Employment: Victoria | Asia-Pacific

Herbert Smith Freehills has a market-leading full-service employment practice, widely endorsed for its deft handling of Australia's largest industrial relations matters, including enterprise bargaining, disputes and industrial action. It covers the full gamut of employee relations such as terminations, redundancy and discrimination, also possessing notable expertise in workplace health and safety matters.

MinterEllison is highly regarded for employment litigation, with a focus on discrimination and executive matters, alongside additional strength in industrial relations. It has notable experience in a number of industries, including government, education, financial services, and energy and natural resources. The team maintains a strong presence across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.

Corrs Chambers Westgarth's employment and industrial relations practice has an impressive roster of clients in the mining and energy sectors. It is also well regarded for its long history of involvement in the development of labour laws, and counts government and private sector clients among its clients. The team assists with workplace health and safety matters, including issues arising from fatalities, and is engaged on a range of cases related to enterprise agreements, compliance and casual employment.

Maddocks is noted for its high-quality employment law practice with expertise advising public sector clients on enterprise bargaining and industrial relations matters. It is visible advising clients from the healthcare, retail and financial services sectors. The team is also adept at advising clients on employee disputes such as unfair dismissal and confidential information matters. It provides additional specialised expertise in workplace health and safety issues and is noted for representing government departments in prosecutions. The practice maintains offices in Sydney and Canberra alongside its traditional Melbourne headquarters.

Allens is well placed to advise on employment issues arising from major corporate transactions and restructures, including compliance reviews. The team is known for advising on litigation mandates involving breach of employment contract and discrimination, and is also able to provide advice with regard to industrial relations and workplace investigations. The firm is increasingly active in advising clients on compliance reviews for modern awards. Allens represents leading Australian and international clients from a wide range of sectors, including mining, banking and entertainment.

Baker McKenzie leverages its global network of offices to advise on regional and cross-border employment matters. The firm boasts prominent international clientele from the technology, healthcare and consumer goods sectors. Its expertise spans corporate restructurings and M&A, discrimination and WHS. Its employment team is also valued for its expertise in sensitive executive and director-level issues including restraint, misconduct, fiduciary breaches, whistle-blowing and executive remuneration. The team is also active on industrial relations matters, acting for employers on disputes with unions and enterprise bargaining agreement matters.

Gadens is recognised for its expertise in employment, industrial relations and workplace health and safety. It regularly acts on contentious and non-contentious matters and is very well versed in acting for clients from a range of sectors including manufacturing, healthcare, government departments and finance.

Hall & Wilcox regularly advises employers across the range of contentious industrial and employee relations matters, including union disputes, restraint of trade matters and workplace harassment. It is especially active in disputes, appearing before tribunals, courts and the Fair Work Commission. The team is also able to assist with the employment aspects of restructurings.

K&L Gates maintains an active employee relations and workplace safety practice advising clients from the construction, education and health sectors, as well as non-profit organisations and government entities. The team handles complex employment disputes before the Fair Work Commission and in the courts. It provides expertise across discrimination and employee terminations.

Mills Oakley maintains a broad employee and industrial relations practice, which also includes significant expertise in workplace health and safety litigation. It handles a range of matters including enterprise bargaining and workforce structuring, as well as harassment and discrimination cases. The team represents employers across numerous industries, such as construction and transportation.

Norton Rose Fulbright is noted for its respected team advising on the full range of employment issues, including industrial disputes, unfair dismissals and discrimination cases. It is well regarded for its health and safety expertise relating to compliance, investigations and prosecutions, and also has experience assisting employers on the negotiation of and disputes concerning enterprise agreements. The team represents global clients in cross-border matters as well as at a local level, with strength in the public, construction and energy sectors.