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.

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
Andrea is a counsel in the employment practice at Ashurst with almost 20 years' experience. Andrea's areas of focus are employment, industrial relations and discrimination law.  Andrea has expertise in workplace complaints and investigations, discrimination claims, senior executive employment and disputes and corporate transactions. Andrea also advises clients on remuneration and benefits, drafting employment agreements and policies, employee performance, ethical conduct and behaviour matters, termination of employment, unfair dismissal and general protections claims, bullying matters, restructuring and redundancy, and employee entitlements reviews and remediations. Andrea was previously senior legal counsel in the Office of General Counsel at PwC, advising the firm on internal employee and partner legal matters.


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 is Director of Dispute Resolution at StevensVuaran Lawyers, a boutique commercial law firm in Sydney. Alongside his commercial dispute resolution practice, he has taught international sale of goods law at the University of Technology, Sydney, The University of Notre Dame Australia, and presently in the Thomas More Law School at the Australian Catholic University, where he holds the role of Legal Professional Mentor. He has also been invited to present lectures on the CISG for the international law practice course conducted by the International Law Section of the Law Council of Australia, and is a former co-chair of the Section’s International Trade and Business Law Committee.


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
Meg is the Head of Legal for the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. Meghann joined in Garvan in 2021 as a Senior Lawyer: Compliance and Privacy as was appointed Head of Legal in May 2024. Garvan has a small but dedicated legal team to assist in all aspects of the organisation from research collaboration agreements to IP protection and commercialisation, as well as employment and industrial relations advice. Meg has over a decade of experience working in-house across multiple sectors including: government, science, waste, FMCG.