Join leading employment law experts for a comprehensive symposium examining the latest legal, regulatory and practical developments shaping Australian workplaces in 2026. From payroll compliance, enterprise bargaining and WHS enforcement trends to whistleblowing, discrimination, and termination risks. Packed with practical insights, case updates, and strategic guidance, this program will equip lawyers, HR professionals, and in-house counsel with the tools to manage risk, ensure compliance, and make confident, informed decisions in complex workplace scenarios.

Presenters

Shivchand Jhinku, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Shivchand Jhinku is a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills based in Sydney, specialising in employment litigation. Shiv regularly advises clients in relation to the entirety of the employment life-cycle, from hiring, re-, negotiating contracts, performance management, termination and enforcement of post-employment obligations. Shiv has a broad range of expertise cross a number of sectors, including financial services, energy and resources, construction, transport and logistics and healthcare. Shiv also has significant experience in advising clients in relation to managing whistle blowing issues, from developing policies, providing training to investigators and advising and representing clients in responding to whistleblowing allegations.

Alina Kaye, Principal, The Workplace
Alina is an experienced employment and industrial law specialist, who has worked with clients across a range of industries including media, finance, education, telecommunications, retail and hospitality. Alina has previously worked in a boutique employment law practice and in the employment teams of large, national and international firms. Her clients praise her calm, considered and highly strategic approach to workplace issues. Alina is passionate about employment law and keeping on top of the constantly evolving legal and political space. She has also spent part of her career working as a Senior Writer for one of the world’s leading legal publishers Thomson Reuters. She prides herself on keeping up-to-date with the latest developments and assisting clients to proactively navigate these changes.

Lisa Soo, Senior Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Lisa advises clients on a broad range of employment matters, both advisory and litigious. Lisa provides commercial and strategic legal advice to private, ASX-listed and non-profit clients in a range of sectors, including financial services, health and technology. Her expertise covers contentious and non-contentious employment matters, including: structuring employment arrangements, including the drafting and negotiating of employment documentation performance and misconduct issues management of ill and injured employees investigations and whistleblowing employee exits, including Corporations Act compliance issues arising from executive exits award compliance, including underpayment and payroll issues unfair dismissals, general protections, breach of contract claims and post-employment restraintsemployment issues associated with corporate transactions

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".

Zoe Bramley, Barrister, Maurice Byers Chambers
Zoe was called to the Bar in 2025 and accepts briefs to advise and appear in all areas. She has a particular interest in regulatory criminal law, and with 11 years’ experience as a solicitor both prosecuting and defending breaches of Work Health and Safety laws, has a comprehensive understanding of WHS regulatory frameworks and enforcement. Prior to coming to the Bar, Zoe was a Senior Associate at Seyfarth Shaw specialising in criminal defence. She also worked as a Principal Solicitor at SafeWork NSW and a solicitor in the criminal law team at the Crown Solicitors Office, and conducted a wide range of regulatory prosecutions, inquiries and inquests. Zoe has also worked in child protection and has represented victims of domestic and family violence in the Bush Circuit Courts across the Northern Territory. Zoe holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney.

Nerida Jessup, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Nerida is an industry leader helping clients manage their risk. Keeping businesses and their people safe (physically, psychologically and reputationally) is at the core of what she does. With a strong background in safety, Nerida acts for many of Australia’s leading corporates, but she is increasingly being called upon to advise companies and boards on complex issues including around the emerging risk areas captured under psychosocial regulations. Highly attuned to the significant reputational and financial risk of these areas, both at an organisational and a personal level, Nerida is accustomed to helping clients navigate these areas where regulation and practice is still evolving. Nerida supports clients in crisis and incident response as well as investigation prosecution, inquests and inquiries. Clients praise Nerida for her ability to cut through complexity and focus on solutions. Her exposure across a broad range of industries and business models allows her to tailor her approach to the specific needs of her clients.

Penny Thew, Barrister, State Chambers
With over 25 years’ experience in advocacy, advising and dispute resolution, Penny is recognised by Legal 500 and Doyle’s Guide as leading in her areas of expertise, including all aspects of employment and discrimination law. Further details about Penny’s experience can be viewed here: https://statechambers.net/penny-thew/

Elizabeth Devine, Principal, Devine Law At Work
Elizabeth Devine is an Accredited Specialist in Employment and Industrial Law. She is founded Devine Law at Work, a law firm and consultancy which specialises in employment law, workplace relations and conflict management in 2002. Elizabeth’s qualifications include a Masters of Dispute Resolution, a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts. She has been practicing law for 32 years and has specialised in all aspects of Australian employment law, workplace relations and conflict management for 27 years. Devine Law at Work provides services to employers in the public and private sectors and in a broad range of industries. Elizabeth’s approach is a holistic one, combining skills and expertise in the law, communication, systems, mediation, facilitation, conflict coaching, education and workplace investigation. These services focus on prevention and minimisation of risk, transformation of workplace issues into learning opportunities and long-term solutions and the enhancement of expertise within the workplace, including the professional development of leaders, managers and internal advisers. Elizabeth is passionate about enhancing the knowledge of others about workplace law. In recognition of her significant expertise in employment law and conflict management, Elizabeth has presented at employment law.

Lucy Shanahan, Partner, Kingston Reid
Lucy helps clients create a better future for their businesses by helping them successfully navigate their most difficult and complex employee issues and industrial challenges. She is an experienced investigator and is regularly engaged to facilitate and report on complex and sensitive employment-related investigations. A highly experienced litigator, Lucy assists clients on a range of contentious employment and industrial relations issues. These include applications relating to bargaining and industrial action, unfair dismissal and bullying claims, actions by senior executives, and post-employment restraint matters. She has appeared in the Federal Circuit Court and Federal Court in multiple adverse action and harassment claims. Clients value Lucy’s intrinsic ability to contemplate a myriad of strategic legal issues whilst guiding them through the day-to-day employment matters that come with running often complex, multi-faceted businesses with many employees in multiple jurisdictions. She takes pride in building exceptional relationships with her clients, and knowing them and their businesses inside and out. Her advice is practical, timely and concise, and reflects her deep expertise as well as her focus on remaining on top of legislative and regulatory changes that may affect her clients. Her successful practice is focused on the financial services, government, electricity, retail, transport and health industries. Lucy is highly regarded for her strong communication skills and engaging presentation style. She has extensive experience as a trainer and presenter and is often called upon to help train, inform and educate at client and industry forums.