplace relations and WHS law issues. Michael is also a co-author of the LexisNexis publication "Annotated Fair Work Act & Related Legislation".
Meghann Noble, Head of Legal, Garvan Institute