Victoria’s expertise includes advising employers across a number of industry sectors, including transport and logistics, manufacturing, finance, security, pharmaceutical, residential construction, hospitality, professional services and local government. Victoria has a particular interest in assisting employers facing litigation such as unfair dismissal and adverse action.

Prior to her admission to legal practice, Victoria worked in employee relations and human resources in the finance, automotive, and local government sectors.

Victoria’s combined experience as a lawyer and senior human resources practitioner ensures her clients receive practical and commercial advice and support. She endeavours to provide prompt and uncomplicated guidance that allows her clients to make informed business decisions.

Significant experience

Victoria’s experience includes:

  • Advising companies on a range of workplace relations and employment issues including performance management, termination of employment, managing absenteeism, employment contracts, and legislative compliance.
  • Assisting companies to navigate the legal process when current or former employees file a complaint or claim, including conducting conciliation/mediation conferences and hearings.
    Acting for a financial services company in a Supreme Court of Victoria action against former employees for breach of confidentiality and post-employment restraint.
  • Acting for a salary packaging provider, in the first general protections/ discrimination claim heard in the Federal Magistrate Court after the controversial decision of the Full Bench of the Federal Court in Barclay, and successfully defended a claim of discrimination on the basis of family responsibilities.
  • Acting for an employer in an unfair dismissal claim in Fair Work Australia and successfully appealing the finding on the basis of public interest.
  • Acting for a local government organisation that discovered drug dealing occurring at their workplace, including assisting with the management of the issue and the successful handling of the subsequent multiple unfair dismissal claims.
  • Acting for a security organisation that discovered misconduct that breached its obligations to its clients, and managing the resulting claims.
  • Acting for a construction business and successfully defending a claim of breach of contract in the County Court of Victoria, where the Applicant sought circa half a million in damages.
  • Acting for a small professional business to successfully deal with bullying at a senior level.
    Advising an international technical services company on managing a non performing management employee who was being internally investigated for other matters, while the employee also claiming bullying by the CEO, during a protracted restructure.
  • Investigated bullying claims against management in a remote branch of a national bank and provided legal advice and recommendations from the findings.
  • Acting for a professional business following their discovery of misappropriation of funds by the departing CFO and Operations Manager and successfully acting in the proceedings to recover the funds.

Qualifications

Masters of Employment and Labour Relations Law,
Melbourne University

Graduate Diploma Industrial Relations and Employee Relations,
Monash University

Bachelor of Laws (Hons),
Monash University

Bachelor of Business (Organisational Behaviour and Business Law),
Swinburne University

Memberships

Law Institute of Victoria

Australian Institute of Health and Safety

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