Michael is an experienced workplace relations and employment lawyer. He provides pragmatic and strategic advice to employers to help them manage risk, facilitate productive workplaces and achieve the best possible commercial outcomes for their businesses.
Michael is genuinely passionate about living the relationship with his clients and their stakeholders. He provides unique insight and is a trusted advisor to the businesses he acts for which rely on him for everything from advising on their day-to-day employment and industrial relations issues through to representing them in complex and challenging cases.
“Michael has an excellent strategic mindset when managing cases. Great focus on the longer game and sticking to the case narrative. Within that is excellent judgement on the tactical components of running cases.“
– Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2021
Michael acts for employers in a diverse range of industries. He has deep industry knowledge in transport and logistics, maritime services, IT services, consulting/recruitment, professional services, insurance and financial services, retail and supply, building and construction, resources, manufacturing and education. His practice extends to all aspects of employment law and industrial relations with particular expertise in:
- strategic industrial relations, including enterprise bargaining, approvals and disputes
- complex employee relations and related advice
- dispute resolution, acting for employers in a wide range of high profile employment law and industrial litigation
- corporate performance strategy, including organisational change management/restructuring and M&A/transactional employment issues
- pay compliance and large-scale rectification projects
- sensitive termination of employment advice, including planning and exit strategies
- workplace performance/disciplinary strategies and investigations
- complex contractual disputes and breach of restraints, confidentiality & IP obligations
- Fair Work Act 2009, Modern Award and Enterprise Agreement compliance, interpretation advice and enforcement
- contractor management (including owner drivers) and non-standard work arrangements
- employee entitlements and navigating FWO and regulator investigations; and
- employee incentives.
Michael appears in the Fair Work Commission, in State and Federal courts, VCAT and in other jurisdictions. He regularly publishes articles and delivers seminars on employment and industrial relations developments and insights. He is also a member of the Industrial Relations Society of Victoria.
Michael is the President of the Kew Football Club in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, a position he has held since 2016.
