Baker & McKenzie's Employment group is a highly active area of our Australian practice. Our employment lawyers advise on all aspects of employment law including employment contracts, negotiations and disputes with trade unions, anti-discrimination suits and occupational health and safety. Conducting litigation on behalf of clients is also a key area of the practice. Although the practice primarily acts for employer and employer organizations, our lawyers have also been involved in disputation with union organizations and individual employees.
Particular areas of expertise include providing advice on all aspects of the preparation, negotiation and enforcement of employment contracts, redundancies and dealing with contractual disputes relating to employees such as breach of confidentiality agreements. We also offer expertise in drafting and advising on Commission arrangements, general advice on the negotiation and enforcement of State and Federal awards applying to employees, award interpretations, statutes, negotiating site agreements and employment conditions. Advising on Occupational Health & Safety matters is also a major part of the Employment practice and we frequently advise on all aspects of legislation as well as defending prosecutions. We have particular experience in litigation designed to protect an employer's clients and key employees.
Our employment lawyers have extensive litigation experience in all aspects of employment law, and appear regularly before the Federal and State Industrial Tribunals, the Anti-Discrimination Tribunals and the Conciliation and Industrial Commissions. In dealing with industrial relations dispute, it is always our objective to attempt to conciliate rather than litigate. The group actively pursues alternative dispute resolution as a means of resolving contentious matters.
In addition to conducting employment litigation the employment practice provides a wide range of educational seminars for managers to ensure compliance with legislation such as:
- Unfair dismissal legislation
- Occupational health and safety legislation
- Equal opportunity and anti-discrimination legislation
The Employment group frequently reports on Australian employment issues to overseas clients and is very familiar with the differing concepts in employment law between different jurisdictions.