Harmers Workplace Lawyers

Michael is the Chairman and Senior Team Leader of Harmers Workplace Lawyers, and has 40 years’ experience in workplace relations. During this time he has provided legal and strategic advice in a number of major enterprise bargaining and change management initiatives and has built up extensive experience and expertise in all areas of workplace relations and safety law. This has included the conduct of some of the leading cases in Australia on sex discrimination and sexual harassment.

Michael’s background includes managing a major industrial law practice as a partner in one of Australia’s largest law firms and previously having been:

• Research Officer to Presidential members of the then Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission (undertaking legal, economic and arbitral research and advice work initially for Sir John Moore and later Mr Justice Maddern);
• Solicitor for the New South Wales Department of Industrial Relations (advice and prosecution work in industrial relations, employment and occupational health and safety);
• Industrial Officer for a private sector employer (oil industry); and
• Research Officer for one of Australia’s largest unions.
• Michael has extensive advocacy and negotiation experience in relevant Federal and State Tribunals.

His practice places special emphasis on the preventive law approach in assisting clients in the informed management of a range of human rights, WHS and employment issues. Michael is also recognised for his specialist advice concerning the employment of senior executives.

After graduating from the University of New South Wales in 1993, Emma became an Associate to Mr Justice Lee of the Federal Court of Australia. She then joined one of Australia’s largest law firms practising in the areas of commercial litigation, corporate law and then specialised in employment and industrial law.

Emma joined Harmers Workplace Lawyers in December 1999 and became a partner in 2003. Emma currently oversees both staff and operational management of the firm, as well as managing a busy practice as Executive Counsel and Senior Team Leader.

Emma’s practice is litigation focused. Emma had the conduct of the largest litigation matter in the history of the Industrial Relations Court of New South Wales, where she acted for Gough & Gilmour Holdings Pty Limited & Ors against Caterpillar Australia Pty Ltd & Ors.

Emma advises both employers and employees in relation to:

• individual and collective employment agreements (with particular expertise in executive contracts);
• remuneration incentive and retention arrangements, including share and option scheme arrangements;
• protection of confidential information and intellectual property;
• restraint of trade agreements;
• legal risks associated with termination of employment;
• unfair dismissal claims;
• adverse action claims;
• unfair contract claims;
• strategies to manage and resolve industrial/employment disputes;
• employment and industrial relations implications from mergers and acquisitions;
• employment issues arising under the Corporations Law, including insolvency issues;
• occupational health and safety laws, including assisting investigations and prosecutions;
• discrimination, equal opportunity and bullying claims;
• privacy issues; and
• compliance training and presentations in relation to the above.

Greg was admitted as a solicitor in 1975. He worked in a variety of litigation roles in private practice before joining the New South Wales Department of Industrial Relations as a legal officer in 1979. That year he also gained a Master of Laws degree (honours) from the University of Sydney.

Greg served as Deputy Industrial Registrar from 1983 to 1991 and as Industrial Registrar from 1991 to 1999. As a consequence, Greg has extensive experience of the New South Wales Industrial Relations system, and of the way government employment operates, particularly at a senior level.

Greg joined the firm in 2000 and has since been involved in all areas of the firm’s practice. He has been involved in major litigation in the Industrial Court of New South Wales, and has extensively advised on issues relating to the contract of employment and employment law generally. He regularly advises employers, both in Australia and overseas, on a variety of aspects of employment and industrial relations matters, including: issues relating to individual and collective agreements; protection of confidential information and intellectual property; restraint of trade issues; unfair dismissal claims; adverse action claims; discrimination; equal opportunity; and bullying claims.

Greg has been involved in litigation at all levels (State and Federal Industrial Tribunals, the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, Federal Circuit Court and the High Court).

Greg also advises and acts for individuals, particularly at senior levels, with issues surrounding their contracts, remuneration and termination of employment. Greg has also advised registered organisations (both employee and employer associations) on rules and registration issues.

Together with two other Harmers lawyers (Sophie Redmond and Margaret Diamond), Greg has co-authored the on-line “Practical Guide to Work Health and Safety” (Lexis Nexis) and advises in the area of work health and safety.

Amy is a multi-award winning senior lawyer at Harmers Workplace Lawyers.

Amy completed her combined Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree at the University of New South Wales in 2013 with distinction.

Amy joined Harmers Workplace Lawyers in 2012 as a summer law clerk and has remained with Harmers since then in various legal roles. Prior to joining Harmers, Amy volunteered extensively for organisations such as Toongabbie Legal Centre, the Australian Human Rights Centre and the Students Legal Education Group. Amy was also Managing Student Editor of the Human Rights Defender Magazine, as well as the recipient of the Merit Scholar Award and Alumni Prize during her time at university.

Amy works across all of the firm’s practice areas, and has experience in areas including complex litigation, restraint of trade, sexual harassment, discrimination, regulatory investigations and prosecutions, WHS, performance management, terminations, redundancies, contract, policy and enterprise agreement review and drafting, modern award interpretation, unfair dismissal and adverse action. Amy acts for corporate, government, not for profit and individual clients.

Amy is a regular commentator and contributor to industry publications and the media on employment law and law reform. Amy has also lectured for the University of Sydney and University of Technology, Sydney on legal research.

Amy also sits on the L&E Global board.