Ross Levin
Employment Law and Workplace Relations
Partner
T +61 3 9321 7838
F +61 3 9321 7900
E rlevin@rigbycooke.com.au
Areas of expertise:
- Employment law
- Industrial relations
Professional biography:
Ross has practised exclusively in the employment law and industrial relations areas since 1989, acting for many of Australia’s largest companies and government agencies.
He is acknowledged as an expert in WorkChoices matters, equal opportunity law, occupational health and safety law, employment disputes, and industrial action defence and strategy, specifically in enterprise bargaining and restructuring.
Significant experience:
- Significant restructuring, merger/acquisitions advice, WorkChoices strategy, enterprise bargaining agreement (eba) matters, and general employment law and workplace relations advice and strategies, and major court and commission litigation for organisations such as: Asea Brown Boveri (ABB Australia Pty Ltd); Nylex Limited; BHP Billiton; NAB; Boral; McDonalds; Qantas; A V Jennings Limited; Wilson Parking Australia (1992) Pty Ltd; National Electrical and Communications Association; Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Pty Ltd; Caelli Constructions Pty Ltd; GasNet Limited; Delaware North (Australia) Pty Ltd; Mercer Human Resources Consulting Pty Ltd; Department of Education and Training (Victoria); Laminex Industries; Hancock Victorian Plantations Pty Ltd; MacDonald Johnston Engineering Company Pty Ltd; Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust; Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre; Vetco Aibel Pty Limited; and Willow Ware Pty Ltd
- Prepared and helped implement successful strategies for clients in relation to the opportunities under WorkChoices, and amend policies and contracts to adapt to the WorkChoices paradigm
- Advised numerous companies undergoing change, including downsizing their operations or mergers/acquisitions, and transmission of business issues, and has extensive experience in relation to employment contracts and employment and industrial relations related litigation, including industrial disputes, employment entitlements disputes and enforcing restraint of trade agreements
- Acted for numerous clients defending VWA OH&S prosecutions (including both jury and judge-only trials), including workplace fatalities, and has experience in coronial inquiries, OH&S training and OH&S audits; advises on defence of VWA claims, and premium and industry clarification issues
- Major projects, IR strategy, legal cases and disputes he has been involved
with include for example:
- representing key players, including NECA, in the Cole Royal Commission into the building and construction industry
- advising National Electrical Contractor Association (NECA) re Victorian deeds and pattern certified agreements in electrical contracting industry
- representing all 13 major employers throughout major Victorian construction industry dispute
- Melbourne City Link project
- Docklands Stadium project
- Develop and implement strategic plans for workplace relations, especially in WorkChoices, enterprise bargaining, incorporating training, communication, negotiation and development of enterprise bargaining models
- Acting for organisations on enterprise bargaining and industrial disputation, both at the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and in the courts
- Develop, implement and train companies throughout Australia in comprehensive legally compliant equal opportunity and sexual harassment program and policies, including training of contact officers and resolution officers
- Defended companies in the Equal Opportunity Commissions/Tribunals in most Australian states
- Due diligence assignments on sale of business
- Advice on transmission of business and outsourcing
- Develop enforceable restraint of trade agreements to bind key employees
- Extensive advocacy experience in unfair dismissal claims and an outstanding record of successfully defending such clients on behalf of government and private sector employers; and, in what is essentially a ‘costs free’ jurisdiction, achieved orders for costs against employees
- Assisted in strategic planning of employment law and industrial relations for legal compliance and risk minimisation
- Advice on legal characterisation of ‘employee or contractor’
Qualifications:
Bachelor of Economics
Bachelor of Law
Graduate Diploma in Labour Relations Law
Professional memberships:
Law Institute of Victoria
Australian Human Resources Institute
Industrial Relations Society of Victoria
