One new partner predicts what will be a big part of employment-related legal work in Australia
HBA Legal has established a new employment law and industrial relations (IR) practice that will be led by a team from Moray & Agnew.
New partners Michelle Dawson (Newcastle) and Emily Dempster (Melbourne) will helm the new team alongside associate Nicole Davis (Melbourne). The partners started with HBA Legal on Tuesday, while Davis begins her tenure later this month.
“The addition of our new team complements our already strong occupational health and safety practice,” said Nathan Hepple, director of strategy and growth. “Michelle and Emily have worked together for more than 10 years and have one of the best reputations in the legal industry when it comes to successfully tackling challenges faced by businesses across multiple sectors including manufacturing, transport, construction, water and not-for-profit.”
He added that the new employment law and IR team will enable HBA Legal to cater to clients needing advice on matters involving general employment law, workplace relations, discrimination and employment migration.
Dawson has more than 25 years under her belt and has been a partner since 2015, while the move to HBA Legal is an ascension for Dempster, who was previously a special counsel.
“The client and employee proposition at HBA is unique in the market. Being a law firm in its own right, but also being genuinely part of something bigger, means there are not the same constraints that can be experienced in traditional law firms. That’s attractive from a personal perspective, but I believe it also extends to being able to create superior client-centric solutions for the businesses that trust us with solving their challenges,” Dawson said.
Taking a cue from the legal scene in the UK, she shared her belief that in Australia, work related to employment practices liability would make up a big part of employment-related back-end legal work in the near future.
“Employment lawyers who do this type of work are best positioned to service the clients in this space,” Dawson said.
