Employment

Hesketh Henry is valued for its capability in the fields of restructuring, employee agreements and compliance matters for large national unions and businesses. The practice frequently assists clients with employee relations and health and safety matters. The team focuses on the early resolution of disputes, assisting with performance and disciplinary matters, as well as in contentious matters before the Employment Relations Authority and courts.

"I find their advice pragmatic and real and it doesn't go down alleyways which involve cost and no good outcomes."

"We have always had dedicated and knowledgeable service, no matter who we deal with. The service we receive is always second to none, all the while being dedicated to timely response and outcomes."

Hesketh Henry advised theRestaurant Association of New Zealand in respect of its obligations under the Fair Pay Agreements Act 2022, following a union application for a Fair Pay Agreement.

Jim Roberts is co-head of the practice and has extensive experience across the full range of employment law, being particularly noted for his expertise in collective bargaining and compliance with the Holidays Act. "He maintains astonishing detail about precedents that are relevant to the matters we are dealing with, which adds real richness to the conversations we have." "Jim provides excellent technical knowledge, delivered in an understandable and practical way. He can be trusted on any employment issue."

Alison Maelzer advises a number of large companies on a wide array of issues, including compliance, collective bargaining, disciplinary processes and health and safety. "Alison is great to work with. She has a very good understanding of our business, is always very responsive and offers good solutions." "Her down-to-earth, no-nonsense approach is what we appreciate the most."

Jodi Sharman assists on a wide range of employment matters and is particularly noted for her litigation experience. She has considerable expertise in handling disciplinary processes and cases arising from dismissals and corporate restructurings. "Jodi is a delight to work with. She is super-smart and able to comprehend issues and link them to our business culture and capability. I love her ability to teach and grow her customers." "Jodi Sharman's knowledge of our business is detailed. I appreciate that she will usually offer a couple of options for how we approach a situation, outlining the risks with each."

Sam Houliston is a senior associate at Hesketh Henry who has a growing reputation for his expertise in employment matters. He handles both contentious and non-contentious mandates, and is especially skilled in employment litigation cases. "Sam is great to deal with. He gets it, doesn't muck around and gets what you need." "Sam is really confident and decisive about the best approach to take when we are managing complex and sensitive issues. He maintains a commercial perspective but without losing the human touch."